Meeting with American colleagues in the framework of the program of rebuilding Ukraine
Recently, a working meeting was held at the Education and Research Institute of Communications within the framework of cooperation between West Ukrainian National University and Shepherd University (USA).
The purpose of the communication is to exchange the experience of teachers and students of WUNU in the development of international communications, student mobility, practice-oriented internships, as well as to involve the scientific and educational potential of the WUNU faculty in the program of reconstruction of Ukraine.
Shepherd University was represented by Dr. Kelly L. Hart, Vice President for Enrollment Management, Dr. Jeff Groff, Chair of the Department of Environmental and Physical Sciences, Emily Liu, Director of International Relations, and Donna Miller, Assistant to the Office of Admissions, as well as Mr. Yuriy Vovchuk, Director of the NGO Vovk Foundation Inc.
The American colleagues talked to Oksana Koval, Director of the Education and Research Institute of Communications, Anastasia Martynevych, Coordinator for International Activities of the ERIC, Vasyl Brych, Director of the Education and Research Institute of Innovation, Environmental Management and Infrastructure, Olena Borysiak, Coordinator for International Activities of the ERIIEMI, Head of the Department of Agribiotechnology, Antin Shuvar, Deputy Director of the ERIIEMI, Serhii Hunko.
Representatives of the West Virginia State Senate joined the discussion: Legislative Assistant Samuel Lane and Shyla H. Alam, Legislative Correspondent, who attended the meeting on behalf of Senator Joseph Manchin.
Mr. Manchin was in Kyiv with a working visit in April of this year, where he met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyi. "In my lifetime, I have never seen the United States of America in such a righteous war. America's task is to defend freedom, to fight for democracy. And this is what we are doing. We are trying to win with them, we will give them all the support they need," said Democratic Senator Joe Manchin. According to him, the senators saw directly, up close and personal the determination, skill and will of the Ukrainian government and people.
The parties presented possible areas of joint activity. In particular, Dr. Jeff Groff focused on Shepherd University's practice-oriented training sites - Shepherd University's Tabler Farm Center for Agricultural Innovation, where academic and student staff conduct research projects in the field of agriculture, as well as Yellowstone National Park, the world's first national park, an international biosphere reserve, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Professor Vasyl Brych, Director of the Education and Research Institute of Innovation, Environmental Management and Infrastructure, and Professor Antin Shuvar, Head of the Department of Agribiotechnology, told their American colleagues about the Institute's activities and international projects in the field of green energy, energy security, climate-neutral innovations in agricultural use, development of the energy service market in the context of improving the energy efficiency of the national economy, energy and environmental security of Ukraine, the concept of organizational and innovative support for the development of critical technologies in the field of defense and national security, the strategy for reforming the heat energy market in the housing and utilities sector in the context of improving energy security and the quality of life of the population of Ukraine.
The parties agreed on the next steps of the partnership and agreed on an internship for WUNU students and teachers at Shepherd University.
