Despite its relatively young age, the Faculty of International Relations of Lesya Ukrainka Volyn National University is known far beyond the borders of our country. This happened primarily due to the high professionalism of the teaching staff and the determination of the graduates who proudly bear the name of their Alma Mater. And there is no need to talk about its prestige on the territory of our region – applicants try to outrun each other attending faculty open days. We talked about the universality of knowledge, youth activity and the value of qualitative higher education with the Dean of the Faculty of International Relations, a Doctor of Political Sciences, a Professor Antonina Shuliak.
– Antonino Mykolaivno, let’s talk about the stages of the faculty formation. What are the main ones?
– We are already more than 25 years old, so we are gradually approaching a rounder date – 30. The stages of the faculty formation can be boldly associated with the surnames of the deans. From the day of its foundation, this position was held by Petro Lutsyshyn, who in the very first years tried to turn the students majoring in “Economic and Social Geography” into a self-sufficient faculty with referents-local historians and interpreters. The second stage is the activity of Serhii Fedoniuk. This is an extremely fruitful and long period that spanned 16 years. And the third stage already falls on the present time. I won’t act against my conscience when I say that it might be the hardest. Every present dean will probably tell you the same. Because not every team can withstand the rapid adaptation to two years of quarantine with the transition to martial law. We got strength not only to endure, but we do everything that depends on us as much as possible. For us, this is a technology leap, because we had to use all available tools and methods in the educational process. And even the most respected teachers Yevheniia Tykhomyrova, Volodymyr Lazhnik, Nadiia Petrovska have not only mastered the latest technologies and keep up with the time, but conduct free courses for other faculties more and more.
Now we really want to put communication with stakeholders on the electronic platform. It will be a kind of base, when any department or faculty can invite its stakeholder and conduct an online lecture, a master class, a consultation of a general scale. We do not want to limit ourselves only to the Faculty of International Relations, but to cooperate with others, because we consider development in this as well.
– Is moving to the administrative building of the University a routine or a symbolism?
– This is an extremely important event for us. Why? Because internationalists should be in a representative place, as we are always at the forefront of domestic and foreign policy. This is not a caprice, but the reality of the times. For a very long time, we studied in the building G, where classes were often held in the classrooms on the lower ground floor. I can’t say that it is completely uncomfortable there, but it was difficult to explain to the students why they, as representatives of the vangard, listen to the lectures in the basement (this is their terminology. – Author). And we have understood: it is necessary to take these children to the Next Level, so that they can realize what they should strive for. Now, the classrooms on the lower ground floor are ideal for the medical and biological faculties, since just these temperature and lighting are suitable, for example, for the manufacture of medicines.
Therefore, we are very grateful to the Rector, Anatolii Tsos, for listening to us and giving the students the opportunity to experience this next level. Moreover, this part of the administrative building was empty after the Institute of Social Sciences. We also thank Anatolii Fedoniuk for the quick and high-quality repair, so we are working in the fresh and new auditoriums. Our housewarming was solemn – with consecration, a red ribbon cutting and greetings of the guests. Because for us it is a real celebration.
– What competitive advantages of your faculty would you highlight?
– For some reasons, many people believe that if you study at the faculty of international relations, then you will definitely work as a consul or a diplomat. And if this does not happen, then disappointment comes after graduation. But in reality there are many more possibilities. We are a border region that offers great opportunities to those who speak foreign languages. Our main bachelor's programs are classic international relations, where the Master’s degree program is divided into international relations and regional studies. In the first case, they focus on what is happening in the world, and regional studies are purely our region, mainly cross-border cooperation. In Volyn region there are many enterprises with the international capital that need specialists.
The second direction is international business. This is a narrower specialization that is also in demand. Over the past two years, project management has become quite popular among those who study at the Master’s degree program. The number of people willing to learn to write projects is growing, because more and more institutions and enterprises are trying to attract grant money to their activities.
International information and public communications is our third direction. We teach how to establish communication between the authorities and society, governments of different countries, etc. It's no secret that high-quality communication is a key to success in the information warfare.
Also, this year we are offering a new program – regional security. We planned its implementation last summer, and now it is more relevant than ever. The Faculty of History, Political Science and National Security has national and state security. It has a military direction and concerns the national security protection by the forces of national resistance. And this is important and correct. We emphasize information and communication, because hybrid war consists of these components. By regional security we mean Eastern Europe. We have studied this region for three years and published three monographs on the topic “Information Support for Cross-Border Cooperation of Ukraine”, so we have studied the problem. During 2018–2019, the research “Information Warfare as a New Dimension of Geopolitical Rivalry” was being carried out jointly with the Institute of Security Sciences of Krakow Pedagogical University.
We are successfully developing the educational and scientific program for training doctors of philosophy “International Relations and Strategic Communications of Ukraine and the EU”. Today, we have 11 postgraduate students who are conducting interesting and urgent research. As for the last six years scientists of the faculty have won international grants, postgraduate students have the opportunity to join international research and projects. It is about scientific research within the framework of the EU Erasmus+ program: 2017–2019 – Nataliia Pavlikha’s project “EU Project Management” (JeanMonnetModule), 2019–2022 – Andrii Boyar’s project “EU Studies at Lesya Ukrainka University” (JeanMonnetChair), now we have two more new projects. These are the tasks that will be carried out during 2022–2025 within Nataliia Pavlikha’s international grant projects “Sustainable, Inclusive and Smart Development in the Conditions of the Decentralization Process: the EU Experience” (JeanMonnetChair) and “Strategic EU Communications: Countering Destructive Influences” of the ERASMUS+ program of the Module direction Jean Monet, where Nataliia Karpchuk is the manager.
In general, we are a small family. We have about three hundred students in six courses of study. Our faculty always has a high passing grade – 140, a small number of state-ordered budget funded places and the absence of part-time mode of study, because the lion's share of credits is a foreign language that cannot be studied part-time. The first foreign language is studied here for four years. It can be English, Polish, Spanish, German, French. The second foreign language is studied for two years. For the second time, we are adding Chinese to the list. This language has not been chosen by chance, still the demand for it is constantly growing. The agreement with Modest Levytskyi Lutsk Gymnasium No. 4, where the Chinese language is studied, has also been signed. There were held joint events in which pupils, students of the Faculty of International Relations and Chinese students from the Faculty of Culture and Arts participated, celebrating the Chinese New Year. This is an extremely successful practice: pupil – student – native speaker. Another of our partner is a private Chinese language school, which organizes calligraphy master classes. Not everything is easy there, as you need special paper and a paintbrush as well as its special pressure.
We also established cooperation with the Istanbul Science and Culture Foundation, which hosted our students for ten days. Intensive programs, a meeting with the Mayor of Istanbul, a wonderful reception – everything was incredible.
In addition, there is yet an accompaniment to conferences and public events. We have signed an agreement with the Volyn Regional State Administration, which involves us in simultaneous interpretations. Therefore, we train specialists in this field as well.
– The Faculty of International Relations provides almost the most universal knowledge, where economics, geography, political science, and linguistics are intertwined. Aren’t students worried because of heavy workloads?
– Each our department has its own unit that teaches all the students. It is a kind of foundation of basic subjects. And from the third course, each direction is profiled into a narrower specialization. Therefore, there is no such an overload. Another significant point is the practice base. For a long time, we had practice sessions in Poland and Spain, and this year we resumed cooperation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, where our children went for internships. Students also practice in the regional state administration, this year they will start in the Lutsk City Council. Moreover, a post-graduate student Nataliia Palokha will do it according to the dual form of education.
Young people are also actively involved in studies and research in other higher educational institutions. Thus, three female students took part in the competition “Initiative of Excellence – Summer Student Programs in Toruń” and won participation in the research projects of Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń. They were invited to study international relations under the program “Summer Program of Humanitarian and Social Sciences” and to participate in the implementation of research projects.
The online education format forced the search for the new methods and forms. So, this year we started active training under the internal academic mobility program with Khmelnytskyi National University and Admiral Makarov National University of Shipbuilding. These are the so-called duet courses: students attend classes at other higher educational institutions and receive certificates and an entry in the diploma supplement about this form of informal education.
The teaching staff also successfully combines the educational process and public counseling. For example, Nataliia Romaniuk and Serhii Kulyk provide professional comments on television and radio.
– The students are very friendly and warm towards you. Do you have any particular method of approach to youth?
– I don’t have any special keys to my students. However, I will say frankly: my door is always open. And they can enter this door at any time with any questions. We also have Yevheniia Vasylivna, a deputy for work with students. She is like a second mother. For many years, Kateryna Romanivna (behind her back, students call her “dean’s general”) and Svitlana Ivanivna have been working at the faculty and providing the educational process. Therefore, our students are not afraid to come to us and say: “We have some problems”. And together we are thinking about their solution. It should be so.
In addition to the Dean’s duties, I teach. So, first, students wondered why I didn’t make a significant difference between lectures and seminars. I equally always try to conduct a dialogue and hear everyone. Knowledge is gained only in a conversation. I have to get feedback from them. Often our lectures turned into discussions where they received marks. Due to this contact, I can see the students’ level without tests. Yes, yes, they have almost no classic control papers. During the pre-war period, students watched two feature films: “Bridge of Spies” and “Red Sparrow”. After that, they made a comparative analysis of the work of intelligence service or other special services.
Even at the first lesson students write the module test: “Forecast of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs activities for the next four months”. They do it creatively on the poster boards, which I usually keep myself. Four months later, we compare the forecast with reality. To those students who were right – the mark can be given immediately.
Instead of an individual task, each student chooses a world country and monitors the rhetoric of relations with Ukraine every day for four months. After that, they submit a file with dates and sources of this or that information and a conclusion. But the highlight of this is grouping. There are twenty students in the group – therefore, there are twenty deductions for twenty states. We put all these files on the table. By drawing lots, a student selects a country, prepared by someone else. The student reads, agrees, or disagrees and draws his/her conclusions in a half page. Its complexity depends on the quality of the work performed by a groupmate. Therefore, if everyone performs at a high level, the whole group will get excellent marks.
– Do you follow the graduates of the faculty?
– Of course! Our successful graduates are examples of the fact that the Faculty of International Relations provides an excellent foundation. Yurii Karpuk was an ambassador in the Netherlands for four terms. On February 23, his cadenza ended, and he came to Kyiv to receive another diplomatic assignment, but the war began. Now he works at the ministry. As he is in Ukraine, we could not miss this opportunity. So, he gave a series of public lectures to our students. He also introduced the Honorary Consul of the Netherlands in Ukraine. It is a fantastic opportunity for students to interact with those who have achieved great success.
Bohdan Volchok, a general director of SKF Ukraine, is our graduate who gladly joined the council of employers and stakeholders. Despite his busy schedule, he also found an opportunity to communicate with our students. We are proud of Liudmyla Kovalenko, who works at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine. We also keep in touch with those who have gone abroad.
We have many graduates in prestigious positions at the enterprises “Modern Expo” and “Kromberg and Schubert”. That is, the knowledge of foreign languages and a system of international business always give a chance for a high-paid job.
– It caught my eye that the students of the Faculty of International Relations were the first to get involved in volunteering and started recording motivational videos and reciting poems. Is it a leadership trend?
– Frankly speaking, no one forced our students to do this. It is their civic position. Yesterday came Aniuta Klymovets, the student’s Dean. She is worried about what kind of video to prepare for Constitution Day. She is a first-year student, she has been working in this position only for a month, but she is already submitting such initiatives. Two of our students are fighting in rather hot zones. A lecturer Andrii Morenchuk also went to fight from the first days. The colleagues divided up his workload and conducted classes for free. Halyna Kopachynska and a student Oleksandra Bekesha conduct art therapy. And how much remains behind the scenes! I am convinced that these examples are additional proof of leadership and mutual support. So, I’m a fan of my faculty and root for it.
Interviewed by Andrii SOBUTSKYI
Photo: Dmytro BAIDA
