Participation in the Meeting of the Council of Vice-Rectors for International Cooperation (07.11.2024, Kyiv)
On 7 November 2024, the team of the National Erasmus+ Office – Ukraine participated in the meeting of the Council of Vice-Rectors for International Cooperation, held at Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv. The event brought together representatives of 60 leading higher education institutions (HEIs) of Ukraine. The main topic of the meeting was “Shaping Priority Directions for Cooperation with the Alliances of European Universities.”
Ksenia SMYRNOVA, Chair of the Council of Vice-Rectors for International Cooperation and Vice-Rector for Academic and International Cooperation at Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, delivered a report highlighting the participation of Ukrainian universities in the Alliances, new strategic partnerships and projects initiated in 2024, as well as the significance of changes in the leadership of the European Commission.
She also emphasised the crucial role of the Polish agency NAWA in expanding Ukraine’s involvement in the Alliances and proposed developing a questionnaire to assess the cooperation of Ukrainian HEIs with the Alliances of European Universities.
“Today, there are 64 Alliances of European Universities, and Ukraine is involved in more than 40 of them. Our Council of Vice-Rectors must serve as a platform for shaping a common policy and communicating it to both Ukrainian and European partners”, Ksenia SMYRNOVA noted.
Participants discussed best practices and experiences in integrating Ukrainian HEIs into the European Higher Education Area, focusing on joint degree programmes, academic exchanges, and collaborative research initiatives.
Svitlana SHYTIKOVA, Coordinator of the National Erasmus+ Office – Ukraine, congratulated the participants on the 30th anniversary of Ukraine’s cooperation with the European Union under European programmes and highlighted the significant contribution of Ukrainian universities to international cooperation:
“Our task is to inform international partners about the situation in Ukraine during student and staff mobilities and to showcase our innovations through cooperation within university Alliances”.
At the conclusion of the meeting, participants outlined several key issues to discuss with the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine, including improving the regulatory framework to support international projects, expanding partnerships with foreign universities, formalising agreements with international HEIs, and streamlining the process for the enrolment and recognition of degrees for international students.
The meeting demonstrated the readiness of Ukrainian universities to enhance international collaboration and promote Ukraine’s integration into the global education space.
The Council’s meeting was followed by a working session with vice-rectors for international cooperation of Ukrainian HEIs and representatives of the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine, held at the Ministry’s premises.
Mychailo WYNNYCKYJ, Deputy Minister of Education and Science of Ukraine, member of Erasmus+ HERE team, welcomed the participants. Albina TSYATKOVSKA, Director General of the Directorate for International Cooperation of the Ministry, outlined the benefits of collaboration between the Ministry and higher education institutions in international activities. Olha BUDNYK presented the Global Coalition of Ukrainian Studies, highlighting the prospects for developing Ukrainian and Crimean Tatar studies at the international level, while Olena SHAPOVALOVA, Director of the Ukrainian State Centre for International Education, provided an analysis of the current situation of international students in Ukraine.
During the session, representatives of HEIs discussed pressing issues and exchanged experiences, proposing further directions for cooperation.
The release was prepared with the information of the International Relations Department of the National University of Kyiv.