EDUCATIONAL CHALLENGES TO GLOBAL ECONOMIC PROGRESS IN A FRAGMENTED WORLD

The article examines the growing role of education as a strategic determinant of global economic progress in an increasingly fragmented world. Amid the erosion of traditional global governance structures, rising geopolitical polarization, economic inequality, and technological disruption, education systems have become both a reflection of and a response to global fragmentation. The research conceptualizes educational fragmentation not merely as an issue of access but as a multi-dimensional phenomenon encompassing disparities in digital infrastruc- ture, institutional resilience, human capital development, and knowledge sovereignty. Special attention is given to the widening global digital divide, which has intensified post-COVID and disproportionately affects countries of the Global South. The paper presents a typology of educational stability across three categories of countries: digitally advanced and stable systems, hybrid or turbulent systems (e.g., Ukraine, Mexico), and critically fragmented or collapsed systems (e.g., Yemen, Afghanistan). The Ukrainian case is highlighted as a unique example of educational resilience and innovation under conditions of full-scale war, internal displacement, infrastructure collapse, and educator outflow. The authors argue that education in such contexts evolves beyond its conventional social function and becomes a mechanism of national economic survival, post-crisis recovery, and long-term competitiveness. The study further integrates diverse theoretical perspectives – from neoclassical growth models and human capital theory to institutional and post-fragmentation approaches – to underscore the need for a revised understanding of education's economic role in today’s fractured global economy. It is emphasized that education is no longer a neutral or universal institution; rather, it is increasingly embedded in geopolitical strategies, digital ecosystems, and socio-economic polarization patterns. The fragmentation of global education leads not only to exclusion from global value chains and knowledge networks but also to the structural reproduction of poverty and a decline in economic adaptability. The authors conclude that overcoming educational fragmentation requires not isolated reforms but coordinated international strategies, inclusive digital policies, and global academic diplomacy. Education must be redefined as a pillar of economic security and as a foundational element of a new global architecture capable of ensuring resilience, innovation, and inclusive development in the 21st century. The study advocates for the recogni- tion of educational systems as drivers of economic modernization, tools for geopolitical agency, and safeguards of national sovereignty in the era of global volatility.