On 20 December 2023, as part of the European Studies for Technical Specialities at Lviv Polytechnic National University (EUSTS) project with the support of the EU Erasmus+ Jean Monnet Programme, an interactive event "Dissemination of Best Practices in Teaching European Studies and Creation of Interdisciplinary Programmes in Higher Education Institutions of Ukraine: Exchange of Experience with Teachers of Lesya Ukrainka Volyn National University" was held. The event was organised by the team of the Educational and Research Centre "European Studies for Technical Universities" at Lviv Polytechnic.
The event began with a welcoming speech by the Dean of the Faculty of International Relations of Lesya Ukrainka Volyn National University, Doctor of Political Science, Professor Antonina Shulyak, who underlined the importance of developing European studies in Ukraine's higher education institutions on the path to EU membership.
In their speeches, Professor Yaryna Turchyn (EUSTS Project Leader) and Associate Professor Natalia Vovk (EUSTS Project Participant) shared their experience of introducing European Studies at Lviv Polytechnic National University, prospects for the development of interdisciplinary educational programmes, and practical cases of increasing students' attention to studying knowledge about the EU and Ukraine's European integration (in particular, technical specialities).
Head of the Department of International Relations and Regional Studies of Lesya Ukrainka Volyn National University, Head of the Coordination Council of the Institute of Poland, Doctor of Geography, Professor Natalia Kotsan acquainted the participants of the event with the main activities of the Institute of Poland at Lesya Ukrainka Volyn National University, namely information and promotion, research, education, translation and volunteering, and stressed the importance of the Centre's role in the context of the Russian-Ukrainian war.
In the same institution successfully operates the Research and Analysis Centre "Sustainable, Inclusive and Smart Europe: Towards Partnership and Interdisciplinary Cooperation", headed by Jean Monnet Professor, Head of the Project Laboratory of Lesya Ukrainka Volyn National University, Doctor of Economics, Professor Nataliia Pavlikha. The speaker focused on the prerequisites for the creation and tasks of the educational and scientific production "Laboratory of Projects and Initiatives", the features of the university's international grants, in particular "EU Project Management" (Jean Monnet module) and "Sustainable, Inclusive and Smart Development in the Context of Decentralisation: EU Experience" (Jean Monnet Chair), the implementation of certified project courses for external students, cooperation with communities, and called for project synergy and inter-university cooperation.
Much attention was paid to the content of educational programmes that shape students' knowledge of the EU. In particular, the coordinator of the EU Centre at Lesya Ukrainka Volyn National University, Associate Professor of the Department of International Relations and Regional Studies, PhD in Geography, Natalia Romaniuk, presented her experience of interactive seminars on the example of the EC. Nataliia Romaniuk demonstrated the experience of using interactive methods of conducting seminars on the example of the course "Current Issues of International Relations between Ukraine and the EU", as well as the work of Euroclubs as an effective form of spreading European values among students.
Halyna Kopachynska, Associate Professor of the Department of International Relations and Regional Studies at Lesya Ukrainka Volyn National University, PhD in Geography, revealed the peculiarities of teaching basic issues of European studies within the framework of the International Relations study programme at the Faculty of International Relations of the University, as well as the importance of introducing English-language educational components, which allows for the dissemination of more relevant knowledge among students.
The practical part of the event on the topic "The European Union in the Modern System of International Relations" with using interactive teaching methods, was conducted for students of Lesya Ukrainka Volyn National University by teaching methodology trainers and EUSTS project participants - Associate Professors of the Department of Political Science and International Relations at Lviv Polytechnic Olha Ivasechko and Oleh Tsebenko. The lesson began with the promotion of the EUSTS project, followed by an educational quiz "What do you know about the EU?", where students demonstrated their knowledge of the European Union. In turn, during the EU Gallery Walk exercise, students got acquainted with the main EU policies and institutions, learning more interesting facts about their activities.
In total, the event was attended by over 40 people - students and teachers from Lesya Ukrainka Volyn National University and Lviv Polytechnic National University. The EUSTS project team would like to thank all the participants for interesting discussions, professional presentations, exchange of best practices and development of new ideas for the development of European studies in higher education institutions in Ukraine.
Associate professors Oleksandr Markovets (Department of Social Communications and Information Activity), Iryna Sukhorolska and Olena Lukachuk (Department of Political Science and International Relations), Lidiya Kasha (Department of Electromechatronics and Computerised Electromechanical Systems) also joined the event.
More information about EUSTS is available on the project website within the Lviv Polytechnic Portal https://lpnu.ua/yests.
