On 25 June, Rector of Lviv Polytechnic National University Nataliia Shakhovska took part in a meeting held at the Embassy of Ukraine in the Republic of Poland. The event brought together representatives of the Union of Rectors of Higher Education Institutions of Ukraine and Vasyl Bodnar, Ambassador of Ukraine to Poland, as part of the official visit of the Ukrainian delegation to Warsaw. The visit was held in cooperation with the Conference of Rectors of Academic Schools in Poland (CRASP) and the Polish Rectors Foundation.
The key issues facing Ukraine’s higher education system in the context of the war were discussed during the meeting. Particular attention was paid to the organisation of distance learning for Ukrainian students who are forced to stay abroad, in particular in Poland. They also discussed the mechanisms of admission to Ukrainian higher education institutions for applicants temporarily residing outside the country.
Nataliia Shakhovska emphasised the importance of keeping Ukrainian students connected to the national educational system, even while they are abroad. The Rector of Lviv Polytechnic noted that cooperation with Polish universities, in particular in the format of educational alliances, could play a crucial role in restoring Ukraine’s scientific and educational potential.
During the meeting, the rectors also discussed the development of academic mobility, support for students and teachers, and the contribution of Polish educational institutions in supporting Ukraine. One of the initiatives, the Ambassador was informed about, was the programme of providing Ukrainian cultural and educational institutions in Poland with books in Ukrainian through the Embassy of Ukraine.
In his speech, Ambassador Vasyl Bodnar informed the participants about the current political situation in Poland and outlined the opportunities for deepening the educational partnership between the two countries. He placed special emphasis on the importance of further networking between universities of the two countries, which should become a tool not only for education, but also for the reconstruction of post-war Ukraine.
During the visit, the delegation also got acquainted with the activities of the Centre for Advanced Materials and Technologies (CEZAMAT), a high-tech science park of the Warsaw University of Technology, which can become a model for the creation of similar innovation centres in Ukraine.
