On June 18, a national event “Skills for Ukraineʼs Future: Learning Cities Leading the Recovery” took place in Kyiv. It was organized by the UNESCO Office in Ukraine, the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine, DVV International in Ukraine, and the UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning.
The event brought together representatives of municipalities, educators, the public, and international partners to discuss issues related to the role of education as a driver of reconstruction, integration into the European space, and supporting the resilience of Ukrainian communities in the post-war period.
The event program included expert discussions, round tables, speeches by representatives of international and national specialized organizations, government officials, and speeches by representatives of the UNESCO Learning Cities Network. In particular, the key session of the event was dedicated to the presentation of adult education development strategies in Lviv, Poltava, Sumy, and Ternopil, which have joined the UNESCO Global Network of Learning Cities. Over the past few months, adult education stakeholders in these cities have been working on developing strategies that are based on the principles of sustainable development, inclusiveness, equal opportunities, and innovation. The strategic goals of each city respond to the challenges that their residents are currently facing. Thus, the priority areas for Lviv are the development of an inclusive educational environment; socio-economic integration, which includes measures to reduce unemployment, professional development, and promote entrepreneurship; caring for psychological well-being and strengthening the resilience of communities to modern challenges, including those related to the security issues. Poltava’s key goals are to develop education for sustainable development, high-quality barrier-free education, economic integration, empowerment through education, unlocking cultural potential, and shaping the city’s brand as an innovative educational hub. The main goals for Sumy are to establish a network of safe, inclusive, and multifunctional continuing education hubs; strengthen institutional and human capacity to provide flexible, relevant, and community-oriented learning opportunities; and support the creative economy and small-scale industry. Ternopil’s strategic goals included the following: to provide access to quality continuing education; to improve the digital skills of community residents for learning, development, and well-being; to support community residents in employment, self-employment, and career growth; to promote the city’s Ukrainian cultural heritage; to support mental health and develop psychosocial resilience of residents, as well as to provide comprehensive support to people with disabilities and promote their reintegration into society. All stated goals were supported by city representatives with detailed plans for their implementation with a description of the stakeholders, partners, and donors involved.
During the event, the participants were welcomed by Mariana Betsa, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, Iryna Shumik, Director General of the Directorate of Vocational Education of the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine, Carlo Formosa, Ambassador of Italy to Ukraine, Min Jeong Kim, Director of UNESCO, and Levan Kvatchadze, Regional Director of DVV International in Ukraine and Moldova. The participants of the panel discussions and round tables were Vladyslav Yatsuk, Head of the Youth Policy Department of the Ministry of Youth and Sports, Oleksandr Sanchenko, People's Deputy of Ukraine, Head of the Council on Youth Issues under the President of Ukraine, Olena Bilanina, Head of the National Youth Council of Ukraine, Dmytro Solovyov, author, photographer, art critic, researcher of Ukrainian modernism, Maksym Bondarenko, Head of the Sumy Regional Youth Council, Serhii Koleboshyn, Deputy Head of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Education, Science and Innovation, Hannah Kitchen, Head of the Transition to Upper Secondary Education, OECD (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development), Marieke Vandeweyer, Head of the Vocational Education and Training Department, OECD (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development), Maksym Varenyk, Head of the Veterans Policy Department of the Poltava City Council, Karita Laisi, Head of the Cooperation Department of the Embassy of Finland, Shiro Nakata, Technical Manager, Skills, World Bank, Ukraine. The discussions were moderated by Levan Kvatchadze, Regional Director of DVV International in Ukraine and Moldova, Oleg Smirnov, Director of DVV International Office in Ukraine, Olha Budnyk, Advisor to the President of Ukraine, Presidential Fund for Support of Education, Science and Sports, and Chiara Dezzi Bardeschi, Head of the UNESCO Office in Ukraine. The main panel discussion was dedicated to the topic “Learning for Recovery: The Role of Adult and Youth Education in the Rebuilding Ukraine”. Within the framework of interactive round tables, participants could choose one of two thematic discussions, namely “Youth as Catalysts for Learning and Recovery” and “Skills for the Future: What Adults and Youth Need to Learn for Ukraine’s Recovery”. The discussions also focused on issues of effective partnerships at the community level, exchange of experience with other countries in creating Learning Cities, and ideas that adult education stakeholders in Ukrainian cities are already implementing present-day. At the end of the event, the participants presented a joint document that they created as a result of the discussions.