ACADEMIC INTEGRITY, COMPETENCIES, AND INNOVATIVE METHODS: SYNERGY IN HIGHER EDUCATION

Abstract

The article reveals the interrelation between academic integrity as the foundation of quality education and the competency-based approach implemented through innovative communicative methods (e.g., project- based learning, case methods, virtual laboratories). The relevance of the issue stems from the need to explore the synergistic connection among three key elements: academic integrity, the competency-based approach, and innovative communicative methods of student-centered learning.The purpose of the article is to substantiate the interrelation between academic integrity, the competency- based approach, and innovative communicative methods in the training of higher education students within a student-centered educational environment.The study confirms the existence of a strong interconnection among academic integrity, the competency- based approach, and innovative communicative methods, supporting the thesis that their synergy is a necessary condition for high-quality professional training in higher education under contemporary challenges. It is established that academic integrity is no longer merely an external ethical standard but a fundamental integral competence that ensures trust and the quality of all other professional competencies. The research demonstrates that student-centeredness is the most effective methodological framework, while innovative communicative methods (case method, project-based learning) serve as key tools for overcoming formalism in mastering the principles of academic integrity. The synergistic model helps minimize the gap between declarative competencies and real practices, which is critically important for preparing professionals capable of responding to the challenges of digitalization, globalization, and wartime conditions.Prospects for further research include the development of a pedagogical model for cultivating digital academic integrity, incorporating criteria for the ethical use of AI by students and educators.