International training of PUET teachers after the project Erasmus +
Higher Education Institution of Ucoopspilka “Poltava University of Economics and Trade” is an active participant in the project Erasmus + AESOP «Protection of students interests by introducing an ombudsman position” in the consortium with Ukraine, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Italy, Poland, Portugal, Austria, Finland and the UK. The main objective of the project is to develop and implement an ombudsman position in universities of Ukraine, Georgia and Azerbaijan.
An important stage of the project is its studying by the working group of PUET (Rector, d. h. s., prof. Nestulya O.O .; vice rector of research and educational work (international relations, international activities, European and Euro-Atlantic integration), d. e. s., prof. Chernyavska O.V.; associate professor of Economics of Enterprises and Economic Cybernetics Department, c. e. s.. Verhal K.Yu.; associate professor of Marketing Department, c. e. s. Ivannikova M.M.; assistant professor of Expertise and Customs Depatment, c. t. s. Tkachenko A.S.; assistant professor of Commodity of Food Products Department c.t.s. Pakhomova I.V.; Director of the International Research and Education Center Perehuda Yu.V.) the experience of ombudsman activities in universities-partners:
- 5-7 April 2017 – Warsaw University (Warsaw, Poland);
- 2-4 May 2017 – University of L’Aquila (L’Aquila, Italy);
- 23-25 May 2017 – University of Minho (Braga, Portugal).
According to the working plan of AESOP each university conducted three-day training with the involvement of university specialists and whose work involves the protection of students and employees rights.
Taking into consideration that each European institution of higher education has its own well-established model of ombudsman activities organization, the main tasks of PUET working group: to analyze the advantages and disadvantages of these models, and create methodological recommendations for the implementation of ombudsman position in our University.
Warsaw University as a leading university in Poland, with 19 departments training over 55 thousand of students, in addition to ombudsman’s office has a separate Student office, Center of solving conflicts and Commission on Human discrimination. Closely cooperating together, these services play an important role in solving conflicts and among students, teachers and staff.
With a relatively small number of students (about 10 thousand), University of L’Aquila pays great attention to the protection of student rights. In case of certain difficulties and conflicts, the university has a student ombudsman, advisory service and support for students, Disciplinary Committee, Joint Committee of students and professors, ADSU organization, which provides students with settlement, catering and leisure services; Office of Public Relations; Department of vocational guidance, Alumni Association.
University of Minho is one of the largest universities in Portugal. It has 19 thousand students. Their rights and interests are protected by an ombudsman since 2010. The educational process is supported by Educational Council: a president, 12 teachers and 12 students. The participants of the training were given the opportunity to listen to the presentations by ombudsmen from University of Beira Interior (Covilha) and Polytechnic Institute of Viseu (Viseu).
In addition to exploring the ombudsman’s job experience, the important achievements of these meetings in universities of Italy, Poland and Portugal were the signing of cooperation agreements, establishing partnerships with universities in students training according to double degree program, and discussing the areas for further cooperation within Erasmus +.
