UKRAINIAN EXPERIENCE IN THE ACCREDITATION OF EDUCATIONAL AND CREATIVE DOCTOR OF ARTS PROGRAMS: PROSPECTS FOR THE FURTHER DEVELOPMENT OF ARTISTIC RESEARCH

Abstract

The aim of the article is to explore the development of artistic research in Ukraine in the context of the accreditation of third-cycle educational and creative programmes and their integration into the European educational and research space. The objectives of the study are to identify the normative and institutional preconditions for launching Doctor of Arts programmes, to analyse the first experience of accrediting the “Fine and Visual Arts” programme at the National Academy of Fine Arts and Architecture (NAFAA), to determine the specific features of visual arts in comparison with performing arts, and to correlate Ukrainian practices with international models of artistic research. The article examines the key stages in the development of doctoral programmes in the field of visual arts, focusing on the first accreditation of the “Fine and Visual Arts” programme at NAFAA (specialty 023 “Fine Arts, Decorative Arts, Restoration”) in comparison with practices of leading European institutions (Royal College of Art, Aalto University, Akademie der Bildenden Künste). Special attention is paid to analysing the balance between the creative and scholarly components of artistic research and the ways of their academic recognition. Methods. The study employs a combination of comparative and regulatory analysis, using materials from self-evaluation reports, NAQA expert conclusions, and case studies of artistic projects by doctoral candidates. An interdisciplinary approach made it possible to relate Ukrainian practices in the field of visual arts to international models of artistic research. Results. The article analyses the main challenges in accrediting artistic programmes in the visual arts: the absence of an approved national standard for specialty 023 (while one exists for 025 “Musical Art”), the uncertainty of the status of creative outcomes, and the need to align scientific and artistic components. For the first time, the specific features of Ukrainian third-cycle artistic programmes are systematised in the context of European approaches to artistic research. The first doctoral defences at NAFAA are presented as a precedent within the national higher education system. Conclusions. Artistic research in the field of visual arts in Ukraine is emerging as a new academic domain that reflects global trends in artistic research while incorporating local perspectives. Its accreditation demonstrates an ongoing search for balance between the scientific and creative components of third-cycle educational and creative programmes and the formation of a Ukrainian model capable of integration into the European educational space. Prospective directions for further development include refining assessment criteria and affirming the status of creative outcomes as equivalent to scholarly achievements.