Digital Transformation of Higher Education for Environmental Management and Sustainable Development: an Interdisciplinary Approach

Abstract

Introduction. The digital transformation of higher education has become a key factor in ensuring highquality training of specialists in environmental management and sustainable development in response to contemporary global challenges. It has created new opportunities for modernizing educational processes, developing interdisciplinary competencies, and integrating innovative teaching methods.Problem Statement. A detailed study focusing on the interest of educational process participants in interdisciplinary learning and their attitudes towards it is timely and relevant. Purpose. This study aims to identify the prerequisites for improving the management of higher education in ecology and sustainable development through digitalization and the implementation of an interdisciplinary approach.Materials and Methods. The study has been based on the results of a cross-sectional survey of students from 11 highereducation institutions in Ukraine conducted within the framework of the DAAD project Ukrainian-German DigitalTeaching Network. Observation, comparison, analysis, synthesis, measurement, statistical data processing, and hierarchical cluster analysis have been employed to identify relationships among academic disciplines and determine their potential for interdisciplinary integration.Results. The findings have shown that students have positively assessed the accessibility and flexibi lity of digital learning platforms. At the same time, the study has identified technical problems, insufficient digital competencies, and limited use of individual modern learning tools as the principal barriers to effective digital learning. Hierarchical cluster analysis has enabled the disciplines to be systematized into three interdisciplinary blocks integrating environmental, managerial, economic, and information-analytical components. The proposed approach has provided a basis for the modular design of educational programs and the development of integrated professional competencies.Conclusions. The study has established that digitalization is not merely a technological tool but also an important factor in transforming educational content and developing interdisciplinary models of specialist training. The practicalsignificance of the findings lies in the potential application of the proposed approaches to modernize educational programs, improve the efficiency of educational process management, and support progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals