The transition from predominantly theoretical learning to developing independence, responsibility, critical thinking and practical competencies should become one of the priorities in the transformation of Ukrainian education. This was stated by representatives of educational institutions, businesses and students.
“According to research, 70% of teenagers aged 13–16 cannot name their desired profession, only 3% have internship experience, and 7% have met with career advisers. This is directly linked to the humanistic culture that needs to be instilled in young people. It involves the holistic development of a person through education, work, culture, science, moral responsibility and openness to the world. Our goal is to prepare not only a person who has mastered a profession, but an individual capable of consciously fulfilling their potential in that profession, creating value and contributing to the development of society,” Maria Furman, Director of the Business Education Center at the Institute of Psychology and Entrepreneurship, emphasized at a roundtable discussion at the Interfax-Ukraine news agency on Friday.
Iryna Khomenko, Head of the International Development and Partnerships Department at the Institute of Psychology and Entrepreneurship (IPP), in turn, emphasized the importance of a humanistic and ontopsychological approach to education and personal development.
“The transfer of knowledge is a fundamental, but not the only, task of education. Secondary and higher education institutions work with individuals during the period when their identities are being formed, when their perceptions of themselves, their own capabilities, and their professional and life orientations are taking shape. And responsibility for this process extends far beyond the development of professional competencies,” she added.
Tetiana Harets, Director of the Professional College of Management and Psychology, linked teenagers’ communication difficulties to the war and distance learning. The college currently operates the Start Week and Team Challenge programs, project-based learning using EduScrum and Agile approaches, the IPP COIN motivation system, while students create a mini-company in the OpenSpace business laboratory.
“A traditional report card simply shows the grades a student receives in an academic subject. It says nothing about whether the student has learned to coordinate people’s actions, make decisions, respond to feedback or take responsibility for a shared result. That is precisely why we created an individual student portfolio – a chronological account of a person’s development, rather than just a folder of certificates,” Harets explained.
Oleksandr Strukov, Head of Sales at the DMNTR media holding company, noted that companies can teach technical skills but expect candidates to have communication skills and a willingness to develop.
“If we talk about what exactly businesses want from candidates, it is now far from being only about technical aspects. It is about leadership potential, personal resource potential and soft skills. I am convinced that no business can function without communication,” the employer emphasized.
Entrepreneur Yurii Skilskyi, a partner of the BOARD community in Kolomyia, identified initiative, learning, stress resilience and responsibility as key factors in the development of modern education and called for stronger business mentorship.
“I suggest that business representatives visit young people more often and share their experience. Visits to companies can be organized so that they can see everything with their own eyes. For us as entrepreneurs, it is important to support young people and unlock their potential,” Skilskyi emphasized.
In turn, Olha Bondarenko, HR Director of a technology holding company, highlighted the desire for development, independent thinking, responsibility and the ability to create value. She added that in the defense technology industry, the security of the country may depend on an employee’s decisions.
“Responsibility is formed primarily through practical experience, through the opportunity to make a choice, through the need to make a decision, through awareness of its consequences and, of course, through mistakes. But here I want to draw a clear line: the right to make a mistake is not the right to be irresponsible. A mistake becomes experience when you are able to acknowledge it, analyze it and change your subsequent actions,” the specialist emphasized.
Tetiana Spivakovska, Candidate of Economic Sciences, Associate Professor at IPP and Deputy Director of the Sofia Academy in Dubai, reported that, thanks to the recognition of learning outcomes obtained abroad, the academy had managed to integrate more than 30 pupils into the Ukrainian education system within a year.
“For Ukrainian higher education institutions, this means a fundamental change in the competitive environment. They are now competing for young people in the global educational space. It is necessary to create unique educational offerings, ensure high-quality teaching, develop international partnerships and modern infrastructure,” Spivakovska said.
Nataliia Shumska, Head of the 3S AGENCY recruitment agency, warned against replacing independent thinking with the search for ready-made answers. According to her, the IPP publishing project translated and published five books by Antonio Meneghetti in Ukrainian over the course of a year.
“Today, students can obtain a significant portion of information independently. Artificial intelligence can explain a complex topic, prepare notes, write an essay – these are enormous opportunities. But if thoughts, arguments or conclusions are increasingly formulated for a person, do they not risk gradually losing the habit of doing this independently?” Shumska added.
IPP students Anna Sytnyk and Nataliia Kozlovska spoke about practical work and mentorship. Kozlovska, who also mentors first-year college students, emphasized the significance of ontopsychological pedagogy in working with young people.
“It seems to me that the task of education is not simply to give a person knowledge, but also to help them better understand themselves. Especially at a young age, we do not always fully understand what we want, what our strengths are and where we can realize our potential. That is why it is important for education to provide not only theoretical knowledge, but also opportunities to try ourselves in different fields, work on practical tasks, make decisions and see the results of our work,” the student noted.
IPP graduate Serhii Andriichenko, Head of Development and Innovation at 3S AGENCY, highlighted the Work and Study program, which combines education with employment, and emphasized the value of the educational community.
“The institute develops a new generation of leaders, but a leader cannot be developed through lectures alone. A leader is shaped by the environment. This includes the Work and Study program, a theoretical foundation, face-to-face meetings with entrepreneurs, elective classes, professional events, activities and the student community,” he emphasized.
In conclusion, Maria Furman announced the IPE Leader 2027 international platform, featuring a year-long program of more than 20 events for young people, educators and businesses.
“This is an international platform that brings together education, business, science, leadership and humanistic culture. We invite young people, as well as representatives of business, culture and science, to join this platform. It is a large year-long program that will include intellectual activities and lectures by scientists, speakers and teachers from the business sector,” Furman said.
According to her, a hackathon for young people aged 15 and over is scheduled for October 23–24, while the Ukrainian Leadership Forum will begin in November. Its participants will propose social projects for schools and communities, form teams and present their results in May 2027. The IPE Leader 2027 Awards, covering ten categories for young people, scientists, philanthropists and businesses, have also been announced for May.
The platform is scheduled to open on October 23. The organizers invite attendees, speakers, companies and non-governmental organizations willing to support youth initiatives.
EDUCATIONAL TRANSFORMATION, HIGHER EDUCATION, IPE LEADER 2027, Labor market, YOUTH
Andrea Abodi, Minister of Sports and Youth of the Italian Republic, paid an official visit to Lviv accompanied by Carlo Formosa, the Italian Ambassador to Ukraine, during which he signed a joint action plan for 2026–2027 in the fields of youth and sports with his Ukrainian counterpart Matviy Bedny.
“ “I am here to express, on behalf of the entire government, my respect and solidarity with the Ukrainian people, who are suffering from an unjustified aggressive war that has been bringing death and destruction for four years now; a people to whom we are providing and will continue to provide support,” Abodi stated.
According to him, the contribution to Ukraine’s recovery must begin with the youth.
“The contribution to a new Ukraine must begin with the youth—the present and future of the country, which is unwaveringly focused on recovery. Youth policy, financial transparency in sports, training of specialists and research, as well as the restoration of sports infrastructure will be the first concrete steps in implementing the action plan,” the minister emphasized.
During the visit, both ministers paid tribute to the fallen defenders of Ukraine at the Heroes’ Memorial.
In addition, the Casa Italia cultural and sports center was opened in Lviv—a space created with the assistance of the Italian Association of Culture and Sport (AiCS) to support children orphaned by the war by engaging them in physical activity and creativity.
The Italian and Ukrainian delegations also met with players from the “Pokrova AMP” amputee soccer club, emphasizing the importance of veteran sports as a tool for physical and psychosocial rehabilitation.
“Minister Abodi’s visit clearly confirms that Italy stands with Ukraine: this is a partnership that strengthens new generations and brings Ukraine closer to European standards, where sport is the foundation of a strong and healthy nation,” Ambassador Formosa concluded.
Youth and Sports Minister of Ukraine Vadym Gutzeit hopes that Ukraine will be among the top three at the Paralympic Games in Tokyo. “I believe that there will be many medals, and the athletes will perform at a high level. The only thing that can interfere is the situation with COVID-19,” Gutzeit said in an exclusive interview with Interfax-Ukraine.
When asked whether the Ukrainian team will be in the top three, the minister said that he hoped for it.
Regarding the significant differences in the results of Ukraine at the Olympic and Paralympic Games, Gutzeit said that it is impossible to compare Olympic and Paralympic sports.
“There are completely different approaches here. If the Olympic movement is developing all over the world and for all countries the Olympics is the most important event in sports, then the Paralympic movement is really developing only in ten countries of the world. And Ukraine is in this top ten,” he added.
The minister believes that Ukraine’s success at the Paralympics is associated with good funding and the construction of appropriate sports facilities.
“All conditions are being created so that the Paralympians feel that they are normal people, that they go in for sports and fight for their awards,” he said.
Also, the minister called the presence of a large number of veterans who go in for sports as a factor in the success of the Ukrainian Paralympic team.
“For example, we have recently hosted the Warrior Games. This is the largest competition among military personnel and veterans who were injured, wounded and are ill as a result of their official duties in the combat zone. According to the results of the competition, the National Team of Ukraine was formed from 40 participants, which will represent our country for the first time at the international competitions Warrior Games in Orlando (U.S.) in September 2021, in which more than 500 combatants from eight countries of the world (U.S., UK, Canada, Australia, the Netherlands, Georgia, Denmark, Ukraine) will take part,” Gutzeit said.
As reported, the Paralympic Games will be held in Tokyo from August 24 to September 6. The Paralympics will be attended by 143 Ukrainian athletes who will compete in 15 sports. In Tokyo, 540 sets of awards will be awarded among representatives of 168 countries.
In the modern world of rapid technological development, you need to do a lot to be successful and stay in the top. It is especially important to know how to stay healthy and enjoy a fulfilling life, be productive and push yourself beyond limits.
Answers to the most topical questions about upgrading the body and mind will be given at the first Biohacking Conference Kyiv, dedicated to innovative ways of improving health and prolonging youth. Organized by Smile-Expo, the event will take place on November 11, 2020.
Leading experts from various industries will speak at the event: doctors, scientists, gerontologists, biohackers and many others. Among them:
– Oleksandr Kolyada – geneticist, research associate at the lab of epigenetics at the Institute of Gerontology, founder of DIAGEN lab.
– Lyudmyla Goncharova – dietarian, immunologist, two-time winner of The Battle of Nutritionists TV show on STB, founder of Goncharova Clinic.
– Oleksandr Skorokhod – Candidate of Biological Sciences, research worker at the Department of signaling cell systems at the Institute of Molecular Biology and Genetics at the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine.
– Hlib Khodorovskyi – meditation expert, experienced mindfulness trainer.
Experts will delve into the main biohacking tools and explain the interrelation of dieting and longevity. Separately, speakers will discuss how genetic researches help to detect health risks, determine parameters of food digestion, and draw up a disease prevention program. In addition, the reports will focus on a safe approach to sports training, the benefits of mindfulness meditations and health management intended to improve productivity in all areas of life.
About safety measures at the conference
To protect guests, speakers, participants, and sponsors of the event against catching coronavirus, Biohacking Conference Kyiv will adhere to all the requirements of the Ukrainian government and the Ministry of Healthcare aimed to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
The following preventive measures will be taken at event, among others:
– Admission to the event is allowed only in a protective face mask or respirator.
– Temperature screening at the entrance.
– Availability of antiseptics in the premises, where the event will take place.
– The number of conference attendees is restricted according to the requirements of the Ministry of Healthcare.
– The distance between chairs for guests will be at least 1.5 meters.
Organizer and venue
The event is organized by the international Smile-Expo company, which specializes in industry events dedicated to innovations.
Biohacking Conference Kyiv will be held at Oasis conference hall on November 11.
More info and registration: kyiv.biohacking.events
Interfax-Ukraine – General News Partner of the event.
The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine on Tuesday amended the regulations of the State Fund of Ukraine for the Promotion of Youth Housing Construction, in particular, boosting its charter capital by UAH 30 million, to UAH 331.3 million, and authorizing the Regional Development, Construction, Housing and Utilities Economy Ministry to manage the fund.
According to a draft resolution, the increase of the fund’s charter capital by UAH 30 million would allow 40 families to buy apartments.
The change of the fund’s regulations, in particular, authorizing the regional development ministry to manage it, is required to bring the regulations in line with the government’s decision made in 2011, according to an explanatory note to the document.
As reported, the Cabinet of Ministers had previously made changes to the procedure for providing government support and providing affordable housing, in particular, allowed applicants to independently choose housing within the established prices and area (depending on the number of family members).
