Fostering digital competencies in prospective museum specialists: european expertise and practice of Ukraine

The article analyses the stages of implementation of European standards for digitalisation of museum space in Ukraine, with due regard for EU regulations and European best practices in the development of digital competences in museum specialists. We have found that the major problem of creating a digital collection of Ukrainian historical and cultural heritage is the lack of skills and capabilities of specialists in digitising museum collections and working with data. For adaptation and effective functioning in the variable field of digital culture, taking into consideration the best practices of European universities, we suggest to develop and implement a micro-programme ‘Digitalisation of Cultural Heritage’ in higher education institutions to foster skills in digitalisation of tangible cultural heritage in students of historical and artistic specialties of universities using digital technologies, which will be consonant with the digital society focused on the development of required key competencies and facilitate the integration of digital technologies in education. We have found that digital competences involve confident and critical use of modern technologies through the acquisition of skills in information and media literacy, communication and collaboration, and the creation of high-quality digital content. This will allow museum specialists to contribute to the development of cultural institutions by introducing these technologies into museum practice. European expertise proves that museum staff should develop and upgrade their digital competencies through training and educational es.