UzhNU held a discussion on the implementation of sustainability policy
On Tuesday, March 5, an interdisciplinary roundtable discussion "Implementation of Resilience and Sustainability Policy at Uzhhorod National University" was held at the initiative of the Center for Sustainable Development. The event was organized within the framework of the "Week of Action and Awareness on the UN Sustainable Development Goals", which was announced by the Global Coalition of Universities in partnership with the State University of New York. The roundtable was attended by UzhNU faculty and students.
Myroslava Lendiel, Vice-Rector for Academic Affairs of UzhNU, spoke about the importance of conceptual understanding of the policy of resilience and sustainability: "We decided to hold this event at the beginning of spring, because last year at this time the Academic Council adopted the Regulation "On the Policy of Sustainability and Sustainable Development of Uzhhorod National University". Thus, we became the first university in Ukraine to recognize the importance of sustainability and sustainable development. Why is this decision important to us? First of all, we had a lot of experience at this point. The Center for Sustainable Development of UzhNU has been actively developing for about ten years. It was UzhNU that was the first university in the West of the country to launch debates among students. Our teams have won several prizes at the national level. We systematically organize events related to the Sustainable Development Goals, because these are really the issues that unite humanity into one community. The war in Ukraine is the most important and sensitive topic for us, but it is also accompanied by a number of environmental problems and ecocide."
Hanna Melehanych, Head of the Center for Sustainable Development of UzhNU, Associate Professor of the Faculty of History and International Relations, shared general trends in achieving global goals in Ukraine in the context of war and the activities of the Center for Sustainable Development. In 2015-2023, more than 100 events were held - lectures, trainings, debate tournaments, quests for schoolchildren, students, researchers and civil servants. Training courses/modules for students majoring in International Relations, Ecology, Secondary Education. Geography". More than 25 conferences, forums, roundtables, and seminars were organized and attended. In addition, the Center for Sustainable Development is involved in the publication of textbooks, monographs and thesis defense that could contribute to the development of communities, the development and implementation of grants on community development issues, joint community assessment, and preparation of recommendations for appropriate changes.
Svitlana Delehan, head of the Center for Interdisciplinary Scientific Research at UzhNU, spoke about the environmental component in the restoration and reconstruction of Ukraine: "My main field of activity is focused on environmental issues at the local, regional and international level. I would like to share the experience of projects that relate to the environmental component and the recovery of Ukraine after the war. Of course, today you can often hear opinions that you should not think ahead and focus on the present. However, environmental problems cannot always be solved in a practical way. They are often regulated by Ukrainian legislation and international cooperation. This is because we are moving towards unity with the EU."
Antonina Bulyna, Deputy Head of the International Cooperation Department at UzhNU, spoke about the relationship between fiction and the Sustainable Development Goals. "Fiction often touches on the most pressing issues, so literature is able to and does tell a variety of stories that reflect the problems we face today. However, literature is not only what it tells, but also how it tells it. The way we communicate with the rest of the world certainly influences what we do. Fiction can contribute to the achievement of the SDGs, namely by exploring the workings of our minds," said the senior lecturer at the Department of English Philology in her report.
The event was also attended by Larysa Chubelka, a fine arts teacher at Uzhhorod Lyceum No. 8, winner of the first round of the Teacher of the Year 2024 national competition in the Fine Arts nomination. She emphasized the importance of such events for the younger generation and said that she would be happy to join such events again, as it provides an opportunity to share useful experience with students.
Hanna Feltsan,
Information and publishing center
