2015 Report of the “Ukrainian-American Association of Higher Education Professionals,” a nonprofit organization.
The "Ukrainian-American Association of Higher Education Professionals," a non-governmental and non-profit organization, was registered in Ukraine in March 2015.
The association’s primary goal is to bring together staff and administrators of higher education institutions, scholars, public figures, and others to work toward personal growth and the promotion of innovative methods for reorganizing the higher education system in Ukraine.
In 2015, the association welcomed 41 new members, representing the faculty of higher education institutions from most regions of Ukraine.
Today, activists from this civil society organization are involved in the development and implementation of various educational projects and programs aimed at creating a new cultural and educational space in Ukraine and supporting international cooperation projects and programs in the field of higher education.
Throughout 2015, the association, in collaboration with the American organization www.icea.us, conducted three cultural and educational programs for lawyers, heads of municipal departments, law enforcement and tax officials, notaries, financiers, economists, and business leaders from Ukraine in Miami, Atlanta, and Chicago (United States).
The main objective of the programs was to familiarize participants with the American system of municipal governance, the legal system, economic development, and the financial system, the organization of services for businesses and citizens, the system for training young professionals, and establishing professional contacts with colleagues, as well as exploring the cities’ cultural and historical landmarks.
During the reporting year, 30 professionals from various regions of Ukraine participated in the programs.
During the reporting period, members of the Ukrainian-American Association of Higher Education Professionals actively fostered an environment for professional exchange between Ukrainian professionals in various disciplines and their colleagues abroad, by promoting the exchange of information through international conferences, exchanges, internships, and training programs, thereby contributing to the advancement of scientific and cultural research and innovation. This led to the launch of the international educational training program “Summer School of Academic Leadership in Higher Education,” aimed at enhancing the professional competence of faculty members. The first stage of the program was a scientific and practical seminar titled “Innovative and Communication Technologies in Higher Education,” held from June 8 to 12, 2015, in Bukovel (Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast). Thirty faculty members from various educational institutions across Ukraine participated in the seminar. A team of trainers—comprising leading progressive specialists in the field of cutting-edge educational technologies, as well as graduates of international educational programs and projects—conducted a series of master classes, training sessions, and roundtable discussions. Participants had a unique opportunity to exchange ideas and learn from experts from Ukraine, the United States, Poland, and Slovakia. This event was made possible thanks to the sponsorship and volunteer efforts of association members: A. Krysovaty, O. Saitz, O. Desyatnyuk, R. Kulik, L. Ambrik, and O. Zaklekta.
Last year, the association’s board laid the groundwork for advancing the importance of English-language education in the context of Ukraine’s current socioeconomic and cultural development and facilitated the signing of a Memorandum of Partnership between Ternopil National Economic University (TNEU) and SOLEX College in Chicago (U.S.) and the International Cultural and Educational Association (ICEA) (U.S.), aimed at implementing international programs for Ukrainian students, young professionals, and faculty members. As part of the project, there are plans to establish centers in Chicago and New York (U.S.) to integrate the Ukrainian educational system into the American one, with the goal of exploring opportunities to organize short-term English language immersion programs. To support Ukrainian higher education faculty and establish contacts with professional American organizations of English language teachers, an internship program for Ukrainian teachers was conducted in the U.S.
To publicize the activities of the nonprofit organization using funds provided by a sponsor (O. Saitz, co-founder of the association), the website www.uaace.org and the Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/uaace/ have been created and are maintained by the association’s coordinator, E. Shulik.
During 2015, the association received 16,900 UAH.
900 UAH was spent.
The report was approved at a meeting of the association's executive committee on March 25, 2016
Submitted for publication on March 31, 2016
