Reflection of the Future: Education as a Space for Innovation and Empathy

29.8.2025

On August 28, the meeting of educators of the Lubny community was held at Luhansk Taras Shevchenko National University under the symbolic title “Reflection of the Future: Education as a Space for Innovation and Empathy.”

The August conference is a traditional event that opened the new academic year in the format of a workshop.

The event began with a minute of silence in honor of the memory of the defenders of Ukraine, after which the head of the education department of the executive committee of the Lubny City Council, Myroslav KOSTENKO, who moderated the August educational event, addressed the participants.

The following delivered welcoming remarks: the head of the Lubny City Council, Oleksandr HRYTSAIENKO; the head of the academic council of the Luhansk National University, Vitalii KURYLO; the Rector of Luhansk Taras Shevchenko National University, Olena KARAMAN, as well as the heads of trade union organizations of the educational community, Liudmyla HRYTSAIENKO and Liudmyla MASKO.

In their speeches, they emphasized the importance of the practical format of the meeting – not only to listen, but also to create, reflect and generate ideas that bring the community closer to modern educational changes.

The greatest value of the meeting was the interactive workshops, during which educational leaders worked in groups on specific challenges and opportunities:

Empathy Workshop – Creation of a “Student Empathy Map 2027” to see the world through the eyes of children.

• Assessment Workshop – developing a “Portfolio of Success” model as an alternative to traditional assessments.
• Infrastructure Workshop – finding creative solutions for the “School of the Future” even with a minimal budget.
• Academic Integrity Workshop – building a “Reputation Tree” that emphasizes the strategic value of integrity.
• Leadership Workshop – creating a “Leadership Map” that shows how soft skills become a compass for change.
• Inclusion Workshop – developing an “Opportunity Tree” to create an environment where every child feels part of the team.

Each group visualized their ideas on posters and presented them to their colleagues.

The August conference ended with a symbolic “Time Capsule”. Educators wrote down on cards the ideas and commitments they plan to implement in their institutions during the year. These messages will be saved and opened in 2027 to remind themselves of the power of small but daily steps in creating change.

But the final and explosive chord of the event was a mini-presentation by students of Luhansk Taras Shevchenko National University “University of the Future”, in which the applicants showed that LTSNU is a space where technology, science, inclusion and international opportunities work together, forming a new generation of leaders.

Today we know for sure: the future of Ukraine is in the reliable hands of our youth!

The event at the Vasyl Barka Gymnasium became a real platform for co-creating the future. Community educators proved that they are ready not only to respond to challenges, but also to create an innovative space, where empathy, creativity and leadership form a qualitatively new educational school.

Marketing Department of LTSNU