Funded by
International Visegrad Foundation
The project “Education for sustainable development: transferring V4 сountries’ experience for Ukraine’s recovery” is being implemented in Ukraine and 3 countries of the Visegrad Group: Poland, the Czech Republic and Slovakia. It is aimed at establishing communication for the exchange of experience, knowledge and best practices of the V4 countries and Ukraine, which are very similar in historical and cultural aspects, in the context of preparation for the future reconstruction of Ukraine after the war and its integration into the European Union.
The project is focused on the formation of socially conscious youth, fostering a common vision and emphasizing the role of Ukrainian universities in the development of the Carpathian region. On the basis of the International Carpathian School, which is located in the heart of Ukrainian Hutsul communities and has been actively developing in recent years, it is planned to create an innovative educational hub and integrate it into Ukrainian universities.
The exchange of experience in the field of formal and informal education will contribute to the establishment of new close contacts between the participants from the participating countries, will make an important contribution to the rapprochement of countries in the process of Ukraine’s approach to EU membership, and will contribute to the formation of joint efforts for the sustainable development of the Carpathian region.
The project unites a wide range of interested parties: non-governmental organizations, educational institutions, student and student youth, local communities, small and medium-sized businesses. It is expected that the efforts of all target groups will be combined and focused on improving the quality of the environment, taking into account the relevant goals in future strategies, plans and programs for the restoration of communities in the Carpathian region of Ukraine.
The path of Ukraine towards European integration and the final break from the colonial past of the Soviet era have led to military aggression by Russia, intentionally destroying infrastructure and the environment of our country. Population migration, challenging material and psychological conditions, have a negative impact on the preparation of the future generation for life in a globalized world, the transmission of values, and cultural heritage.
The Ukrainian part of the Carpathian region, where active cross-border cooperation between the EU and Eastern Europe is taking place, appears as an attractive platform for implementing educational and enlightening initiatives to adapt youth to new conditions and post-war reconstruction.
The project “Education for Sustainable Development: Transfer of Experience from Visegrad Countries to the Reconstruction of Ukraine” is commencing its activities from October 2023. It involves establishing communication between non-governmental organizations and educational institutions in Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Ukraine, aiming to exchange experiences, knowledge, and best practices in the international context of countries that are very similar in historical and cultural aspects.
The main objective of the project is to highlight the role of local communities, entrepreneurs, and government authorities in their common activities to meet the National Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs-2030) in line with Goal 4, “Quality Education,” and Goal 11, “Sustainable Cities and Communities.”
The project aims at facilitating communication between participating countries for the exchange of experiences, knowledge, and best practices from Visegrad Group countries, which share historical and cultural similarities with Ukraine. The educational component is based on a shaping socially conscious youth; assist in forming a common vision and highlighting the role of Ukrainian universities in the development of the Carpathian region.
The project seeks to lay the foundations for student academic mobility, which, to some extent, will contribute to accommodate internally and externally displaced persons temporarily residing in other countries. Strengthening multi-party partnerships at the regional and local levels should provide momentum for post-war infrastructure reconstruction and Ukraine’s integration into the European space.
A series of online seminars will be conducted to highlight the best practices of Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Ukraine on the following topics:
- Sustainable Development of the Carpathian Region
- Scientific Approaches to Climate Change Mitigation/Adaptation
- Heritage Interpretation: Open-Air Museums in the Carpathian Region
- Phytoremediation – Technologies for After-War Cleaning Contaminated Soils
- Water Management and Supply in Conditions of Water Stress
The project plans to exchange experiences with invited students and educators from Ukrainian universities and organize a competition for student works on the topics of the seminars. An innovative educational program titled ‘Regional Sustainable Development’ will be presented to high school teachers for implementation in target groups.
Two online webinars are planned for representatives of local communities and NGOs to familiarize them with best practices from the Visegrad countries.
The project’s activities will be summarized during the Winter Session of the Carpathian School on the theme of ‘Education for Sustainable Development of the Carpathian Region.’ An Educational Online Hub for the Carpathian School will be created, filled with adapted educational materials, video lectures, and online sessions. At least five national universities will be offered access to this resource to introduce students to the technological and social aspects of sustainable development in mountainous regions. It is expected that more than 100 students and doctoral candidates, over 50 representatives of environmental NGOs and activists, over 20 university lecturers, over 20 small and medium-sized business representatives, and over 20 local officials will benefit from it.
The materials collected for students and educators will strengthen network interaction and student mobility in the Carpathian region.
The Carpathian School is regarded as an educational platform for informal learning, catering to students from higher education institutions and local government professionals. The project’s target audience encompasses a diverse range of participants, spanning from high school students to bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral candidates, as well as community activists and local government officials.
Special emphasis will be placed on the training of school teachers. Leading Ukrainian universities and universities from V4 countries that specialize in fields related to sustainable development education will be invited to take part in the project’s initiatives. This includes institutions with experience in the Carpathian School and those actively contributing to the expansion of the Carpathian Convention network.
Invitations will also be extended to school alumni, environmental civil society activists, small and medium-sized businesses, and local authorities.
The Czech Institute for Heritage Interpretation is a non-profit expert organization. Its role in the project is to provide consultations with leading Czech heritage institutions, including the largest open-air museum in the Carpathian region. They have experience in implementing interpretation methods, organizing training (excursions, exhibition design, educational paths, etc.). The Institute collaborates with the European main organization Interpret Europe in the development and execution of training programs in heritage interpretation and informal education.
Website: https://dobrainterpretace.cz
Gdansk University of Technology (Poland) The Department of Process Engineering and Chemical Technology at the university possesses knowledge and experience in phytoremediation of polluted soils. This is one of the best practices that can be of great significance for land reclamation in Ukraine, particularly for lands affected by fires and air pollution during military operations. Multilateral cooperation and partnerships can also be established with experts from the University of Agriculture in Krakow, Poland, which specializes in phytoremediation of post-industrial lands, showcasing best practices in phytoextraction of heavy metals, persistent organic pollutants, and heavy petroleum products (tar, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons) from soils.
Website: https://pg.edu.pl/en
University of Trnava, (Slovakia) Department of Sociology, has international experience in projects under Horizon2020 and Erasmus+ focused on scientific communication regarding climate change and environmental education. The Department of Sociology offers educational courses such as social ecology and environmental sociology. The research group of the department has significant experience in qualitative and quantitative data analysis. The department participates in field studies with a focus on outdoor environmental education and plans to share the experience of international cooperation and conduct webinars dedicated to environmental issues.
Website: https://ff.truni.sk/
Water for Climate – environmental technologie (Slovakia) is an association established on the basis of a civic initiative aimed at building a platform for cooperation between citizens of different professions who are concerned with mitigating the effects of global climate change in the Trnava region and beyond. The members of the association are looking for comprehensive solutions to improve the quality of the environment through cooperation between people from different sectors of the economy: water and agriculture, industry and sanitation, sustainable urban development and access to drinking water in the face of water hunger.
Website: www.vodapreklimu.sk
Non profitable organization “The Center for Civic Initiatives” (Ukraine) is located in the city of Kosiv in Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast and has its own experience in implementing projects aimed at improving the interaction between government and civil society to address local environmental issues. Actively participating in the Carpathian School, the Center collaborates with three National Nature Parks, with a particular focus on preserving of the natural reserve objects in mountainous regions and highlighting the role of the Carpathian Convention, the goals of which are of crucial importance for regional sustainable development.”
Website: https://www.facebook.com/regcentr
Mykola Blyzniuk
NECU Council Member
Member and one of the founders of the Kosiv branch of the NECU (Ivano-Frankivsk region), the non-governmental environmental organisation “Edelweiss” and the regional charitable organisation “Center for Public Initiatives”; initiator of the organisation and holding the International Carpathian School.
Professional interests: research of the role and place of modern information and communication technologies in the development of the non-governmental sector of the civil society of Ukraine, integration into the European and world community, environmental education, non-formal education in the development of local communities, environmental design, education for sustainable development, social entrepreneurship, project and investment activities.
Contact: blyzniyk@gmail.com
Valeriy Mykhaylenko
Associate Professor of Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv
One of the founders of the International Carpathian School
Professional interests: transboundary environmental cooperation, sustainable development, non-formal education, sustainable land use, chemicals in the environment, waste management, environmental management, environmental impact assessment.
Contact: v.mykhaylenko@knu.ua
Heorhii Veremiichyk
Chairman of the NECU Audit Commission
Head of the NECU Climate Change Department
Professional interests: climate change policy, compliance of Ukrainian legislation with European requirements, implementation of European agreements and conventions by Ukraine, implementation of sustainable development principles, research of environmental impacts of industrial facilities, environmental monitoring and environmental audit, air quality monitoring and control, preparation of agreements on bilateral cooperation between Ukraine and other countries in the field of global climate change, water management, environmental protection and conservation, etc.
Contact: veremiychyk@gmail.com
The project is co-financed by the Governments of Czechia, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia through Visegrad Grants from International Visegrad Fund.
The mission of the fund is to advance ideas for sustainable regional cooperation in Central Europe.
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