About International Cooperation and Project Activities

International scientific cooperation has been an important component of the Institute's activities since its foundation and one of the factors in the formation of scientific directions and research schools. The development of international relations has occurred consistently, reflecting both the evolution of the Institute's scientific priorities and changes in the socio-economic environment in which research was carried out. Over the decades, a network of professional contacts has been formed, covering scientific institutions, universities and research centers of many countries.

The first stage of the development of international cooperation, which falls on the 1990s and early 2000s, was a period of formation and search for common scientific interests. The focus was on the problems of transformation of economic systems, formation of regional policy and management of territorial development in post-socialist countries. It was then that regular scientific contacts with research teams from Central and Eastern Europe (Poland, Hungary, Slovakia) were initiated, and the geography of cooperation was expanded, in particular by holding international conferences with the participation of scientists from other regions of the world, including China. This period laid the foundations of the Institute's international scientific communication and determined the directions for further development of cooperation.

Since the beginning of the 2000s, international cooperation has been taking on a more systemic character. Along with the deepening of traditional research, new areas are actively developing, in particular the issues of cross-border cooperation, spatial development and territorial planning, socio-economic processes in the Carpathian region. Scientific ties are expanding thanks to cooperation with scientific and expert institutions of the European Union countries (Germany, Poland, Hungary, Slovakia), participation in international research projects and scientific forums. During this period, the Institute not only integrates into international research processes, but also forms its own scientific initiatives that contribute to the establishment of new research areas and the strengthening of its position as a leading center for the study of cross-border processes in Ukraine.

In the late 2000s-2010s, the Institute's international activities acquire features of sustainability and systematicity. Long-term scientific networks are formed, uniting researchers from the countries of the European Union and the Eastern Partnership countries (Poland, Romania, Moldova, Slovakia, Hungary, etc.). Considerable attention is paid to the issues of sustainable development of mountain areas, development of rural areas, cluster policy, spatial development of regions and European integration. The results of research of this period are reflected in joint monographs, analytical materials and recommendations used in the practice of regional development and international cooperation, as well as in the activities of international organizations and expert platforms.

In the second half of the 2010s, the Institute's international cooperation reached a new level, associated with active participation in international grant programs and research consortia. The research topics expanded and covered issues of local economic development, decentralization, entrepreneurship development, infrastructure and finance, spatial cohesion and Ukraine's integration into the European economic space. Networking is carried out with universities and scientific institutions in many European countries, and participation in international programs, in particular Erasmus+, contributes to strengthening academic mobility, preparation of joint publications and holding international scientific events that bring together a wide range of researchers.

A new stage in the development of international cooperation began in 2022, when the Institute continued its activities in the conditions of full-scale military aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine. Despite the objective difficulties associated with military events, international scientific contacts were maintained and acquired a new substantive direction. Research focuses on issues of economic stability and financial capacity of regions, demographic and social security, spatial transformations and development of territorial communities, development of the real sector of the economy, environmental safety and balanced nature management, modernization of border infrastructure and logistics, functioning of transport corridors, integration of Ukraine into the European economic space and scientific support of post-war recovery processes. Cooperation with scientific teams from European Union countries (Poland, Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, etc.) is carried out within the framework of international projects and programs, and scientific events are actively held in remote and mixed formats, which allows maintaining the continuity of scientific dialogue in wartime conditions.

Today, the Institute's international scientific cooperation is an important tool for its integration into the global research space. Participation in international projects and programs, preparation of joint publications, academic exchanges, internships and holding international scientific events contribute to improving the quality of research and expanding its practical significance.

The consistent development of international activities, based on the traditions of scientific cooperation, openness to new ideas and the pursuit of scientific excellence, provides the Institute with a worthy place in the international scientific community and creates a reliable basis for the further development of research in the field of regional economics, spatial development and cross-border cooperation.