Today the delegation of educators and scientists lead by the Minister of Education and Science of Ukraine Serhiy Shkarlet arrived in the Republic of Tajikistan.

During the visit, from March 29 to April 2, 2021, a number of events aimed at developing cooperation between the two countries in the field of education and science will take place.

State Enterprise “Ukrainian State Center for International Education” presented statistical data on the education of citizens of Tajikistan in Ukraine. Thus, as of January 1, 2021, 134 citizens of the Republic of Tajikistan are studying in higher education institutions of Ukraine.

Among the specialties chosen by the students from Tajikistan, the most popular ones are:

• air transport;
• medical practice;
• dentistry;
• telecommunications and radio engineering;
• nursing.

During the first day, the Ukrainian delegation visited the Tajik Agrarian University named after Shirinsho Shotemur, where the “Study in Ukraine” exhibition-fair is going to take place. More than 40 Ukrainian higher education institutions will take part in the exhibition.

“Study in Ukraine” specialists also met with representatives of the “Center for International Programs” of the Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Tajikistan and discussed the terms of signing a memorandum on cooperation.

From March 29 to April 2, 2021, educators and scientists lead by the Minister of Education and Science of Ukraine Serhiy Shkarlet will be paying a visit to the Republic of Tajikistan.

State Enterprise “Ukrainian State Center for International Education” will also be a participant of the Ukrainian educational delegation. In total, more than 80 heads of educational institutions, leading educators, scientists, and business representatives will be representing Ukraine in Tajikistan.

The event will be 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 opportunities for higher education in Ukraine for foreign students.

The program of the visit includes:

• – Forum of Rectors of higher education institutions of Ukraine and the Republic of Tajikistan;
• – Forum of graduates of Ukrainian higher education institutions who are citizens of the Republic of Tajikistan;
• – Educational exhibition “Study in Ukraine” for Tajikistan’s youth.

“Study in Ukraine” will use its informational resources to cover key parts of the event aimed at developing cooperation between the two countries in the field of higher education.

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky has signed a law that provides for the provision of biometric data by foreigners applying for a Ukrainian visa. This was reported on the website of the President’s Office.

The document aims to improve visa procedures and introduce biometric Ukrainian visas for foreigners and stateless persons.

In particular, according to the law, foreigners and stateless persons are obligated to submit their biometric data during the visa application in accordance with the procedure established by the Cabinet of Ministers, unless otherwise provided by law.

Failure of a foreigner to submit their biometric data is defined as an additional ground for denying them a Ukrainian visa.

The law is adopted a day after its publication and enters into force 6 months after it is adopted.

The Ukrainian Institute is launching a series of public presentations and discussions on the results of a series of studies of Ukraine’s perception abroad. Presentation of the results of research on the perception of Ukraine in three countries – the United States, Japan and Turkey will take place on March 24, 2021.

The event will take place online on the website of the Ukrainian Institute in Ukrainian with simultaneous translation into English:

12:30 – 13:30 Perception of Ukraine Abroad: project presentation

13:30 – 14:45 Perception of Ukraine in Japan

15:00 – 16:00 Perception of Ukraine in Turkey

16:30 – 17:30 Perception of Ukraine in the United States

Analysts who conducted the research, as well as specialists-diplomats will discuss opportunities and prospects for bilateral cooperation in the fields of culture, education, science and civil society in the respective countries.

In total, the study covered 7 countries – France, Germany, Poland, USA, Japan, Turkey and Hungary. The results reveal the attitude and level of knowledge about Ukraine and Ukrainian culture in each of the countries.

The research was conducted in 2020 by the Ukrainian Institute together with the International Renaissance Foundation. Research executors: analytical center Foreign Policy Council “Ukrainian Prism” and research company InMind.

When entering Ukraine, foreigners must have a negative COVID-19 test result. This was reported on the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine (https://mfa.gov.ua/news/kabinet-ministriv-ukrayini-zminiv-umovi-vyizdu-inozemnih-gromadyan-do-ukrayini)

The test must be performed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) no later than 72 hours before crossing the state border of Ukraine.

In the absence of a mandatory insurance policy (certificate) or a negative COVID-19 PCR test result, employees of the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine have the right to deny entry into Ukraine to foreigners and stateless persons.

From February 10 to March 10, 2021, 817 new articles about Ukraine were added to Wikipedia as part of “Ukrainian Cultural Diplomacy Month”.

Thanks to the initiative of the Ukrainian Institute together with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the NGO “Wikimedia Ukraine”, 172 users created and improved articles more than 1200 times, created no less than 817 new articles in Ukrainian and foreign languages.

For example, new articles “Mnohaya lita” and “Borsch” were written in Malayalam (India), and the article on the “Executed Renaissance” was written in Chinese. Articles about the Ukrainian brand – Ukraine NOW have been added to Wikipedia in many languages; about famous Ukrainian films of recent years – “Atlantis”, “Donbass”; Dzyga Vertov, Sofia Yablonska.

In total, the #UkraineEverywhere campaign covered 44 languages. Portuguese, English and French became leaders in the number of added and revised articles. The project aroused considerable interest in Asian countries, many edits were made in Persian and articles were added in Arabic, Japanese and Chinese.

The organizers are convinced that thanks to the project people all over the world will be able to learn new things about Ukraine, become interested in visiting it, studying in it or investing.

Every year on March 21 the world celebrates Poetry Day. The main purpose of the celebration is to promote linguistic diversity and support endangered languages ​​through poetry. The day is also designed to promote the development of poetry, return to the tradition of poetry readings, teaching poetry, resuming dialogue between poetry and other arts (theater, dance, music, painting), as well as encouraging publishing and creating a positive image of poetry as a truly contemporary art.

In 1999, at the 30th session of the General Conference of UNESCO, it was decided to annually celebrate World Poetry Day on March 21. The first World Poetry Day was held in Paris, where UNESCO is headquartered.

World Poetry Day is an opportunity to honor poets, revive oral traditions of poetry readings, increase interest in reading, promote rapprochement between poetry and other arts, and provide greater coverage of poetry in the media. Poetry continues to unite people from all continents. Join the celebration!

Director of the state enterprise “Ukrainian State Center for International Education” Olena Shapovalova joined the online meeting of the Commissioner for the Protection of the State Language Taras Kremen with representatives of the Ukrainian-Brazilian Central Representation.

In the context of celebrating the 130th anniversary of Ukrainian immigration to Brazil in 2021, such an event has become important with regards to developing Ukrainian-Brazilian relations, including in the field of education.

During the meeting, the speakers outlined promising areas of cooperation. Among them are: access of Brazilian young people of Ukrainian origin to distance learning courses in the Ukrainian language, joint research projects between leading universities of both countries, summer language camps, etc.

Commissioner for the Protection of the State Language Taras Kremen noted the work of “Study in Ukraine” in promoting Ukrainian education abroad, and the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Ukraine to Brazil Rostyslav Tronenko expressed support and assistance in implementing the initiatives voiced by Olena Shapovalova.

Every year in early spring, on March 9 and 10, Ukraine and the world celebrate Shevchenko’s Days, which fall on the anniversaries of the birth and death of the famous Ukrainian poet, prose writer, painter Taras Shevchenko.

He has become a symbol of freedom, justice and endurance for every citizen of Ukraine, a symbol of the Ukrainian national movement and revival.

Taras Shevchenko was born on March 9, 1814 in the village of Moryntsi, Cherkasy oblast, in a family of serfs. At the age of 24, the poet’s friends bought his freedom from serfdom. Despite a difficult life in captivity, Taras Shevchenko loved Ukraine, which at the time was part of the Russian Empire, and wanted to see it free. Over the years, his work and image have inspired Ukrainian patriots to fight for the future of Ukraine.

The most famous works of Shevchenko are a collection of poems “Kobzar”, poems “Haidamaky”, “The Caucasus”, “Testament”, “I was thirteen”, “Cherry orchard near the house” and others.

Taras Shevchenko died on March 10, 1861. The poet was buried, as he himself wished, on Chernecha Hill above the Dnipro river near Kaniv in Ukraine.

Since 1918, the commemoration of the great Kobzar on March 9 has become annual and national in our country.

Also, by UNESCO’s decision, Taras Shevchenko’s anniversaries have been celebrated in all countries around the world. Shevchenko’s works have been translated into more than a hundred languages. His world fame is evidenced by the monuments erected in different cities around world: Bucharest, Washington, New York, Paris and others. Today in Ukraine 164 settlements are named after Taras Shevchenko.

To mark the anniversary, flower-laying and other ceremonies will be held throughout Ukraine and around the world at the Shevchenko monuments.

International Women’s Day is celebrated on March 8 in Ukraine and around the world. This day marks the achievements of women in various fields, regardless of national or ethnic boundaries, linguistic, cultural, economic and political differences.

The idea for the holiday came during the Second International Socialist Women’s Conference, held in Copenhagen in 1910. Eventually, on that day, women from around the world began taking to the streets to demonstrate in defence of women’s rights.

The holiday has been celebrated worldwide since 1975, following a call from the United Nations. In 1977, the UN General Assembly addressed all countries to proclaim any day of the year as the International Day of Women’s Rights and Peace, to create favourable conditions for the elimination of discrimination against women and for their full and equal involvement in social development.

This year’s theme of International Women’s Day is “Women in leadership: Achieving an equal future in a COVID-19 world.”

This theme aims to draw attention to the efforts of women and girls around the world to build an equal future and recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.