VIRAL AND ECONOMIC PROBLEMS OF EDUCATION IN THE CONTEXT OF WORLD TRANSFORMATIONS

Abstract. The article presents the data of experts’ assessments of the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the world economy; the scenario forecast of deepening global crisis in 2021 and 2022. The IMF predicts a slowdown in 2022 in the global economy, which could cause a financial crisis. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres shares the same view. According to his statement, the coronavirus pandemic would lead to the worst crisis in the last century. Coronavirus has affected education not only in Ukraine, but also in Western countries, where the traditions of higher education are long and well known, and education is very expensive. The pandemic forced distance learning even at world-renowned universities, sparking a wave of protests among students for several reasons. The first is financial. Full-time education is more expensive than distance learning. Due to the transfer of full-time students to distance learning, they began to require university administrations to review pricing policies. The second reason is the decline in the prestige of education compared to previous years. Thirdly, the pandemic will inevitably lead to an unstable labor market for graduates. During this time, Ukrainian education has faced such problems that occur in the best universities in the world. The global paradigm of higher education is changing rapidly. Short training programs for quick acquisition of new skills come to the fore. Distance learning opens up new perspectives. Anyone can attend lectures from leading universities. The service allows getting a bachelor’s or master’s degree. The positive experience of Polish education is highlighted in this paper. The deterioration of education as a threat not only to the quality of training of highly qualified specialists, but also to the country as a whole is emphasized. The important role of artificial intelligence in education is pointed out. The initiative of the President of Ukraine V. Zelensky on the need to create a presidential university of modern education and a research center - a leader in strategic areas of state development has been announced.