Presentation at the All-Ukrainian Scientific and Practical Conference with International Participation “Local Self-Government: National and European Experience” (27.02.2025, online)
On 27 February 2025, the team of the National Erasmus+ Office – Ukraine took part in the All-Ukrainian Scientific and Practical Conference with international participation “Local Self-Government: National and European Experience”. The event was hosted by Poltava State Agrarian University as part of the Erasmus+ Jean Monnet project “Citizen Participation and Social Dialogue as Key Factors in Building Sustainable Territorial Communities: Successful EU Practices for Ukraine”.
The conference was attended by over 100 participants from 37 universities in Ukraine and abroad. Representatives of local authorities were also present: Dmytro ROMANOV, Head of Poltava Regional State Administration, Mykhailo KONONENKO, Head of Poltava District Council, Volodymyr DATSENKO, Acting Chief of Staff of Poltava Regional State Administration, Viktor DUBOVYCH, Head of Nekhvoroshchanska territorial Community, Yevhen BOVA, Head of Novoselivska territorial community, public figures, including Liubov SHERSTYUK, Director of the NGO ‘Power of Love’, and students and teaching staff of the Poltava state agrarian university.
Valentyna ARANCHIY, Chair of the Academic Council of the PSAU, opened the conference, emphasising the importance of the project, which is being implemented at the University from 2022 to 2025. Within the framework of this project, PSAU scientists visited communities in Poland, including Hrobniki, Opole, and Szczecin, where they studied the experience of local government development. Valentyna Aranchiy thanked her Polish colleagues Paweł BUCZEK and Tomasz KOWALIK for their support and cooperation.
Oleg GORB, Vice-Rector for Academic Affairs and International Relations of the PSAU, stressed the relevance of the issues under discussion, especially in the context of the transformation of Ukrainian society. He noted that the University will continue to initiate such projects for the development of communities and students. Dmytro ROMANOV emphasised the importance of dialogue between all branches of government to ensure citizen participation in decision-making. He noted Ukraine’s significant steps towards cooperation with the EU. The conference was also attended by Tomasz KOWALIK, Chief Specialist for Polish-Ukrainian Cooperation at the NGO ‘Polish-Ukrainian Self-Governance Cooperation Convention’. He took part in the conference as an expert of the Jean Monnet Erasmus+ project ‘Citizen participation and social dialogue as key factors in building sustainable territorial communities: EU best practices for Ukraine’.
The speakers of the conference were: Tamara SHARAVARA, Head of the Department of Political Science, History and Philosophy of the PSAU and moderator of the conference, shared her observations on the experience of Polish self-government bodies in organising the life of Ukrainian communities and stressed the importance of implementing the best practices of the neighbouring country, especially in the context of decentralisation and the development of local democracy; Serhii PRYKHODKO, Associate Professor of the Department of Political Science, History and Philosophy of the PSAU, focused on the problems of local elections, in particular on finding the optimal model that would ensure fair and effective
Viktor DUBOVYCH, Head of the Nekhvoroshchanska Territorial Community, shared practical experience of local self-government in the face of current challenges and stressed the need to consolidate resources, community cohesion and the development of international partnership as the basis for post-war recovery;
Tamara LOZYNSKA, Head of the Department of Public Administration and Management at the PSAU, reviewed in detail the innovations of the Law of Ukraine ‘On Service in Local Self-Government Bodies’ of 02.05.2023;
Svitlana SHYTIKOVA, Coordinator of the National Erasmus+ Office – Ukraine, expressed support for the project’s initiatives and invited to participate in other Erasmus+ calls;
Volodymyr MYKIYCHUK, Executive Director of the Poltava Regional Association of Local Self-Government Bodies, highlighted the issue of promoting justice in the activities of local authorities, especially in wartime. The presentations were followed by a lively discussion, during which the participants discussed topical issues, including lowering the voting age and increasing quotas for women. Particular attention was paid to the discussion of Tomasz KOWALIK‘s presentation. He spoke in detail about the importance of social dialogue; involvement of citizens in decision-making at the local level; transparency and accountability of local governments; efficient use of resources and investment attraction; and development of international cooperation. Tomasz KOWALIK emphasised that European practices should be adapted to Ukrainian realities, taking into account local peculiarities and needs. The conference has become an important platform for exchanging experience and ideas, as well as identifying priority areas for the development of local self-government in Ukraine.
Prepared with the use of materials of the website of the Poltava State Agrarian University.