International activity

The most important areas of the department’s international activities are international integration and internationalization of education, support for a network of partners, implementation of the results of innovative international projects into the educational process, participation in European scientific and educational grant programs, exchange of scientific and research experience, academic mobility, implementation of new methods for raising standards of foreign language proficiency, international internships and advanced training of research and pedagogical staff.

The holistic system strategy of the department is focused on international projects, as real unique developmental environment of crosscultural – multidisciplinary – multiagent interaction. This is the most efficient research and education practice, which is a “moment of truth”, demonstrating real achievements not in the narrow, most often formalized and bureaucratic framework of routine tasks but in a global dimension. This is evaluation criteria within coordinates of human society developmental sense, and therefore the sense of education.

In a relatively short period, usually 3 years, international teams must achieve a common goal, using ambitious scientifically based innovative methods and obtain very specific products that should be widely disseminated, meeting the urgent needs of society, nature and economy (bio-socio-techno spheres). At the same time, the impact of the project is much broader than the stated tasks, it allows us to understand the similarities and diversities of scientific and educational schools, cultures, economies and their value for synergistic development, and most importantly, to understand ourselves and our place in the general process of human development. Here the most important thing is to establish an equal partnership, since initially Western partners position themselves as unconditional leaders, underestimating the level of our scientific schools’ development. The main task is to organize truly synergistic interaction and demonstrate the value of diverse contribution. To do this, it is necessary to find the “right words”, since often misunderstanding arises not from the activity itself, but due to differences in terminology, scientific approaches and cultures.

Communication is the system-forming sense of our department. Moreover, it is not only a linguistic, but also a cultural-social-psychological component of a unique integrated competence. Therefore, our department project team is able to professionally ensure truly efficient interaction. Moreover, the original and universal Eco-Humanistic approach has become the basis for most projects focused on the new European scientific paradigm. It allowed choosing the most efficient way – to become the initiator of projects ourselves and develop innovative proposals, inviting foreign partners to support the idea and take part in the process of further co-creation on the basis of synergetic interaction based on scientifically sound technology.

The efficiency of this strategy is proven by the 25 projects we created, which supported 115 organizations from 25 countries (Great Britain, Germany, France, Spain, Italy, Finland, Sweden, Netherlands, Switzerland, Belgium, Austria, Greece, Portugal, Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia, Romania, Lithuania, Estonia, Bulgaria, Turkey, India). From the very beginning this approach led us not only to partnership relations, but also to leadership in projects. The unique experience gained within international cooperation gives reason to consider our project team competitive in the intellectual services market, carrying out research and educational activities at the level of international standards.

The department has created a network of international partnerships, which involved more than 100 foreign universities, organizations and professional foundations, mainly within the framework of the joint development and implementation of international projects of the TEMPUS, ERASMUS MUNDUS, ERASMUS+, HORIZON 2020 programs. Building and maintaining a network is careful work that requires time, effort, and cannot arise at will immediately. To form stable and efficient relationships, it is necessary to earn trust, and it appears during direct contact in joint activities. As a result, the international reputation of the project team is formed. The department is an efficient leader of this strategy, which gives hope that the our team meets the challenges of modern science and education at the international level and is able to develop and manage international projects successfully.

All projects are related to scientific research, educational and training activities, they are multidisciplinary and innovative, both for science and education, as well as for the development of the economy, civic consciousness, identity, and cultural heritage of Ukrainian society. Namely