Land management on the path to European integration: toward establishing a new scientific paradigm without losing national identity

In light of global challenges—climate change, soil degradation, the digitalisation of the economy, biodiversity loss, the intensification of urbanisation processes, and the growing anthropogenic pressure on land resources—there is an urgent need to rethink the conceptual foundations of land management science in Ukraine. With this objective in mind, a retrospective analysis was conducted of the development of land management thought by Ukrainian scholars over a long historical period, which made it possible to establish the need for a critical reevaluation of the accumulated body of scientific work and its adaptation to contemporary realities, without losing its methodological value. The study also examined and substantiated the integration of the classical theoretical and methodological approaches of the domestic scientific school with current international standards and land management technologies. The analysis revealed conceptual points of convergence between established scientific traditions and the latest global practices and identified avenues for their mutual enrichment. At the same time, the researchers emphasise a fundamental point: the integration of domestic land management science into the international scientific discourse should be viewed not as a reason to lose the unique achievements accumulated over the long history of land management thought in Ukraine, but as a compelling argument for their preservation, updating, and recognition at the international level. Researchers argue that it is precisely this approach that forms the methodological foundation for a comprehensive comparative analysis of the development of land management science in the Ukrainian and global academic spheres, conducted in light of current global challenges and based on a balanced combination of national scientific traditions and international best practices.Received: 07.08.2026;Accepted: 15.09.2026;