Ukrainian visitors embrace PASCAL Learning Cities Project as a way of strengthening social cohesion

A group of professionals and students from Donetsk University have paid a weeklong visit to Glasgow to learn about how to improve their leadership structures and to find out more about the Learning City concept and how PASCAL Learning Cities can provide support. The visitors, who come from Donetsk State University which has been displaced from Donetsk City to the City of Mariupol as a result of political conflict in Eastern Ukraine.

The party included Rector Prof Svitlana Marova and Vice Rector Valentyna Tokareva. Staff from the Department of Management, Department of Tourism and Logistics and Department of Foreign Languages attended the programme as well as a student representative. The programme at Glasgow University was organised and delivered by Dr Rob Mark, PASCAL Learning Cities Coordinator and Professor Margery McMahon with support from Professor Mike Osborne, PASCAL Observatory Director.

The aim of the programme was to enhance university development through building capacity at their Leadership Centre and through their Third Age University Programmes. Ukraine, like many Eastern European countries has a high proportion of older people in the population (currently around 20% of population). The programme included sessions on promoting professional development of staff, research excellence, community development and a focus on Learning Cities, peace building and Senior Learning. Several staff at Glasgow University met with the party and contributed to the programme.

The team identified scope for further sharing and working together through the PASCAL Learning Cities project and hope to encourage local authorities to take up the idea. Other areas for ongoing discussion include supporting community development, sharing ideas and practice for conflict resolution, promoting global challenges and improving quality of provision.

The visit and programme was funded by the British Council Leadership Development Programme.

Rob Mark

PASCAL Learning Cities Coordinator 

Pictures:

1. Group Picture- Staff and Students from the University of Donetsk at Mariupol, Ukraine
2. Professor Margery McMahon, University of Glasgow, Vice Rector Valentyna Tokareva and Rector Prof. Svitlanal Marova,Ukraine
3. Group Picture – including Professor Mike Osborne.
4. Levgenila Dragomirova, Associate Professor, Department of Tourism and Logistics and Coordinator of Third Age Learning, Dr Rob Mark, PASCAL Learning Cities Coordinator and Professor  Andriy Stoyka, Head of Department of Tourism and Logistics.