In the period of implementing the ideas of the Bologna process regarding the formation of the European space of higher education, the results of expanding the mobility of students become especially relevant. Providing opportunities for those who study in national higher education institutions to gain experience in foreign professional training and thereby not only ensure the quality of professional training but also increase competitiveness in employment has returned to the relevant task of higher education.
Khmelnytskyi National University solves this problem by launching and developing a Double Diploma Program with foreign educational institutions, mainly Polish. Thus, according to the agreements reached in 2013 between the rectors of the universities, Professor Mykola Skyba and Professor Piotr Kacejko, since February 2014, Khmelnytskyi National University have been implementing the Double Diploma Program together with the Lublin University of Technology (Poland). In February 2017, a group of KhNU students began studying under this program at the Lublin University of Technology. The program provides for simultaneous study at the master's degree level. Students of our university are representatives of different faculties, as in Poland, for several years, it has been allowed to enter the master's program regardless of the direction of study for the bachelor's degree. The admission requirements include completion of a bachelor's degree at our university, passing a test in Poland and a basic knowledge of the Polish language.
Khmelnytskyi National University has done a lot to launch and implement the Double Diploma program with the Academy of Hotel Business, Tourism and Catering in Poznan (Poland). The first steps in this direction were taken back in 2014 during a visit to the university by representatives of the Polish university. The visit resulted in an agreement to launch and implement a joint Double Diploma program. The parties also agreed on the texts of cooperation agreements. In addition, they discussed issues related to curricula, programs of disciplines, terms of study, language aspects of the learning process, employment prospects, etc. A separate topic discussed during the visit was the organization of internships for students of Kharkiv National University in Poland and other European countries.
In 2017, an additional agreement on cooperation under the Double Diploma program was signed with Casimir, the Great University in Bydgoszcz. Also, fruitful work on the "Double Diploma" was carried out with Jan and Jędrzej Sniadecki University of Technology and Natural Sciences in Bydgoszcz. And in 2018, an agreement was signed with the Jan and Jędrzej Sniadecki University of Technology and Natural Sciences in Bydgoszcz on cooperation under the Double Diploma program.
In February 2018, students of the Faculty of Programming and Computer and Telecommunication Systems, majoring in computer science, Oleksandr Vasyliovych Jurabaev and Boris Ihorovych Martyniuk began studying under the "Double Diploma" program at the Lublin Polytechnic. Also, 11 students who started their studies earlier are completing their studies under the program.
From September 2018 to May 2019, two students from the Department of Country Studies took a semester-long study in Poland and Hungary.
In 2020, the "Double Diploma" program's implementation continued, and six Khmelnytskyi National University students are simultaneously studying in Poland.
The “Double Diploma” programs for students of Khmelnytskyi National University is a unique opportunity to study for a master’s degree in parallel and obtain two diplomas in Ukraine and Poland. This significantly saves time for studying in the chosen specialty, increases the level of knowledge of foreign languages, acquaints with the culture and traditions and peculiarities of business, contributes to gaining experience in Polish enterprises and institutions. Double degree programs have a number of benefits for students. In particular, they include:
- Significant savings in study time. At the same time you can get two diplomas of domestic and foreign universities;
- Financial benefits for students: they do not pay for all years of study, as it would happen for independent admission to foreign institution;
- Opportunity to gain experience in a fundamentally different system of higher education, practice-oriented, competency-based learning using modern technical equipment in classrooms, laboratories, research centers, etc .;
- Obtaining quality professional education and an internationally recognized diploma, which allows employment abroad without confirmation of the diploma;
- Attending lectures by leading professors of Europe, participation in joint research and educational programs;
- Opportunity to gain additional knowledge in related fields of science, professional fields, specializations;
- Gaining experience in institutions, establishments, organizations, offices, enterprises in European country during internships;
- Improving the level of foreign language proficiency;
- Opportunity to get acquainted with the culture and traditions, peculiarities of business in one of the EU countries.
Khmelnytskyi National University cooperated under the Double Diploma program with the following Polish universities:
Lublin University of Technology
Cracow University of Technology im. Tadeusza Kościuszki
Kielce University of Technology
Academy of Hotel Management and Catering Industry
Bydgoszcz University of Science and Technology
In the future - the further deployment of the "Double Diploma" program at the Khmelnytskyi National University with higher education institutions in other countries.