From April 10 to June 10, 2026, an international professional development (internship) program titled “Critical Thinking in the Academic Environment: From Theory to Practice” was held on the basis of the Institute of Creative Thinking “OZ CREDO” (USA), with the support of the South Ukrainian Center for Professional Development of Managers and Specialists in the Socionomic Sphere of Ushynsky University. The program brought together educators and academic staff from 41 higher education institutions across 22 regions of Ukraine, including Khmelnytskyi region, represented by Associate Professors of Khmelnytskyi National University, Nelya Medvedchuk and Olha Romanishyna.
The international internship program was opened by the Vice-Rector for Research, Doctor of Political Sciences, Professor Hanna Muzychenko, who introduced the main speaker of the professional development program, Olha Zbarska, and emphasised the importance of developing critical thinking in the realities of modern higher education, as well as the prospects for future cooperation with the Institute of Creative Thinking “OZ CREDO”.
Olha Zbarska is a PhD in Psychology and Administration of the Socionomic Sphere, an expert in human creative potential, a member of the ACSW Academy, a member of The Textbook & Academic Authors Association, founder and president of the company “OZCREDO”, author of books and textbooks, member of the American Academy of Clinical and Social Work, accreditation expert for educational courses, member of a methodological expert commission, lecturer of professional development courses for UN staff on creative thinking, and developer of 50 licensed professional development courses.
During the training program, guest lecturers were invited, including:
- Dr. Uchenna A. Ekwo – Doctor of Public Policy and Administration, Master of Mass Communication, research faculty member at the Department of Mass Communications, Medgar Evers College, City University of New York; lecturer at the School of Public Affairs and Administration, Rutgers University, Newark, New Jersey; member of the Journalism and Mass Communication Education Association and the American Society for Public Administration; host of Medialine, a popular media monitoring TV program;
- John Capaldi, Esq. – attorney with a doctoral degree in law and 30 years of experience: professor at Temple University; journalist and law firm owner; inspector at the U.S. Department of the Treasury; assistant city solicitor of Philadelphia; instructor at the Boys & Girls Clubs of America;
- Nellie Kramer – medical professor at OZCREDO; Master of Arts in Health Law and Policy from Hofstra University School of Law, New York; Master of Science in Healthcare Management from Bellevue University; honorary member of the American Association of Nurse Life Care Planners (AANLCP);
- Joseph DeRitis – legal expert with extensive academic and practical experience, holding a PhD in Statistics and Psychometrics from the University of Pennsylvania, a Juris Doctor degree from Dickinson School of Law, and an LLM from Temple University.
Translation of teaching and methodological materials was provided by Olha Papach. Simultaneous interpretation during the sessions was carried out by Ilona Derik.
Throughout the international professional development period, the participants, Nelya Medvedchuk and Olha Romanishyna, completed weekly tests, worked through the lecture materials provided by the instructors, and upon completion wrote abstracts on the topic: “Implementation of Critical Thinking in the Educational Process of Bachelor Students as a Factor in Improving the Quality of Education.”
The event took place in a dynamic and productive atmosphere, contributed to the development of participants’ practical skills, and highlighted the importance of creative thinking as a key competence of a modern professional.
