Four laboratories for pupils will be launched at UzhNU as part of a new cross-border project
On Tuesday, 1 July, Uzhhorod National University hosted a presentation of the project ‘STEMLab Synergy: shaping the skills of the future in Ukrainian and Romanian schools.’ This is a new cross-border project implemented within the Interreg NEXT Romania-Ukraine 2021-2027 Programme. Its aim is to modernise STEM education in secondary schools in Zakarpattia and Satu Mare by creating seven modern laboratories, training 17 trainers for teachers, training 30 STEM teachers, conducting an information campaign, career guidance events, competitions and a summer camp for students.
In Ukraine, the project involves the creation of a STEM hub at UzhNU with four laboratories for 22 schools in Uzhhorod. This will ensure equal access to quality practical education for schoolchildren and facilitate the coordination of classes. Uzhhorod National University was chosen as a STEM hub thanks to its strong infrastructure, scientific potential and interest in promoting technical specialities among young people and attracting potential applicants to the relevant faculties. This approach also ensures equal access to resources for all schools in the city and creates the conditions for the sustainable development of STEM education.
The event was moderated by Yevhen Luksha, Chairman of the Board of the YADRO Project Managers Association: "We will implement this project together with Uzhhorod National University and the Association for Intermunicipal Development of Satu Mare County, Romania. We are delighted to welcome our foreign colleagues here today. The laboratories at UzhNU will operate on the basis of four faculties – biology, physics, chemistry and mathematics. I am pleased to note the high level of activity and interest shown by the deans of the faculties even at the discussion stage.‘
’I would like to thank our partners for such a wonderful start to the project, as we officially began work on it on 15 May. Uzhhorod National University is a reliable partner in many international collaborations. Today, we are already implementing six projects within the Interreg NEXT Romania-Ukraine 2021-2027 Programme," said Vice-Rector Myroslava Lendiel.
Ksenia Okhotnyk, head of the STEMLab Synergy project, told the audience about the components of the project, its target audience and the problems it will address: "The project is aimed at secondary school pupils aged 12-17 (Ukraine and Romania), teachers and trainers of STEM disciplines, and secondary education institutions. The project components include professional development for teachers, training of 17 trainers for teachers (12 in Ukraine and 5 in Romania), the development and implementation of a professional development programme for STEM teachers (30 hours), study trips, experience exchange and training in both countries, and the publication of a handbook for teachers on modern approaches and tools."
The project is expected to result in:
✓ more than 8,000 pupils aged 12–17 will be able to join STEM initiatives created as a result of the project;
✓ at least 100 teachers will be able to undergo professional development during the project and based on the materials developed during the project in the future;
✓ pupils' interest in choosing professions in science, technology, engineering and mathematics will increase;
✓ Cross-border cooperation between educational institutions, communities and education departments in the border regions of Ukraine and Romania will be strengthened.
Vice-Rector Ihor Korol, manager of the STEMLab Synergy project, emphasised: “It is a very logical and correct decision that Uzhhorod National University has become a partner in the project. After all, our university is a leading and central institution of higher education in the region and trains STEM education specialists and teachers for general education institutions. I am impressed by the approach of the project, which includes material components, training of trainers who will work with teachers and pupils, and, of course, promotion. After all, it is very important to engage in dialogue with pupils about the fact that a good knowledge of natural sciences is now the key to a successful future."
Also invited to speak were Nikoleta Lasan, project manager of STEMLab Synergy, Satu Mare Intermunicipal Development Association, Mariana Marusynets, head of the Department of Education, Youth, Culture and Sports of the Transcarpathian Regional State Administration (RSA), and Yaroslava Hasynets, dean of the Faculty of Biology at UzhNU.
The total budget of the project is €444,405.86, of which €399,956.27 is funded by the European Union. The project budget for Ukrainian partners is €224,427.46, of which 90% will be provided by a European Union grant. The project implementation period is 18 months (from 15 May 2025 to 14 November 2026).
Hanna Feltsan,
Information and Publishing Center
