Scientific and Practical Seminar “Peculiarities of Implementation of Digitalization, Inclusion and Ecologization in Higher Education of Ukraine”
On November 27, a scientific and practical seminar “Peculiarities of Implementing Digitalization, Inclusion and Ecologization in Higher Education of Ukraine” was held online. The event was held within the framework of the international project “Rethinking (RE-DIRECTION) Higher Education in the Digital Context and Updating the Overall Inclusive and Green Structure Based on EU Best Practices and Policy Recommendations”. During the meeting, participants discussed topical issues related to digital transformation, inclusiveness, greening and sustainable development in higher education.
The purpose of the event was to share experiences on digital transformation, sustainable development, and inclusiveness in Ukrainian higher education institutions. The event is also aimed at analyzing the project implementation at partner universities and receiving feedback from stakeholders to identify gaps in the curricula and plans of higher education institutions in these areas. The workshop was moderated by Hanna Melehanych, Associate Professor of International Studies and Public Communications, Director of the Center for Sustainable Development at UzhNU.
Myroslava Lendiel, Vice-Rector for Academic Affairs at Uzhhorod National University, began with welcoming remarks: “The EU's priorities until 2027 are undoubtedly digitalization, digitalization, inclusion in the political, social and educational spheres, in particular for students and teachers, as well as the greening of the educational process and research. At the end of the previous decade, when the EU was discussing what should be the main goals for its development over the next 10 years, it was clearly defined that these were sustainable development, green transition, and the introduction of innovations, in particular through digitalization. And, of course, inclusion in its broadest sense, i.e. of different layers, processes, including educational ones. When creating programs, such as Erasmus+, the European Commission has noted that projects to be implemented by EU educational institutions, partner states, or EU candidate countries should address these priorities. And we are very pleased that the team of our university with colleagues from other Ukrainian universities in partnership with foreign universities have joined the project, which is now being successfully implemented.”
The next speaker was Oleksandr Patskan, Deputy Head of the Zakarpattia Regional State Administration: “We are well aware that the modern world requires us not only to adapt but also to make quick decisions. And quick decisions are necessarily about digitalization. It is already clear that without this factor, as well as the transformation and automation of processes, it will be difficult for us to achieve certain successes. That is why the topics you have raised today, i.e. inclusion, digital transformation and environmentalization, are very important.”
Vitalii Andreyko, Dean of the Faculty of History and International Relations at Uzhhorod National University, joined the opening remarks: “I would like to note that it has been almost a year since we started implementing this project, and quite a few good initiatives have been implemented. During 2024, our team had the opportunity to meet the direct participants and our partners from Ukraine, Georgia, Greece, and Germany. We also visited Georgia, the Georgian International University in Tbilisi, where an interesting event, a symposium, was held. For three days, we got to know each other and shared our first experiences in this area. In addition, during this period, we have worked on a significant array of regulatory frameworks on digitalization, environmental issues, and inclusion. We are very pleased to have qualified employees in our team who contribute to the successful implementation of the project.”
The next stage is a presentation of the experience of Ukrainian universities in implementing digital transformation, inclusion, and greening in the educational and training process. The first speaker was Ihor Korol, Vice-Rector for Scientific and Pedagogical Work of UzhNU, who spoke about the implementation of an information system at Uzhhorod National University, which, among other things, was developed by teachers and graduate students of our university. It will automate the educational process and facilitate the work of teachers and deans. The system is currently in operation and equipped for the master's program: individual learning paths have been formed, electronic data has been introduced, and the preparation of diplomas and applications has been automated. This has significantly reduced the time for processing documents. Starting from the next semester, the platform will cover the bachelor's program and allow students to choose their own disciplines in the program. There are plans to scale this project, making it a key tool in the educational process of UzhNU. The vice-rector also demonstrated an innovation on the university's main website - the “accessibility tool” function. The option was added on November 14 and makes it easier for people with visual impairments to work with the page. The icon is located in the lower left corner.
Hanna Rybak, Associate Professor of Economic Theory and International Economics at the O.M. Beketov National University of Urban Economy in Kharkiv, spoke about digital solutions and inclusive practices in education in wartime. In their teaching methods, they use teamwork so that students can apply theoretical knowledge in practice, and they also use the “Case study” methodology. For a long time, their university has been actively using digital platforms in the educational process, in particular, Ms. Hanna identified three of them - Moodl, Teams, and MCR.
Olesia Zhovnych, Associate Professor of the Department of Foreign Languages at Mykhailo Kotsiubynskyi Vinnytsia State Pedagogical University, shared her experience of implementing the RE-DIRECTION project. Since Vinnytsia is one of the cities that has become a refuge for a large number of citizens during the full-scale invasion, the issue of inclusiveness and digitalization is acute, as it concerns not only people with disabilities who cannot attend classes, but also people who are psychologically unprepared for full-time education. These factors prompted the transfer of a significant part of the educational process to the online format, which is also actively used by students who were forced to move abroad. In addition, a mixed form, synchronous and asynchronous learning has been introduced.
The next topic was “Digitalization in educational projects: the experience of the NGO University Business Support Center ‘Pro BONO’, which was presented by the head of the NGO, Victoria Bondarenko. She shared her own cases that were organized within the NGO. In particular, three educational projects that were also accompanied by digital transformation. Ms. Bondarenko emphasized the importance of online education, as it increases the accessibility of education for those from all over the world and makes it possible to track the work of programs in real time.
Alyona Almashiy, Director of the Center for Innovation and Development at Uzhhorod National University, raised the important topic of Inclusive Practices in Education. The organization is actively involved in student life and promotes youth awareness of such important issues. In particular, a workshop titled “Is Inclusion About Me or Not” was held, where, in addition to theory, they also applied a practical component. Another interesting event was the Equal Rights debate tournament, which was dedicated to protecting the rights of people with disabilities. The next workshop, Hear, Feel, See, was also marked by a lot of positive feedback from students. The last event of this year was the training “Youth Rights and Council of Europe Standards”, which aimed primarily to convey that young people are members of society like others. “Our goal is to teach students how to build a constructive dialogue around inclusiveness, how to navigate such topics, help them master the etiquette of communication with people with disabilities, etc.”, said Ms. Aliona.
Her colleague Maryna Stashyna-Neymet, a leading specialist at the Center for Innovation and Development of UzhNU, continued, preparing a report on “Inclusive Leadership in Higher Education.” “It is worth starting with the fact that the process of inclusion is inextricably linked to leadership. Therefore, if we want to talk about increasing the presence of underrepresented groups in key roles, that is, those who will not only initiate projects but also become leading experts in implementing various solutions, we must promote inclusiveness,” the speaker said.
Svitlana Delegan, Associate Professor, Head of the Center for Interdisciplinary Scientific Research at Uzhhorod National University, spoke about environmentalization in higher education in Ukraine. She emphasized that the discipline “Fundamentals of Ecology,” which was an integral part of the educational process in higher education in the 2000s, is now losing its priority and mandatory status. This leads to a lack of awareness among young people of the basic concepts and components of the environment. She also raised the problem of urbanization and the irrational or excessive use of natural resources.
It is also worth mentioning the achievements from abroad, so Marianna Marusynets, Associate Professor of the Department of History and Social Sciences, Senior Researcher at the Tivodor Lehotskyi Research Center of the F. Rákóczi II Transcarpathian Hungarian Institute, prepared a report on environmental education programs in modern Ireland. According to her, Ireland is actively investing in environmental protection, which has become one of the main directions in the country's development, and helps to improve the connection of young people with natural resources. This improves their creative abilities and language skills, and also contributes to higher academic results. In particular, the Green School program is a successful example of environmental education that is integrated into the formal learning process and allows students to learn about nature outside the classroom. Such initiatives have a positive impact on the behavior and attitudes towards ecosystems among children and youth, which is important for their future environmental development.
Roman Khainas, Assistant Professor of Business Administration, Marketing and Management, spoke about the new discipline “Personal Brand. It teaches how to form and maintain an image that contributes to a successful career and interaction with customers. Digitalization and social media play a key role in the development of a personal brand, and environmental marketing is becoming an important component of business sustainability.
The next part of the seminar will be the testing of research by second-level students majoring in International Relations, Public Communications and Regional Studies at Uzhhorod National University. The moderator was Vitalii Andreyko, Associate Professor of the Department of International Studies and Public Communications, Dean of the Faculty of History and International Relations of UzhNU.
The following developments were presented:
- “Information wars in modern international relations: world and Ukrainian experience” by Artur Yanovsky;
- “Environmental Security in Modern International Relations: Main Problems and Solutions” by Kristina Tovtyn;
- “International dimension of environmental security: current trends and principles of implementation” by Sabrina Kukhta;
- “Ukraine's Image in the European Media Space” by Karina Tovtyn;
- “Social networks as a tool of digital diplomacy: opportunities and risks” by Kateryna Lyakh;
- “Digital Diplomacy in the Context of Hybrid Warfare: The Case of Ukraine” by Yulianna Hanina;
- “Prospects and Opportunities for Digital Diplomacy for Ukraine” by Camilla Lendel;
A number of other students of the Faculty of History and International Relations of UzhNU also presented their master's theses.
More information about the project can be found here: https://www.re-direction.org/
