International project EUVOLIA is one of the brightest samples of EU contribution to the development of Ukrainian universities as fuctional academic and research centers, the project’s co-coordinator Olena Tupakhina stated in her interview to regional weekly digest “MIG”.
The project’s relevance is determined by the complex process of integrating Ukrainian society into European axiological framework, which is one of strategic aims of national educational reform. As is evident from topical surveys (Gorshenin Institute, “Ukrainian Society and European Values” project, 2017; Third Pan-Ukrainian Municipal Survey commissioned by International Republic Institute, 2017; European Social Survey, 2004 – 2012; World Values Survey, 2015 etc.), Ukrainian society’s devotion to the set of values formed under authoritarian regime remains one of the core challenges of the transition phase. Among the reasons behind the existing situation one can name lack of distinct vector of European identity construction in HEI curricula, especially with regard to Exact and Natural Sciences, where the cluster of Humanities is largely neglected even in case of students obtaining professional qualification of a school teacher of natural and exact disciplines. Therefore, the objectives set before HEIs as key agents of gradual adjustment of new generations of Ukrainians to the paradigm of European values, comprise: а) balanced curricula development and modernization in the field of teachers’ training; b) retraining academic staff and secondary school teachers with regard to new axiological paradigm, encouraging them to implement the concept of European values into “traditional” curricula through strengthening interdisciplinary ties; c) initiating a productive discussion between academic and civil community around the topic of axiological transformations in Ukrainian society.
Full version of the interview available here (UA): http://mig.com.ua/hot/item/42163-kak-rabotayut-v-znu-dengi-evrosoyuza