THE QUALITY OF JOURNALISM EDUCATION IN WARTIME AND AI

Abstract

The article is devoted to researching the sustainability of internal quality assurance in educational programs for journalists in the context of a systemic crisis caused by the full-scale invasion of Ukraine by the Russian Federation. Using the example of the educational program “Social and Cultural Journalism” at the Kharkiv State Academy of Culture, the article analyzes how the crisis affects compliance with quality standards, in particular ESG (2015) and the criteria of the National Agency for Higher Education Quality Assurance (NAQA). The research methodology is based on a mixed approach: content analysis of program documentation, qualitative expert assessment, and criteria-based analysis of compliance with ESG standards and NAQA requirements. Both quantitative and qualitative methods of analysis were used in the assessment process, which made it possible to identify the strengths and weaknesses of the internal quality assurance system. The results of the study show that despite extremely difficult operating conditions, the educational program remains fundamentally compliant with national and European quality standards. Among its strengths are practice-oriented content, compliance with the National Qualifications Framework, and support for academic integrity. At the same time, significant challenges have been identified: underdeveloped mechanisms for stakeholder engagement, weak digitalization of the educational process, insufficient transparency, and untimely updating of information. Areas for improvement of the quality assurance system in crisis conditions have been outlined, in particular through the integration of anti-crisis management elements.