PER ASPERA AD ASTRA: THE EDUCATIONAL PROCESS IN UKRAINIAN HIGHER SCHOOLS IN CRISIS SITUATIONS

The path that the Ukrainian people have travelled throughout their history in the struggle for independence, and which runs, in particular, during the large-scale invasion of the Russian Federation (RF) into Ukraine, including the activities of educational institutions in our country during this period of time, is compared in the article with the thorny path to the future victory of Ukrainians over the enemy The subject of the study is higher education, the difficulties of organising the educational process during the COVID-19 pandemic and the large-scale invasion of the enemy into Ukraine, and the object of the research focuses on the main activities of one of the departments of a higher education institution (HEI) in the above-mentioned conditions. The aim of this study is to describe the organization of educational, methodological and scientific activities of lecturers, using the Department of Foreign Languages (DFL) at the Northern Campus of the Stepan Gzhytskyi National University of Veterinary Medicine and Biotechnologies (LNUVMB) of Lviv as a case study covering the pandemic and war as well as the prospects for the future activities of the DFL Department. An analysis of recent research and publications on this topic indicates that government agencies, administrations of research institutes, and HEIs have made every effort to remain resilient during these crises and to identify strategic prospects for post-war development. Against the backgrop of implementing of distance and blended learning in Ukraine between 2020 and 2025, the article details the path taken by the University, and the Department of Foreign Languages in particular, to ensure an effective educational process during the COVID-19 pandemic (2020), and the subsequent full-scale invasion of Ukraine by the enemy (2022). The remoteness of our HEI from the front line made it possible for lecturers and students, and therefore the Department of Foreign Languages, to transition relatively quickly from fully distance learning technologies to a blended, and later as well as to the present day to implement traditional learning with elements of flipped learning during air raid alerts. In response to these new learning conditions, the lecturers continuously enhance their methodological work through professional development national and international conferences and webinars. They utilize Ukrainian and international online platforms of online courses, YouTube channels, and develop original teaching materials (printed and electronic manuals, dictionaries and methodological guidelines for lecturers and students). Furthermore, they diversify their scientific research by exploring new educational technologies, specialized translation methodologies (including military terminology), etc. Dual learning and the use of artificial intelligence tools are promising for implementation in our and other Ukrainian higher education institutions. including during the teaching and learning of foreign languages.