On 7 November 2014, Lesya Ukrainka Eastern European National University started a new époque of collaboration with foreign institutions of higher education – the Ukrainian-Baltic cooperation. Thus, a round table was held in the library EENU, which was dedicated to the issue of “Ukrainian-Baltic cooperation in higher education”.
The event took place with the participance of Anatolij Tsos (The first Vice-Rector of Lesya Ukrainka Eastern National University) (Lutsk, Ukraine), Mykhajlo Yatsyshyn (Vice Rector for Scientific Development of Lesya Ukrainka Eastern National University) (Lutsk, Ukraine), Serhij Fedonyuk (Vice-Rector for International Relations of Lesya Ukrainka Eastern National University) ( Lutsk, Ukraine), Tetiana Mamchich (Chairman of the Foundation "Skorokhod Foundation" (Sweden), Associate Professor of Mathematics and Computer Science of Lesya Ukrainka Eastern National University) (Lutsk, Ukraine), Oksana Rohach (Dean of the Institute of Foreign Philology Lesya Ukrainka Eastern National University) ( Lutsk, Ukraine), Yohna Mykola (Vice-rector for scientific and pedagogical work and international relations of Khmelnitsky National University), Petro Kraliuk (The first Vice-Rector for Teaching and Research of the National University "Ostroh Academy") (Ostroh, Ukraine), Eduard Balashov (Head of the International Department of the National University "Ostroh Academy") ( Ostroh, Ukraine), Andrij Zagorodniuk (Vice-Rector of Carpathian National University named after V. Stefanik (Ivano-Frankivsk, Ukraine).
The round table was also attended by the representatives of higher education from abroad, among them were Gudrun Paulsdottir (Ex-president of the European Association for International Education, the Head of the Research and Development “eGovlab”, University of Stockholm (Stockholm, Sweden), Richard Bonner (Member of the Board "Skorokhod Foundation", professor at Mälardalen University (Sweden), Natalia Mazheykene (Vice-Rector of Vytautas Magnus University (VMU) (Kaunas, Lithuania), Beata Falda (Vice Rector for Academic of the State Higher Professional School in Chelm (Chelm, Poland), Zygmunt Gardzinski (Director of International Cooperation of State Higher Professional School in Chelm (Chelm, Poland), Marcin Oskyerko (Human Resources Manager of Higher Professional School in Chelm (Chelm, Poland), Anna Leposhinska (specialist of foreign collaboration of Higher Vocational School in Chelm ( Chelm, Poland).
During the meeting the participants discussed the directions of the initiated cooperation. Gudrun Paulsdottir (the head of the Research and Development “eGovlab”, University of Stockholm) highlighted the issue of commercialization of higher education and stressed the importance of its internationalization. Therefore, the knowledge of foreign language is an instrument to the development of international education. The process of internationalization should involve students as active participants.
Natalia Mazheykene (Vice-Rector of Vytautas Magnus University (VMU) shared detailed information about various educational programs, which develop and activate international collaboration and raise the mobility of students, university professors, scientists. The program of “Double Diploma” was mentioned here as a promising project.
All the questions on the agenda of the round table raised much interest and led to a vivid discussion.
Inna MOHILEVSKA
Translated by Alla GNATIUK