On 9 December 2024, SumDU hospitably hosted Yaroslav KICHUK, rector of its partner institution – Izmail State University for Humanities. A few weeks ago, the parties signed an agreement to deepen scientific and educational ties.

“You are the leaders of university education in Ukraine. We look up to you. The cohesion of the university community is the key to success of Sumy State University,” – emphasized Yaroslav KICHUK at a meeting with SumDU representatives.

He noted that cooperation with Sumy State University, joint educational, scientific, international and intercultural projects will help to increase attractiveness and competitiveness of the Institute for Study of Foreign Languages for applicants from European countries close to the southern border with Ukraine: Moldova, Romania, Bulgaria.

Yaroslav KICHUK voiced an initiative discussed with his Sumy counterpart during Vasyl Karpusha’s visit to Izmail to create an association of border universities on the basis of SumDU. The goal is to unite the universities that are city-forming in their regions and are also strong centers of social activity.

Vasyl KARPUSHA also noted the unifying mission of partnership.

“We are currently discussing a pilot project at the level of the Ukrainian Ministry of Education and Science. It involves unification of the academic community from different regions of the country. The partnership between Sumy and Izmail, which respectively represent the northeastern and southwestern parts of Ukraine, is the beginning of the unifying initiative,” – said Vasyl KARPUSHA.

He outlined some areas of future cooperation between the universities. It includes both academic contacts and programs related to the Danube Region strategy.

Anatolii VASYLIEV (Academic Council chairman), Alla KRASULIA (head of the International Cooperation Department), Maria Minchenko (head of the Humanitarian Policy Coordination Center), Stanislav MELEYCHUK (director of the Center for Correspondence, Distance and Evening Education), faculty chiefs (Yurii VOLK, Olena SUSHKOVA, Anatolii KULISH) expressed their thoughts and suggestions on specific areas and practical cases of cooperation. They discussed internal academic mobility programs, joint grant projects in humanitarian and social fields, joint student initiatives, voucher and interdisciplinary programs, etc.

The participants expressed hope that unification of university communities and their constructive communication would contribute to effective implementation of scientific, educational, and social projects. It is important for the Ukrainian academic education.