UNICOM WORKSHOP RESILIENT UNIVERSITIES-RESILIENT COMMUNITIES"

On July 2, 2024 the Ivan Franko National University of Lviv hosted in the online format the second UNICOM Workshop "Resilient Universities -Resilient Communities", which addressed the practices of the third mission realization by Ukrainian HEIs during the wartime. The event brought together 60 representatives of universities, NGOs, and local communities to discuss sustainability in the face of current challenges.

Roman Gladyshevskii, Academician of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Doctor of Chemical Sciences, Professor, Vice-Rector for Research, Ivan Franko National University of Lviv, and Diana Spulber, PhD, Associate Professor, UNICom Project Coordinator, University of Genoa, Italy, welcomed the workshop participants, Yegor Nazymko, Doctor of Law, Professor, Police Major, First Vice-Rector of Donetsk State University of Internal Affairs, and Tetiana Konovalenko, PhD in Pedagogy, Associate Professor, Vice-Rector for Science, Innovation and International Cooperation, Melitopol B. Khmelnytsky Pedagogical University. Khmelnytskyi Pedagogical University. In his welcoming remarks, Roman Hladyshevsky emphasized that the key to societal growth and prosperity is close cooperation between universities and communities. Diana Spulber noted the leading role of universities in shaping ways to solve social problems at the global and local levels.

The workshop sessions were designed to provide practical insights into resilience as a stabilizing factor for universities and communities in times of acute social challenges. The discussions, which were both theoretical and practical, delved into the role of the non-governmental sector in enhancing the resilience of communities and universities. The sessions also highlighted the practical practices of Ukrainian HEIs in boosting their entrepreneurial and social engagement to find solutions for social needs. This emphasis on practicality ensured that the information shared was not just informative, but also applicable and useful.

The Ivan Franko National University of Lviv was represented by Iryna Snovydovych, exploring the practice of Employers' Councils as a modern model of interaction and cooperation between the university and employers, Yaryna Tanchak focusing on different aspects of reintegration of military personnel to civilian life based Lviv University experiences, Olha Stoliaryk addressing the experience of Lviv University in cooperating with communities in various areas of activity and Marianna Gladysh with a presentation devoted to resilience of communities in times of war.  The event was moderated by Oksana Krayevska, Administrative Coordinator of the UNICOM project at Ivan Franko National University of Lviv.