Transformation of the model of military training for students through the synergy of military pragmatics, democratic adaptation, and socio-confessional dialogue in Ukraine

Abstract

The issue of replacing mandatory basic military training with the course «Fundamentals of National Resistance» in Ukrainian higher education institutions should be understood not merely as an administrative decision, but as a multidimensional case of interaction among the state, civil society, and religious communities under the extreme conditions of full-scale war. The article offers a comprehensive interdisciplinary analysis of this high-profile reform in Ukraine’s higher education system, namely the replacement of mandatory basic general military training for second-year full-time students with the course «Fundamentals of National Resistance». It is argued that this decision should be viewed not only as an administrative measure, but also as a multidimensional case of interaction among the state, civil society, and religious communities in the context of an existential war. The study verifies the hypothesis that the transformation of the training model resulted from the synergy of three factors: military pragmatics, democratic adaptation to worldview pluralism, and a strong socio-confessional response. Military pragmatics is understood here as the logistical overload of training centers and the security risks faced by students at military training grounds. Special attention is paid to the Protestant milieu, for which the requirement to take a military oath and handle weapons created an acute conflict with the constitutional right to freedom of conscience. The scientific novelty of the study lies in highlighting the state’s shift from rigid coercion to the concept of the «resilient citizen», in which believing students are integrated into national defense through non-military and unarmed components of national resistance and civil protection without violating their moral taboos. The article concludes that the introduction of an inclusive model of national resistance is an indicator of Ukraine’s democratic resilience, demonstrating that even under conditions of total war the state preserves respect for fundamental human rights and seeks a balance between mobilization needs and freedom of individual conscience.