Today, on April 22, 2021, the Third Ukrainian International Education Forum has begun.

The forum is held in accordance with the Order of the President of Ukraine №210/2020 “On the improvement of higher education in Ukraine”. The event is included in the Plan to promote opportunities for higher education in Ukraine for foreign students. It will be held on a regular basis.

During the first day of the Forum, participants listened to speeches by leading Ukrainian and foreign educational administrators, diplomats, scientists, experts and specialists in the field of higher education internationalization.

“I am glad that the Ukrainian International Education Forum has become a communication platform for professional growth, learning and exchange of experience” – noted Deputy Minister for Digital Development, Digital Transformation and Digitization Artur Seletskyi.

Artur Seletskyi stressed the importance of such events that promote educational opportunities of Ukraine, spoke about the specifics of introducing the unified interdepartmental electronic platform for the recruitment of foreign students in higher education institutions of Ukraine and presented its updated interface.

Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the State of Israel to Ukraine Joel Lion spoke about Israeli-Ukrainian relations in the field of education, noted the work of the Ukrainian State Center for International Education in their development and positive impressions of Israeli students from studying in Ukraine.

Olena Shapovalova, Director of “Study in Ukraine”, presented statistics on education of foreign students, spoke about the results of the marketing study on the attractiveness of Ukrainian higher education for foreign citizens and the measures that are proposed to be taken based on its results.

In addition, participants learned about the results of the visit of the Ukrainian delegation of educators led by the Minister of Education and Science of Ukraine Serhiy Shkarlet to the Republic of Tajikistan, legislative changes in higher education, organizational issues of foreign students’ education and more.

Director of the Department of Communications and Public Diplomacy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Alla Polyova spoke about the newly created communication strategy and strategy of public diplomacy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as important guidelines in the formation of a positive perception of Ukraine around the world.

In the second part, the participants had an opportunity to listen to a panel discussion “Internationalization of Higher Education: American Experience and Best Practices”. Among the speakers of this panel was John Hudzik, a well-known researcher in the field of international education. He presented modern trends in the internationalization of higher education, stressed the importance of internationalization in every university in the world, demonstrated examples of successful cases and gave valuable advice.

After the speeches, forum moderator Olena Shapovalova thanked all the participants and asked to join the development of the Forum resolution.

“We are very pleased that the Forum aroused such interest – almost 10,000 viewers watched our Facebook broadcast. And the speeches, the activity of the participants, interesting and meaningful questions inspire us to develop and improve the work of “Study in Ukraine” – noted Olena Shapovalova.

Which specialties and universities are the most popular among foreign students, how many invitations for study have been registered, from which countries do the most students come to study at Ukrainian universities – all this was discussed during the opening of the Third Ukrainian International Education Forum.

“We are very pleased to note the rapid growth in the number of foreign students since 2011. This is the result of our joint work with you. And, I hope, by 2025 we will be able to reach the figure of more than 100 thousand” – noted the director of the Center Olena Shapovalova.

 
Olena Shapovalova noted that due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the termination of invitations of foreign citizens for study or internship in accordance with the Order of the Ministry of Education and Science from March 16, 2020 № 406 for almost 5 months, last year there was a slight decrease in the number of foreign students in Ukraine. But thanks to the support of the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine in July, amendments were made to the Order of the Ministry of Education and Science №1541, which extended the terms of enrollment until December 15, 2020 and April 15, 2021 and returned the possibility of distance learning for foreigners.
 

Most students come from countries like India, Morocco, Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan, Nigeria, China, Turkey, Egypt, Israel, Uzbekistan.

The large number of students from India and Turkmenistan, as Olena Shapovalova explains, is due to the ease of receiving a visa.

Among the specialties chosen by foreign students, the most popular ones are medical – almost 50%:
1. medicine (36,81%)
2. dentistry (6,46 %)
3. medical practice (4,02%)
4. management (4,04%)
5. pharmacy, industrial pharmacy (4,00%)
6. secondary education (2,32%)
7. law (2,01%)
8. architecture and construction (1,72%)
9. finance, banking and insurance (1,7%)
10. economics (1,60%)

The most popular higher education institutions among foreign students in Ukraine are:

1. V.N. Karazin Kharkiv National University
2. Kharkiv National Medical University
3. Bogomolets National Medical University
4. Odesa National Medical University
5. Zaporizhzhia State Medical University
6. National Pirogov Memorial Medical University, Vinnytsia
7. Dnipro State Medical University
8. I.Horbachevsky Ternopil State Medical University
9. HSEE of Ukraine “Bukovinian State Medical University”
10. Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv

“What unites these universities is that they have a medical faculty. After all, the most popular specialties among foreign students – which is almost 50% – are medical” – explains Olena Shapovalova.
The regions that lead in the number of foreign students are Kharkiv, Kyiv, and Odesa, which is due to the most popular educational institutions being located in them.

Olena Shapovalova noted the positive growth in the number of registered invitations for study for foreign applicants. Thus, since 2015, their number has increased by almost 2 times – from 19 647 to 37 523 persons.

The leaders among the universities that registered the largest number of invitations as of 2020 are:

1. V.N. Karazin Kharkiv National University – 1737
2. Kharkiv National Medical University – 1287
3. International European University – 1283
4. Limited Liability Company “Dnipro Medical Institute of Traditional and Nontraditional Medicine” – 1194
5. Kharkiv National University of Radio Electronics – 1121
6. National Technical University “Kharkiv Polytechnic Institute” – 867
7. Zaporizhzhia State Medical University – 866
8. Dnipro State Medical University – 801
9. Bila Tserkva National Agrarian University – 777
10. State Higher Education Institution “Uzhhorod National University” – 771

“Despite the challenges of this difficult year, we have more than 35,000 registered invitations for study. This means that all of us together – Ministry of Education and Science, “Study in Ukraine”, universities – have made great efforts and done everything possible to make Ukrainian higher education interesting and accessible to foreign entrants this year ” – summed up Olena Shapovalova.

The Third Ukrainian International Education Forum is the largest event on international education in Ukraine that brings together key experts with the goal of expanding Ukraine’s educational opportunities for foreign citizens.

It is taking place on April 22-23. The broadcast is available at the link: https://bit.ly/3sGlt2m

Participants can expect interesting speeches from leading Ukrainian and foreign government officials involved in education, diplomats, scientists, experts and specialists in the field of higher education internationalization.

Join in!

20 April 2021 the Online Part of Study Visit “Introduction to Intercultural Communication” by Netherlands Business Academy, the Netherlands, was held in the frameworks of the project INTERADIS “International Students Adaptation and Integration”.

The program of the online visit included:

– Opening by Jan van Zwieten and Steve Austen “Short and long term ambition on internalization”
– Presentation by Jan van Zwieten “why internationalization”
– Panel discussion
– Group discussion, answering the questions: “Why going international”, Short and Long term goals”, “What kind of organizational changes does it require”.

Presentations of panelists:

– Taras Finikov “How to acquire intercultural competences”
– Izabella Agardi “Aspects of image building and identity construction”
– Mario Neve “The context of place and environment”
– Hala Naoum Nehme “European citizenship issues, a personal experience”.

The project INTERADIS – International Students Adaptation and Integration 619451-EPP-1-2020-1-NL-EPPKA2-CBHE-JP aims to integrate international students into Ukrainian and European educational space by the means of cultural, ethnic, social and academic assets.

The Project is co-funded by the Erasmus+ Program of the European Union.

16 April 2021 the Online Part of Study Visit “Data outcome from surveys. Admission and Integration practices” by Ostbayerische Technische Hochschule Amberg-Weiden, Germany was held in the frameworks of the project INTERADIS “International Students Adaptation and Integration”.

The program of the online visit included:

– Virtual “Kaffeerunde” with wonder.me.
– Data Analysis of survey outcome (group work – allocating the responses to work packages).
– Best Practice@OTH AW with the head of the international office Dr. Annabelle Wolff.
– Tools for coordinating the international student life cycle: Mobility Online, Orientation Days, Buddy Program
– Networking possibilities for international offices in German.

Many thanks to Ostbayerische Technische Hochschule Amberg-Weiden, Germany for organization oft he fruitful and efficient study visit.
The project INTERADIS – International Students Adaptation and Integration/ INTERADIS619451-EPP-1-2020-1-NL-EPPKA2-CBHE-JP aims to integrate international students into Ukrainian and European educational space by the means of cultural, ethnic, social and academic assets.
The Project is co-funded by the Erasmus+ Program of the European Union.

Ukrainian State Center for International Education invites you to a master class “International Education: Diplomatic Protocol, Communication and Search for Partners” that will take place on April 23 at the Third Ukrainian International Education Forum.

During the master class, participants will receive practical cases and useful tools for building effective interaction with foreign partners. In particular, listeners will learn about compliance with the rules of diplomatic protocol, etiquette and features of intercultural communication during international meetings.

Speakers of the event:

• – Olga Nakonechna – Professional consultant on etiquette and protocol, founder of the educational center “Business Ethics and Etiquette School”
• – Boris Bazylevskiy – Ukrainian diplomat, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Ukraine;
• – Yelyzaveta Shchepetylnykova – educational consultant, University of Hong Kong.

The master class will be useful for heads of HEIs, specialists of international offices and organizations for building effective cooperation with international partners in the educational process.

Only registered participants of the Third Ukrainian International Education Forum on April 23, 2021 will be able to take part in it. They will also receive by mail a participation certificate, all statistical and informational materials of the Forum and access to a Zoom-conference with simultaneous translation of speeches. Such participation in the Forum costs 1,800 UAH. Registration at the link: https://bit.ly/31YOWcV

We would like to remind that everyone can watch the Third Ukrainian International Education Forum for free on the Facebook pages of the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine (https://www.facebook.com/UAMON) and Study in Ukraine (https://www.facebook.com/studyinukraine.gov.ua/).

14 April 2021 the Online Part of Study Visit “International students admission and integration practices of Mykolas Romeris University” was held in the frameworks of the project INTERADIS “International Students Adaptation and Integration” gathering 57 participants from EU and Ukrainian HEIs.

The host of the Online Visit, Mykolas Romeris University (Lithuania), presented to the participants short information on the following topics:

– Admission and Marketing office, International office, Career office
– Recruitment strategies and marketing tools. Previous successes and failures. Lessons learned.
– Pre-arrival preparation and guidance services to admitted international students. Step by step sharing of MRU practice
– After arrival integration of international students. (Introductory week, orientation, student mentors (or student ambassador’s) activities from arrival, socio-cultural integration, mid-term follow-up, counselling and related services during entire study period).
– Pre-departure meetings, pre-graduation orientation including career guidance (graduate traineeships, TRP for graduates to seek employment).
– International student integration. Student experience.

The documentary “Women Who Play” about female leaders of Ukrainian culture has been released in Ukraine.

It depicts seven stories of the women’s creative path in Ukrainian culture – winners of this year’s Women in Arts Award 2021: writer Sofia Andrukhovych, cultural journalist Vira Baldyniuk, conductor Oksana Lyniv, theater director Tamara Trunova, artist Alina Kleytman, cultural manager Yuliya Fediv and film director Iryna Tsilyk.

The film can help children and young people better understand how culture works, decide on their future profession, learn about examples of women’s leadership and reflect on the issue of gender inequality and stereotypes in society.

The film is available for free worldwide in Ukrainian language with English subtitles.

You can watch it at https://takflix.com/uk/films/women-who-play.

The film was made by the UN Women in Ukraine and the Ukrainian Institute in support of the independent annual Women in Arts Award. The award was founded in 2019 and aims to draw attention to the achievements of women working in the arts and inspires them to new successes.

The Third Ukrainian International Education Forum will take place on April 22-23, 2021.

Ukrainian International Education Forum is a large-scale educational event that brings together key experts with the goal of expanding Ukraine’s educational opportunities for foreign citizens.

The Forum will be held online. Anyone can join; the open broadcast will take place on the Facebook pages of the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine and Study in Ukraine.

The Forum is organized by the State Enterprise “Ukrainian State Center for International Education” and the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine.

The event will be held in partnership with EducationUSA.

Among the speakers of the Forum will be: Deputy Minister of Education and Science of Ukraine for European Integration Andrii Vitrenko, President of the National Academy of Educational Sciences of Ukraine Vasyl Kremen, Director of the Ukrainian State Center for International Education Olena Shapovalova. Participants of the Forum can also expect interesting speeches by foreign and Ukrainian diplomats, leading educators and specialists in the field of higher education internationalization.

The Forum is held in accordance with the Order of the President of Ukraine № 210/2020 “On the improvement of higher education in Ukraine”, in particular in order to promote higher education opportunities in Ukraine for foreign students.

The Forum will be broadcast on the Facebook page of Study in Ukraine and the YouTube channel of the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine.

Additional paid service of “Study in Ukraine”, in accordance with the budget of the enterprise, is registration for a zoom conference with simultaneous translation of the speakers on the first day of the Forum, participation in a closed master class “International Education: Diplomatic Protocol, Communication and Search for Partners”, with reception of certificates.  Such participants will receive from “Study in Ukraine” statistical and informational materials and the certificate of participation in the Forum. Registration fee for paid participation – 1800 UAH with VAT.

Registration

An online platform (https://speakukraine.net/#project) that unites websites for learning the Ukrainian language has launched in Ukraine. This was announced by the Minister of Culture and Information Policy of Ukraine Oleksandr Tkachenko on his Facebook page .

The materials on the platform will be suitable both for those who can speak the language and for those who do not know it at all, but want to learn.

The platform currently combines 5 websites. It provides resources with different learning formats:

• – text format;
• – video format;
• – interactive format (using exercises and spelling tasks).

In addition, foreign citizens are offered an extra resource (https://ukr.lingva.ua/), which contains more than 100 free lessons.