The final conference of the Bologna Hub Peer Support II project was held on October 7-8, 2024, in Athens (Greece). It became a landmark event for the European higher education community. Khmelnytskyi National University was represented at this event by Kateryna Skyba, Vice-Rector for Scientific and Pedagogical Work, where she had the honour to deliver a report on «Impressions from Counselling Missions: The HEI Perspective». In her presentation, she highlighted the university's participation in this large-scale project and outlined the results that were achieved thanks to the consultation of the project's leading experts. It is important to note that only Khmelnitskyi National University, among the 31 higher education institutions that participated in the project, was given the opportunity to report on the results of participation in the project from the perspective of higher education institutions. This once again proved the importance of KHNU's participation in the project and the high appreciation of the partners.
Higher educational institutions from 12 countries (Albania, Armenia, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Georgia, Italy, Kazakhstan, Moldova, Romania, Slovenia, and Ukraine) joined the Bologna Hub Peer Support II project. The purpose of the project was to consult experts of higher education institutions on the implementation of the Bologna Process tools, responding to new challenges and trends in higher education.
Khmelnytskyi National University expressed interest in participating in the project. We always strive for improvement and want to take a worthy place in the European educational arena. Experts for Khmelnytskyi National University were Dr Sharon Flynn and Professor Robert Wagenaar, who held a number of consultations and provided valuable advice for further improvement of the university. These consultations became an impetus for the development of Khmelnytskyi National University in several key directions: internationalization of educational programs, digitalization of the educational process and work of the university and updating the content of educational programs in accordance with the modern requirements of the global labour market.
Participation in such projects as Bologna Hub Peer Support II helps the university to confront new challenges of higher education and confidently integrate into the European space of higher education. It also contributes to increasing the visibility of the university in the international arena and promoting its image as a modern and progressive institution of higher education.
In addition to the official part of the conference, Kateryna Skyba had a great opportunity to talk with project experts in person, discuss prospects for further cooperation, exchange ideas, and discuss future directions for higher education development in Europe. A pleasant surprise for the experts was the presentation of thanks by the rector of KhNU, Serhiy Matyukh, who highly appreciated their contribution to the development of our university.
As part of the conference, Kateryna Skyba also attended workshops on internationalization and educational management, where she joined discussions, got to know colleagues and exchanged experiences.
Khmelnytskyi National University's active participation in DAAD initiatives is a source of inspiration and motivation for continuous development because their events are always modern, with interesting speakers and new creative ideas for the development of higher education. We want to remind you that this is not the first DAAD project in which Khmelnytskyi National University participates, so it was not a surprise to meet "old" friends from previous projects. So, Kateryna Skyba had a great opportunity to meet Sonia Mikeska, an expert on internationalization in higher education, who was a trainer in the THEA UkraineX project for higher education managers, in which KhNU participated in 2022. It turns out that the European space of higher education is narrow, but only if you persistently position yourself in it.
The Athenian atmosphere inspired participants to come up with creative ideas and new projects. Such events are an excellent platform for establishing contacts and finding new partners, which the vice-rector from the National People's Republic of Ukraine, Kateryna Skyba, also energetically engaged in during the conference. Networking with representatives of leading European universities opened up new prospects for cooperation, which will contribute to the further development of Khmelnytskyi National University and its integration into the international academic community.
Perspectives for further development. Thanks to participation in such projects as Bologna Hub Peer Support II, Khmelnytskyi National University not only receives valuable experience and useful advice from leading European experts, but also continues to expand the horizons of international cooperation. Constant integration into the European educational space, active exchange of experience and knowledge with colleagues from other countries contribute to the further improvement of educational programs, the development of innovative approaches and increasing the visibility of the university in the international arena. The university confidently moves forward, responding to modern challenges and needs of the global educational community.