Educational partnership between UzhNU and Oregon State University: new standards in engineering education

In the context of Ukraine's post-war reconstruction, it is particularly important to train engineers who are able to work in an international professional environment, navigate EU and US standards, and effectively interact with foreign construction companies. One example of such strategic educational cooperation is the partnership between Uzhhorod National University and Oregon State University (USA).

The cooperation is developing within the framework of broader inter-institutional and inter-city contacts, as Corvallis (Oregon), where Oregon State University is located, is a sister city of Uzhhorod. Both university initiatives and support from the US Embassy play an important role in this process, particularly in joint projects aimed at training veterans and introducing modern educational formats.

A key result of the agreements was the involvement of students and graduates of the Department of Urban Construction and Management of UzhNU in the Construction Management bachelor's program at Oregon State University.

The goal of this cooperation is to train English-speaking specialists who are knowledgeable about international construction standards and practices to help foreign construction companies adapt to the Ukrainian market as part of Ukraine's reconstruction.

The background to this cooperation, its content, opportunities for students, and prospects for development are discussed below in a conversation with Diana Kaints, Director of the SMART City Multidisciplinary Research Institute, Candidate of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, Associate Professor, and Head of the Department of Urban Construction and Management.

• How and under what circumstances did the cooperation between UzhNU and Oregon State University begin?

– Since the city of Corvallis, where Oregon State University is located, is a sister city of Uzhhorod, contacts and visits had already been established earlier. With the support of the US Embassy, a joint project is currently being implemented “Unbreakable: US Experience for the Educational Reintegration of Veterans”(information about educational programs can be found at the link). These are modern short-term educational programs, the learning process of which will take place in asynchronous mode, adapted to the needs of veterans. Incidentally, the “Landscape Design” course within this project was prepared by specialists from the Department of Urban Construction and Economy.

My personal visit to Corvallis took place at the end of 2024 and concerned both city cooperation and university contacts. Thanks to Peter Bober, a long-time friend of Uzhhorod and our university, and his fruitful organization of the visit program, it became possible to convey information about the specific challenges our city faced to the city departments of Corvallis, the university community, and representatives of the construction industry.

It was during these conversations that the idea arose that a degree in Construction Management would be extremely useful in the process of post-war reconstruction of the state. It is especially important to train specialists who are able to cooperate with foreign construction companies, i.e., civil engineers who are familiar with EU and US construction standards, are fluent in English, and use business approaches typical of foreign companies.

These ideas were first discussed within the walls of Oregon State University's Engineering College and later with representatives of the large global construction company Jacobs.

• What is the essence of the cooperation between UzhNU and Oregon State University, and what role does the Construction Management program play in it?

– The essence of the cooperation between UzhNU and Oregon State University covers the development of international educational cooperation, the introduction of modern teaching formats, and the training of specialists in the field of construction in accordance with international standards. The Construction Management program within this cooperation does not provide for formal obligations regarding its mandatory implementation at UzhNU; the relevant requirements only concerned a grant project for veterans, which provided for the introduction of asynchronous courses.

The participation of UzhNU students in the Construction Management program at Oregon State University is a pilot project and is being implemented as a gesture of support from the American university and the international company Jacobs, which, among other things, provided mentoring support to five of our students. The mentor works in the company's Polish office, regularly holds online meetings, and advises students on construction practices in a global context.

In general, the introduction of the Construction Management course and asynchronous learning at UzhNU is seen as a strategic direction for the university's development, linked to the internationalization of education, preparation for the challenges of post-war reconstruction, and the introduction of modern educational approaches.

• What were the conditions for selecting UzhNU students for this program?

– Speaking specifically about the conditions for enrolling students in the Construction Management bachelor's program, the key condition was that they had to be applicants or graduates of the Construction and Civil Engineering specialty of our department – Urban Construction and Economy – with two full courses of study completed at UzhNU, an adequate level of English proficiency, and motivation to study.

I would like to note that in May 2025, during a visit by a delegation from UzhNU, an agreement was reached on the possibility of five representatives of the university (students or graduates of our department) studying for a bachelor's degree in this specialty at Oregon State University. As a result of the selection process, Yuliana Rubish (3rd year, СCE), Yulia Pudgorotska (4th year СCE), Yulia Sai-Bodnar and Alina Fatula (1st year master's students majoring in СCE), as well as our graduate Volodymyr Myhovych (who studied at the UPM department at the bachelor's and master's levels).

They study alongside students from different countries, have already completed two introductory courses, and have a professional mentor from the world-renowned construction company Jacobs, which is a truly unique opportunity that enhances practical skills and broadens students' awareness of the legislation and standards that apply in the construction industry in the EU and the US.

• What academic and practical opportunities do UzhNU students get while studying at OSU with students from other countries?

First of all, it's the skill of learning on a flexible schedule: not according to a classic timetable or someone else's strict rules, but at your own pace, yet within a clearly regulated framework.

Also, the program is taught exclusively in English. Students have constant communication with a practicing civil engineer who works abroad and in a different system of standards. They also have the opportunity to meet students from different countries, which promotes the development of intercultural communication.

In addition to purely engineering knowledge, the program provides additional soft skills: negotiation skills, accounting basics, and personnel management. In other words, it provides a certain layer of interdisciplinary knowledge that complements classical engineering training. In our reality, such a program could well be called interdisciplinary.

• What are the prospects for the development of this partnership: is there a plan to expand the programs, increase the number of participants, or launch joint educational or scientific projects?

– We certainly expect to expand our cooperation. First of all, through the introduction of a new educational program at UzhNU using the best practices of American universities.

We also hope to attract some of the graduates of this pilot project to teach at our department in the future. A separate area of focus is the organization of guest lectures by American professors and Jacobs specialists for all students of our specialty.

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