Optima School is planning to open online and offline education hubs in Ukraine and abroad, its founder Roberts Weishla said at a press conference at Interfax-Ukraine news agency on Thursday.
“Now our goal is to open hubs of mixed offline and online education in Ukraine and not only in Ukraine, where children will be able to study not only remotely but also in person. Additional classes, clubs, etc. will be introduced there to make it interesting,” said Vaischla.
He noted that Optima planned to open an offline learning space last year by building Ukraine’s first blended learning school. However, according to him, a legal dispute over the land plot on which the school was planned to be built is ongoing.
“The school purchased a plot of land for construction, and now there is a court case going on. And we don’t know what will happen to this project. As a citizen of another country, I don’t really understand the arguments that the government agencies used to suspend our work,” Vaisla added.
For her part, Optima School director Olga Bilodid said that the school will open an educational hub in Kyiv.
“It may not be an Optima space, and it will be much smaller, but the idea will be realized, and such a space will start in Kyiv,” said Bilodid.
According to her, the hubs will offer courses aimed at the practical component.
“If it is language or literature, there will be classes in journalism and public speaking, if it is chemistry and physics, there will be laboratories. If it is, for example, a foreign language, it will be discussion clubs. That is, we want to give our children more practice,” explained Bilodid.
Optima School was established and licensed in 2015. The school currently has 20 thousand students.
Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c47lKOfQ9GA
Optima Distance College is planning to expand its list of majors to include humanities and eventually establish a university, Optima School director Olga Bilodid told Interfax-Ukraine news agency on Thursday.
“Now there are five of them (specialties), but there is an intention to develop, and the range of specialties will definitely expand,” Bilodid said.
According to her, Optima College graduates receive a junior bachelor’s degree and have the opportunity to enter the college after both the 9th and 11th grade.
Belodid added that the creation of an Optima university is currently on the agenda for the future.
“We are persistently looking in this direction and think that this intention will be realized, but we still need to understand how to implement it in the realities of our country,” said the director of Optima School.
According to the website, Optima Distance College is a project of the largest distance school in Ukraine, Optima. The college offers five specialties: entrepreneurship and trade, psychology, computer science, marketing, and graphic design. The tuition fee is UAH 2 thousand per month, regardless of the specialty.
The Tchaikovsky National Music Academy of Ukraine has topped the nationwide ranking of artistic higher education institutions presented by the Institute of Sociological Research of the Kyiv National Economic University named after V. Hetman and the research company Active Group.
According to Oleksandr Poznyi, the coordinator of the project to create the rating, director of the Active Group research company, artistic higher education institutions are a very complex and important social institution that requires a specific methodology for studying.
“That’s why we combine the efforts of researchers, scholars and the best practices of the international community to improve our ranking of artistic higher education institutions,” he said at a press conference at Interfax-Ukraine on Tuesday.
Pozniy emphasized that the main mission of the rating is to evaluate artistic institutions, as the existing ratings are designed for classical universities and do not take into account the unique aspects of art education and the specifics of evaluating art institutions. This, in turn, affects the objectivity and significance of these rankings in the context of art education, resulting in the underrepresentation of artistic institutions in the rankings.
“This is an important step in creating a transparent and objective system for evaluating artistic educational institutions, which allows us to adequately assess their contribution to the cultural development of the country. The ranking is designed to reflect the uniqueness of each artistic institution. We have applied comprehensive criteria that include teaching, research, international activity and financial stability,” said Yulia Gorbova, Director of the Institute of Sociological Research at the Kyiv National Economic University named after V. Hetman.
According to her, the methodology of this year’s ranking was improved as part of the joint research work of Active Group, the Institute of Higher Education and the Institute of Sociological Research of the Kyiv National Economic University named after V. Hetman. The study searched, systematized, and analyzed international and local general and subject (industry) rankings, with a special focus on the rankings of art education institutions and/or educational programs.
Art higher education institutions were analyzed by 45 parameters grouped into six blocks: “Teaching and Learning”, “Science and Research”, “Impact of Higher Education Institutions on Society Development”, “Internationalization”, “Institutional Reputation”, and “Financial Sustainability”. The share of each group of indicators and the weight of each individual criterion was determined based on the analysis of international experience and adjusted based on the results of an expert survey of representatives of the field of art education.
The authors of the ranking also used multi-criteria approaches to evaluating the activities of higher education institutions based on the processing of data that can be obtained from open sources and whose validity can be verified.
The sources of data for the ranking of artistic HEIs were: EDEBO, NAQA, Rector’s Report, Report on Scientific Activities, Estimates, Financial Statements of HEIs, HEI Website, Scopus, Web of Science, OpenAlex, Ukrainian National H-index Ranking, Google Scholar, Transparent Ranking, QS, UniRank, services for measuring brand reputation on the Internet and social networks.
As a result, the all-Ukrainian ranking of art universities for the 2023-2024 academic year was as follows:
| Place in the ranking | Result | |
| Tchaikovsky National Music Academy of Ukraine | 1 | 68,6 |
| Kharkiv State Academy of Design and Arts | 2 | 47,7 |
| Kharkiv State Academy of Culture | 3 | 43,8 |
| Lviv National Academy of Arts | 4 | 43,5 |
| National Academy of Fine Arts and Architecture | 5 | 41,7 |
| Kharkiv National University of Arts named after I.P. Kotlyarevsky | 6 | 39,6 |
| Kyiv National University of Theater, Cinema and Television named after I.K. Karpenko-Kary | 7 | 38 |
| A.V. Nezhdanova Odesa National Music Academy | 8 | 32,2 |
| Mykola Lysenko Lviv National Music Academy | 9 | 32,1 |
| Mykhailo Boichuk Kyiv State Academy of Decorative and Applied Arts and Design | 10 | 27,2 |
| National Academy of Management Personnel of Culture and Arts | 11 | 27,1 |
| Transcarpathian Academy of Arts | 12 | 14,5 |
| Luhansk State Academy of Culture and Arts | 13 | 12,3 |
The researchers plan to continue this assessment of artistic institutions in order to track the dynamics of the development of Ukrainian art education institutions. The project team invites everyone to join the work on the development of the ranking, in particular, to improve the criteria for evaluating art institutions.
Within the first competitions of the NEXT Romania-Ukraine cross-border communities development program for the period 2021-2027, 120 projects with a non-refundable value of EUR87 million have been submitted, according to the project’s press service.
The press service of the Romanian Ministry of Development, Public Works and Administration told Interfax-Ukraine that the submitted projects include 153 partners from Romania and 158 from Ukraine.
The Interreg NEXT Romania-Ukraine program has a budget of EUR54 million in grant funds, to which the national contribution will be added. Projects that will benefit border communities in Satu Mare, Maramures, Botosani, Suceava and Tulcea counties (Romania), as well as in Ivano-Frankivsk, Zakarpattya, Chernivtsi and Odessa regions (Ukraine) will be eligible for funding.
According to the press service, a call for standard projects (projects with an infrastructure component of at least EUR500,000) was announced in August 2023. EUR12.6 mln allocated for this competition will be used for investments in healthcare and education. Within the framework of the competition 49 projects were submitted, the grant value of which is EUR60 mln.
The Small Projects Competition was launched in September 2023. This competition has a budget of EUR14.5 million, which will be directed to measures on climate change prevention and control, biodiversity conservation, health, education and border management. Seventy-one projects were submitted, with a total value of EUR27 million in grant funds.
According to the press service of the Romanian Ministry of Development, Public Works and Administration, the most applications – 29 standard and 13 small – were submitted in the direction of ensuring equal access to health care and increasing the sustainability of health care systems, including primary health care, as well as promoting the transition from institutional to family-based care.
The second most popular focus area is educational. 20 standard and 17 small projects were designed to improve equitable access to inclusive and quality education, training and lifelong learning services through the development of accessible infrastructure.
15 small projects focused on improving the protection and conservation of nature, biodiversity and green infrastructure, including in urban areas; 13 small projects focused on disaster risk prevention, strengthening resilience through ecosystem approaches.
Border crossing management was addressed by 13 small projects submitted.
The projects will be subjected to an evaluation and selection procedure in the following period.At this stage, a detailed analysis of the submitted projects is underway and the results of the selection process will be presented tentatively in early summer, with contracts ideally signed by the first quarter of 2025, but “the actual duration of the process will also depend on the quality of the applications submitted and the number of clarifications required”.
All submitted projects will go through two stages of evaluation: eligibility and quality. Applications that pass all these stages will be subject to approval by the Monitoring Committee (a joint structure composed of members from both countries).
Funding will be awarded to projects that best meet the requirements of the Applicant’s Guidelines and that will actually contribute to community development in the border region.
Interreg NEXT, the EU’s cooperation programs with neighboring regions, comprises 184 regions with a population of 260 million people in 33 countries and is located along the EU’s external borders from the northern periphery to the Mediterranean region and from the Atlantic to the Black Sea basin.
Interreg NEXT cooperation programs for the period 2021-2027 include EUR1.1 billion from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), the Neighborhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument (NDICI) and the Instrument for Pre-Accession (IPA).
CLIMATE CHANGE, cross-border communities, EDUCATION, HEALTH, Interreg NEXT
With the start of the new school year, new rules came into force in Ukraine, providing for different training regimes depending on the level of security in different regions. These measures were introduced in response to the high level of danger.
Taking into account the current situation and the importance of ensuring the safety of pupils and students, the Experts Club training and analysis center in Kyiv organized a training seminar on pre-medical assistance for teachers. The training, which took place on September 29 in Kyiv, was designed to provide teachers with the necessary skills to provide first aid in case of wounds and injuries.
The seminar was organized by the Experts Club think tank and medical partner Adonis. The seminar was also supported by the charity organization Hromada Priirpeniya Foundation and information support from Interfax-Ukraine news agency and Open4business portal.
The main presenter of the training was Maryana Bolyuk, an anesthesiologist and representative of the Adonis group of medical centers. Maryana is a co-author of 12 scientific publications and has rich experience in the field of medicine.
During the seminar, teachers and educators received not only theoretical knowledge, but also practical skills necessary to provide first aid to children in various situations. Among the main topics covered were:
1. Basics of pre-medical care: The workshop participants learned the basic principles and steps to follow when providing first aid, including assessing the situation, ensuring safety, calling for emergency medical assistance and providing emergency interventions.
2. Treating different types of wounds and injuries: Trainers learned how to properly treat wounds, stop bleeding, fix fractures, and treat bruises and sprains.
3. Pre-medical care for children: Teachers gained specialized knowledge on first aid for children, taking into account their body characteristics and emotional reactions.
4. Practical exercises: Practical exercises were an important part of the workshop, including modeling different situations and practicing first aid skills.
Training teachers and educators in first aid for children with injuries and trauma is an important initiative to promote safety in educational institutions. Experts Club and Adonis will continue to support such educational initiatives to ensure the highest level of safety in educational institutions of Ukraine.
Maksym Urakin, founder of Experts Club, emphasized that teachers play a key role in children’s lives and knowledge of pre-medical care skills is a part of education that can save lives.
“Such workshops help teachers not only feel more confident in emergency situations, but also provide them with the opportunity to teach their students the basics of first aid, which is also an important skill for everyone,” Urakin noted.
The training was attended by university professors and school teachers from Kyiv and the Bucha district of Kyiv region.
Oleksandr Golizdra, Chairman of the Committee on Information Policy and Relations with Local Authorities of the Public Council at the Bucha District State Administration, asked the participants to pass on the knowledge and skills gained to their colleagues in educational institutions.
According to Tetyana Lagovska, executive director of the Pryirpin Community Foundation, the main thing in first aid is the efficiency of actions to stabilize the victim’s condition. However, as the volunteer noted, it is also important to adhere to the principle of “do no harm,” so it is important to know what should and should not be done before the arrival of professional doctors.
The participants of the training expressed their gratitude to the organizers and the instructor for the valuable knowledge and experience gained at the training. They also emphasized the importance of such events and hope that such educational seminars will continue in the future. In addition, each participant received as a gift a fully equipped first aid kit for first aid in case of wounds.
The pre-medical care workshop for teachers was an example of how educational institutions and medical partners can collaborate to ensure the safety of students and staff. These efforts will help strengthen the education system and prepare teachers for the variety of challenges they may face in educational institutions in war.
Experts Club and Adonis pledge to continue to support and conduct similar educational initiatives, as they see them as an opportunity to make education safer and encompass not only academic but also life skills.
ADONIS, CLUB_EXPERTS, EDUCATION, FIRST_HELP, FUND_OF_GROMADA_PRIORPENIYA, GOLYZDRA, PRE-MEDICAL_HELP, URAKIN, БОЛЮК
Higher education and the gastronomy industry have joined forces to create a new training center.
Academy of Labor, Social Relations and Tourism has announced the opening of a new Department of Gastronomy, Sommelier and Wine Culture, which is an important step in the development of gastronomy in Ukraine and will provide new opportunities for professional development for students and guests of the educational institution.
The grand opening of the department was attended by prominent figures from various fields, which symbolizes the broad support for the initiative. One of the invited guests was Ricardo Fernández Núñez, owner of Vinos de la Luz, an international wine group with wineries in Argentina, Spain, and Italy, as well as offices in Ukraine and Poland and production in the United States. He also holds a Doctorate, which recognizes his active role in the development of the wine industry. During his speech, Nunez expressed his deep support for Ukraine and his willingness to fight for its freedom and identity. He noted that he supports Ukraine not only with words, but also with his activities, trying to contribute to the country by means available to him.
Mykola Malomuzh, former Head of the Foreign Intelligence Service of Ukraine, also took part in the opening of the chair. His presence at the event demonstrates the government’s support and interest in the development of the gastronomy industry.
Hryhorii Osovyi, Chairman of the Federation of Trade Unions of Ukraine since 2014, emphasized the importance of vocational training in the gastronomy sector and its impact on the country’s social development.
In his turn, Viktor Sukhomlyn, Acting Rector of the Academy, PhD in Public Administration, Honored Worker of the Social Sphere of Ukraine, emphasized the importance of developing the new department and its contribution to the training of gastronomy and sommelier specialists. He noted that this initiative will contribute to improving the quality of education in Ukraine and developing wine culture among our citizens.
The Chairman of the Supervisory Board of the Academy, Yevhen Mykhailovych Drapyatyi, expressed his support for the new project, the implementation of which is an important step towards the development of the gastronomy industry for the further successful development of the country.
“The opening of the new department marks the beginning of a new stage of gastronomic education in Ukraine,” said Volodymyr Pechko, Chairman of the UKRSADVINPROM Public Union.
He also expressed his support for this innovative step and thanked the initiative’s participants for their work in restoring the international organization and bringing it back to Ukraine.
Natalia Blagopoluchna, President of the All-Ukrainian Association of Winemakers and Sommeliers, head of the first Ukrainian sommelier school “Master Class”, also spoke about the history of the first sommelier school in Ukraine, which was born more than twenty-three years ago. Since then, the school has been providing students and guests of the Academy of Labor with ample opportunities for training and development in the areas of tourism and social relations. Not only does it allow students to gain solid knowledge, but it also facilitates the acquisition of practical experience in the gastronomic field, which stimulates the further development of gastronomic culture in Ukraine.
Maksym Urakin, founder of the Club of Experts think tank, publisher, and marketing director of Interfax Ukraine, in turn, emphasized the importance of developing education in Ukraine and stressed that this initiative is a step towards training a new generation of professionals who will restore and develop the country in the future.
Thanks to the support and activity of prominent personalities and the university staff, the new Department of Gastronomy, Sommelier, and Wine Culture promises to become a leader in the field of gastronomic education and development of wine culture in Ukraine. We stay in touch to follow the further achievements and contribution of this department to the gastronomic heritage of our country.
The Academy of Labor and Social Relations was established in 1993 with the aim of providing high-quality program-targeted training of specialists in the field of law, market relations, social partnership, labor organization, and management. In 2013/2014, the name of the Academy was renamed to the Academy of Labor, Social Relations and Tourism. Along with the use of modern advanced teaching technologies, the Academy also draws on the many years of experience and traditions of the Higher School of Trade Union Movement.
Today, the Academy is a leading higher education institution in Ukraine, a national center of modern knowledge about society and social technologies.
ACADEMY OF LABOR, DEPARTMENT OF GASTRONOMY, DEPARTMENT OF SOMMELIER, EDUCATION, GASTRONOMY, HRYHORIY_OSOVYI, NATALIA_BLAGOPOLUCHNA, RICARDO_NUNEZ, VIKTOR_SUKHOMLYN, WINE, WINE CULTURE, WINEMAKING, YEVHEN_DRAPYATY, АПСВТ
