In the winter of 2023, Vitalina Kysliuk, a second-year student majoring in International Relations, Lviv Polytechnic National University, got the opportunity to participate in the international academic mobility program under the Special exchange program – Ukraine. During the second semester, she is studying Political Science at the University of Toronto, Canada.
Talking about the peculiarities of her studies at the Canadian university, Vitalina notes that at the beginning of her studies she could choose the disciplines she was interested in. Among such disciplines there were «Introduction to Social Networks», «Geography of Marketing», and «Intelligence, Disinformation and Deception: Challenges for Power in the Modern World». The fourth discipline – «International Law» – aroused special interest as it was taught by a practicing lawyer. Studying practical cases in international law and the case of the Russian-Ukrainian war was very interesting experience.
The infrastructure of the University of Toronto also made a good impression: comfortable dormitories, high-quality food in student canteens, many gyms and sports complexes, which are equipped with the latest technologies, halls and a wide range of sports. Vitalina was amazed by a big choice of sports and how carefully the sports life of students and the university is treated here.
There are several student libraries, one of which is located on 16 floors and includes 4.5 million books. There are also many places to study and spend time with friends. The university is a leader among Canadian universities and ranks 18th in the world.
The study helped the Lviv Polytechnic student to change her worldview, improve her English, make lots of friends from different countries, and acquire skills that are important for an international relations student.
At the end of her studies, Vitalina won the Mitacs Global Award – Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine for research in Canada and got the opportunity to conduct scientific research at the Department of Political Science, the University of Toronto, for a period of 12 to 24 weeks. The supervisor of the host side will be Seva Gunitsky, a Canadian university lecturer, and the co- supervisor will be Oleh Tsebenko, Associate Professor at the Department of Political Science and International Relations, Lviv Polytechnic National University.
International mobility is an important component for training future specialists in the field of International Relations. The Department of Political Science and International Relations is proud of the achievements of its students, which will definitely help to represent Ukraine in the world!
