Participation in the project

14.12.2017

I.G. Melnyk, Head of the Department of Geography of the Faculty of Natural Sciences, took part in the project “Innovative University and Leadership. Phase III: Innovation and Relationships with the Environment.”

The key to the successful development of the higher educational institution is the active social activity of the teaching staff and students. Scientists of our University are always actively involved in actions aimed at the development of educational technologies. I.G. Melnyk spoke about participation in the project “Innovative University and Leadership. Phase III: Innovation and Relations with the Environment”.

• Iryna Hennadiivna, what is the main goal of the project, who else took part in it?

The main goal of the project is the preparation of academic leaders who are willing and able to introduce innovative educational and management technologies into the practice of the Ukrainian higher school. The project is implemented with the support of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Republic of Poland, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Poland, the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine and under the honorary patronage of the Foundation of Polish Rectors of the Institute of the Knowledge Society.

Candidates (25 people) who are on third and fourth positions in the academic hierarchy of their universities were invited to participate in the project on a competitive basis. In fact, the group of participants consisted of representatives of all regions of Ukraine (except for Crimea and Lviv region). The first part of this project – the training part – took place from October 8 to November 4, 2017 in Poland, in two largest Polish universities – Warsaw University and Jagiellonian University (Krakow).

• Is the project cognitive and useful for self-development?

Intensive trainings were organized for us, during which Polish colleagues shared their experience in management and implementation of innovations in their universities, answered numerous questions, frankly talked about the problems in their institutions.

In addition, meetings and consultations were organized to provide participants with information support in the preparation of micro-projects, which should be submitted to the organizers of the project in May 2018.

The Polish side prepared interesting excursions that corresponded to the purpose of the project. We visited the museum (Collegium Majus), the new Campus and the library of the Jagiellonian University (counts more than 3 million copies of books), visited the Biotechnology Center, the Solaris Radiation Research Center (Hadron Collider), the Institute of People’s Memory.

• What are the results of participation in the project?

The project has just begun. There will be work at my own microproject, which I plan to report later. The visit to Poland as well as to the Warsaw and Jagiellonian Universities made a great impression. The organizers selected the training topics so that we had a systemic vision of the organization of higher education in Poland.

Moreover, we were introduced to innovative approaches in the organization of the funding system for universities and their structural subdivisions, the formation of the university’s strategy, the quality of education, and the organization of student self-government.

• What are your impressions and expectations from further work?

I am amazed by the professionalism of Polish colleagues and the high level of organization of the project. This made it possible to compare the Polish and Ukrainian higher education systems, to identify miscalculations, problems.

Unlike Ukrainian universities, the Polish ones have a really high level of autonomy, an almost perfect system for financing education and science, a better material base, transparent and effective mechanisms for paying teachers. Much attention is paid to the academic mobility of faculty and students, the opening of English-language educational programs, etc.

I cannot fail to mention the wonderful opportunity to get to know Poland, its culture, two beautiful cities – Warsaw and Krakow, which constantly “argue” among themselves for the right of leadership and the capital functions.

I am very grateful to the organizers of the project, and especially to the curator from Ukraine – Professor Taras V. Finikov, as well as representatives of the host party – Professor Robert Sukharski (UW) and Professor Bogdan Shlyakhte (UJ).

Oleg Chernysh, Press Center of LTSNU