Ivan Franko National University of Lviv at the ACEEU Triple Award Competition

NEWSUNICOM ACTIVITIES

9/23/20242 min read

The Triple E Awards (https://triple-e-awards.com/) is a global competition organized by the Accreditation Council for Entrepreneurial and Engaged Universities (https://www.aceeu.org/) to recognize and celebrate efforts to advance entrepreneurship and engagement in higher education. This award aims to strengthen the role of HEIs in local communities and ecosystems and their contribution to solving human problems. The competitions are held in America, Europe, Africa, and Asia-Pacific. In 2024, a nomination, “Initiative to involve Ukrainian society,” was established, focusing on the experience of social involvement and entrepreneurship of Ukrainian higher education institutions in times of war. Among the winners of this nomination are the Donetsk State University of Internal Affairs, the Sumy National Agrarian University, the Melitopol State Pedagogical University named after Bohdan Khmelnytskyi, the Vinnytsia National Medical University named after Mykola Pyrohov and the Ivan Franko National University of Lviv.

The Ivan Franko National University of Lviv participated in the competition with a project titled “Supporting sustainability of communities through involvement of the Universities in the time of war”. The activities within this initiative were coordinated and implemented by the University Center for Social Development and Community Initiatives. After the war outbreak on February 22, 2024, the University became a humanitarian hub like the city of Lviv itself. With the establishment, on April 1, 2022, of a new structural unit – the Center for Social Development and Community Initiatives this part of the University's engagement became a structured basis for work. The Center grounds its activities on a model of comprehensive assistance for war victims based on the “single window” principle. It offers an extensive support scheme for veterans and military personnel returning to civil life (professional development, employment assistance, opening their own business, psychological and legal support, support of family members, assistance in community integration). Besides this, the Centre assists other types of populations affected by war, such as internally displaced persons, local community members etc. It assists the University staff in dealing with these categories.

This year, the Universidade Nova de Lisboa hosted the awarding ceremony for winners from Europe and Africa, which was held in Lisbon (Portugal) from September 18 to 20, 2024.