IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v15y2023i3p1897-d1040617.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Impact of COVID-19 on University Activities: Comparison of Experiences from Slovakia and Georgia

Author

Listed:
  • Alexander V. Sirotkin

    (Faculty of Natural Sciences and Informatics, Constantine the Philosopher University in Nitra, 94901 Nitra, Slovakia)

  • Martina Pavlíková

    (Faculty of Arts, Constantine the Philosopher University, 94901 Nitra, Slovakia)

  • Ľubomír Hlad

    (Faculty of Arts, Constantine the Philosopher University, 94901 Nitra, Slovakia)

  • Roman Králik

    (Department of Russian Language, Peoples’ Friendship University of Russia (RUDN University), 117198 Moscow, Russia
    Department of Social Works, Faculty of Theology, Catholic University in Ružomberok, 03401 Ružomberok, Slovakia)

  • Irina Zarnadze

    (Department of Public Health, Health Care Management, Policy and Economics, Tbilisi State Medical University, 380077 Tbilisi, Georgia)

  • Shalva Zarnadze

    (Department of Nutrition, Aging Medicine, Environmental and Occupational Health, Tbilisi State Medical University, 380077 Tbilisi, Georgia)

  • Lucia Petrikovičová

    (Faculty of Natural Sciences and Informatics, Constantine the Philosopher University in Nitra, 94901 Nitra, Slovakia)

Abstract

The paper examines the recent trends in international mobility, attractivity for international students, and the number of publications of two universities (Constantine the Philosopher University in Nitra, Slovakia, CPU and Tbilisi State Medical University, Georgia, TSMU) to understand whether the COVID-19 pandemic affected these processes and whether the adverse consequences of the pandemic were still retained after its end. In addition, we examined the influence of EU support for these processes. For this purpose, we analyzed the rates of international mobility (the number of outgoing and incoming students and employees, the number of international students, and the number of publications indexed in SCOPUS and the WoS database of CPU and TSMU before, during, and after the abolishment of administrative restrictions induced by the COVID-19 pandemic. The comparison of CPU and TSMU demonstrated the similarity between these universities in the development of international contacts and cooperation. The indexes of international mobility and the number of publications in the EU university CPU were higher than those in the non-EU TSMU. On the other hand, before COVID-19, the indexes of international mobility and the number of publications of TSMU were stable or tended to decline, but in CPU, they increased. COVID-19 had a negative impact on all indexes of international mobility, but the number of international students continued to increase in both universities, even during the pandemic. The use of home offices during the pandemic promoted an increase in the number of international publications among authors from CPU but not among those from TSMU. After the end of the pandemic, in both universities, the indexes of international mobility increased but sometimes did not return to pre-pandemic levels. In the post-COVID-19 period, in both CPU and TSMU, the number of international students continued to grow, and the number of publications declined. These observations highlight the trend of internalization experienced by both universities, the negative impact of COVID on their international mobility, and the importance of EU support for research.

Suggested Citation

  • Alexander V. Sirotkin & Martina Pavlíková & Ľubomír Hlad & Roman Králik & Irina Zarnadze & Shalva Zarnadze & Lucia Petrikovičová, 2023. "Impact of COVID-19 on University Activities: Comparison of Experiences from Slovakia and Georgia," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(3), pages 1-18, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:15:y:2023:i:3:p:1897-:d:1040617
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/15/3/1897/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/15/3/1897/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Martina Pavlíková & Alexander Sirotkin & Roman Králik & Lucia Petrikovičová & José García Martin, 2021. "How to Keep University Active during COVID-19 Pandemic: Experience from Slovakia," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(18), pages 1-14, September.
    2. Dalibor Gonda & Gabriela Pavlovičová & Viliam Ďuriš & Anna Tirpáková, 2022. "Implementation of Pedagogical Research into Statistical Courses to Develop Students’ Statistical Literacy," Mathematics, MDPI, vol. 10(11), pages 1-17, May.
    3. Antonín Vaishar & Milada Šťastná & Hilda Kramáreková, 2022. "Moravian–Slovak Borderland: Possibilities for Rural Development," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(6), pages 1-16, March.
    4. A. Raan, 1999. "Advanced bibliometric methods for the evaluation of universities," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 45(3), pages 417-423, July.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Tiberiu Constantin Ionescu & Bogdana Ioana Fetecau & Stefan Zaharia & Elma-Maria Mînecan & Catalina Tudose, 2023. "Sleepless Pandemic: A Cross-Sectional Analysis of Insomnia Symptoms among Professionally Active Romanians during the COVID-19 Pandemic," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(2), pages 1-16, January.
    2. Vicente Javier Clemente-Suárez & Stephanie Rodriguez-Besteiro & Juan José Cabello-Eras & Alvaro Bustamante-Sanchez & Eduardo Navarro-Jiménez & Macarena Donoso-Gonzalez & Ana Isabel Beltrán-Velasco & J, 2022. "Sustainable Development Goals in the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Narrative Review," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(13), pages 1-26, June.
    3. Hui-Zhen Fu & Yuh-Shan Ho, 2013. "Comparison of independent research of China’s top universities using bibliometric indicators," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 96(1), pages 259-276, July.
    4. Lluís Rovira & Pau Senra & David Jou, 2000. "Bibliometric Analysis of Physics in Catalonia: Towards Quality Consolidation?," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 49(2), pages 233-256, October.
    5. Lutz Bornmann & Robin Haunschild & Rüdiger Mutz, 2021. "Growth rates of modern science: a latent piecewise growth curve approach to model publication numbers from established and new literature databases," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 8(1), pages 1-15, December.
    6. Waleed M. Sweileh & Sa’ed H. Zyoud & Suleiman Al-Khalil & Samah W. Al-Jabi & Ansam F. Sawalha, 2014. "Assessing the Scientific Research Productivity of the Palestinian Higher Education Institutions," SAGE Open, , vol. 4(3), pages 21582440145, July.
    7. Ruimin Ma & Chaoqun Ni & Junping Qiu, 2008. "Scientific research competitiveness of world universities in computer science," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 76(2), pages 245-260, August.
    8. Lívia Kelebercová & Michal Munk & František Forgáč, 2023. "Could You Understand Me? The Relationship among Method Complexity, Preprocessing Complexity, Interpretability, and Accuracy," Mathematics, MDPI, vol. 11(13), pages 1-15, June.
    9. Youliang Huang & Qian Huang & Sajid Ali & Xing Zhai & Xiaoming Bi & Renquan Liu, 2016. "Rehabilitation using virtual reality technology: a bibliometric analysis, 1996–2015," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 109(3), pages 1547-1559, December.
    10. Marina Fernández-Andújar & Marta Oporto Alonso & Elena Sorribes & Vicente Villalba & Caterina Calderon, 2022. "Internet Addiction, Phubbing, Psychological Variables and Self-Perception of Mathematical Competence in College Students," Mathematics, MDPI, vol. 10(15), pages 1-16, July.
    11. Feng-Hua Yang & Shih-Lin Tan & Yuan-Lie Lin, 2022. "The Relationships among Mindfulness, Self-Compassion, and Subjective Well-Being: The Case of Employees in an International Business," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(9), pages 1-16, April.
    12. Jingda Ding & Junping Qiu, 2011. "An approach to improve the indicator weights of scientific and technological competitiveness evaluation of Chinese universities," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 86(2), pages 285-297, February.
    13. Patrik Maturkanič & Ivana Tomanová Čergeťová & Irena Konečná & Vladimír Thurzo & Amantius Akimjak & Ľubomír Hlad & Jan Zimny & Marie Roubalová & Victoria Kurilenko & Martin Toman & Jozef Petrikovič & , 2022. "Well-Being in the Context of COVID-19 and Quality of Life in Czechia," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(12), pages 1-13, June.
    14. Beibei Niu & Song Hong & Jiefei Yuan & Sha Peng & Zhen Wang & Xu Zhang, 2014. "Global trends in sediment-related research in earth science during 1992–2011: a bibliometric analysis," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 98(1), pages 511-529, January.
    15. Mu-Hsuan Huang & Han-Wen Chang & Dar-Zen Chen, 2006. "Research evaluation of research-oriented universities in Taiwan from 1993 to 2003," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 67(3), pages 419-435, June.
    16. Bart Thijs & Wolfgang Glänzela, 2009. "A structural analysis of benchmarks on different bibliometrical indicators for European research institutes based on their research profile," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 79(2), pages 377-388, May.
    17. Y. S. Ho & C. H. Chiu & T. M. Tseng & W. T. Chiu, 2003. "Assessing stem cell research productivity," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 57(3), pages 369-376, July.
    18. Peter Ingwersen & Birger Larsen, 2014. "Influence of a performance indicator on Danish research production and citation impact 2000–12," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 101(2), pages 1325-1344, November.
    19. Vlastimil Chytrý & Milan Kubiatko & Romana Šindelářová & Janka Medová, 2022. "Socioeconomic Status of University Students as a Limiting Factor for Various Forms of Distance Education during COVID-19 Measures," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(10), pages 1-12, May.
    20. Elleby, Anita & Ingwersen, Peter, 2010. "Publication point indicators: A comparative case study of two publication point systems and citation impact in an interdisciplinary context," Journal of Informetrics, Elsevier, vol. 4(4), pages 512-523.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:15:y:2023:i:3:p:1897-:d:1040617. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.