The team of Lesya Ukrainka Volyn National University has completed training under the Academic Managers Professional Development Programme, a unique initiative of the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine implemented by the British Council within the framework of the joint project of the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine and the World Bank "Improving Higher Education for Results Project". The programme's goal is to strengthen the institutional capacity of higher education institutions in Ukraine.
The training lasted four months at the Ukrainian Catholic University in Lviv. The teams of the higher educational establishment worked on developing competencies in the areas of strategic and financial management, HR, internationalisation and digitalisation of management, and implementation of institutional changes.
The educational policy and the role of universities as a driving force of social transformations was discussed as well as new approaches to managing higher education institutions in the face of modern challenges; the latest HR management practices, tools for development, motivation and assessment of personnel, the importance of leadership in change management were studied. Considerable attention was paid to strategising treated as work on modern approaches to developing strategies for higher education institutions, working out the mechanisms for forming a mission, strategic and operational goals and tools for their implementation in universities.
All modules of the programme consisted of thematic sessions and team tasks, discussion of practical cases and new ideas for the sustainable development of universities. At the same time, the programme became a powerful platform for constructive dialogues and discussions, exchange of experience, expansion of the network of professional contacts, study of best practices of Ukrainian and foreign higher education institutions, development of solutions for improving higher education in Ukraine.
The University team, consisting of Liudmila Yelisieieva, Vice-Rector for Scientific and Pedagogical Work and International Cooperation, Iryna Hlova, Head of Research Department, Liudmyla Malimon, Dean of the Faculty of Psychology, Tetiana Hryshanovych, Head of Department of Computer Science and Cybersecurity, Tetiana Sak, Head of Department of Marketing, Nataliia Khomiuk, Head of Department of Management, actively participated in the discussions and presented their own cases from the activities of Lesya Ukrainka Volyn National University.
The training on the programme modules has finished, but there is teamwork waiting ahead on the development of an institutional project of changes and its presentation at the final international conference to be held in September 2025 with the participation of representatives of the World Bank, the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine, and the British Council.
We are working to strengthen the institutional capacity of the University, believe in the future of Ukraine and thank the Armed Forces for the opportunity to work and develop!
Liudmyla MALIMON,
Professor, Dean of Faculty of Psychology
