On 25 April 2023, the IV International Scientific and Practical Conference "Imperatives of Economic Growth in the Context of Implementation of the Global Sustainable Development Goals" was held at Kyiv National University of Technologies and Design.
The Conference was organized by the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine, Kyiv National University of Technologies and Design, National Erasmus+ Office in Ukraine, the Institute for Social and Economic Initiatives (ISEI), Kyiv Education, Training and Youth Centre (KETY), the University of Foggia (Italy), RISEBA University of Applied Sciences (Riga, Latvia), Mingachevir State University (Republic of Azerbaijan), the International Academy of Applied Sciences in Lomza (Poland), Akaki Tsereteli State University (Kutaisi, Georgia).
The Conference was moderated by Oleksandra Olshanska, Dean of the Faculty of Management and Business Design, Doctor of Economics, Professor, who opened the Conference and gave the floor to Ivan Gryshchenko, Rector of Kyiv National University of Technologies and Design, Academician of the National Academy of Pedagogical Sciences of Ukraine, Doctor of Economics, Professor, Laureate of the State Prize of Ukraine in Science and Technology.
Having congratulated the participants and organizers of the International Conference on the beginning of the work, Ivan Gryshchenko expressed his gratitude to the honoured guests who in a difficult time for our country found the opportunity to visit the University and greet the Conference participants. The Rector noted that the Conference is held in a hybrid format. More than 280 participants have registered to participate in the Conference – academic staff, doctoral students, postgraduate students, undergraduates from Ukraine, Azerbaijan, Italy, Latvia, Estonia, Poland, Georgia, Czech Republic.
In his further speech, the Rector reported on how the University is working in the difficult times of the full-scale war unleashed by russia against Ukraine, on the problems and challenges faced by the teaching staff and students. He emphasized that despite everything, the University is working to fulfill its main mission – training of highly qualified specialists. Students study full-time, gaining new knowledge and competencies. Rector stressed that KNUTD was the first Ukrainian university to export educational services to the People’s Republic of China, having opened the first Ukrainian-Chinese educational institution – Qilu University of Technology (Jinan, Shandong Province). The Rector emphasized the important tasks and ways of further development of the University in the context of martial law and post-war reconstruction of Ukraine.
In his speech, Ivan Gryshchenko noted that despite the war, the University managed to maintain the number of students and teaching staff, and not only to maintain its position in international and national rankings, but also to significantly improve them and intensify work in many areas of international cooperation, in particular in internationalization of education, development of project activities and international academic mobility. In particular, he noted, the Conference will present the Erasmus+ KA2 grant project in the area of Cooperation between Organizations and Institutions, initiated and won by a team of scientists from Kyiv National University of Technologies and Design in partnership with 5 domestic and foreign higher education institutions and educational and research institutions.
At the conclusion of his speech, the Rector wished the participants and guests of the conference fruitful work, interesting reports and a speedy victory for Ukraine. To present the main ideas of the grant project, the Rector handed over the floor to the team leader of Kyiv National University of Technologies and Design, Dean of the Faculty of Management and Business Design, Doctor of Economics, Professor Oleksandra Olshanska.
In her speech, Prof. Oleksandra Olshanska reported that the grant application was developed by a team of scientists from the Faculty of Management and Business Design of KNUTD and submitted for consideration on 14 February, 2022. The name of the project is ERASMUS-EDU-2021-VIRT-EXCH "INTERNATIONAL NETWORK OF VIRTUAL YOUTH BUSINESS HUBS", VEHUB4YOU. Six months later, the EU Commission approved the idea of virtual exchanges in Ukraine and Azerbaijan. The project implementation period is 3 years: 2023-2025. The total amount of funding for the grant project is 349,841 euros.
Project participants:
Kyiv National University of Technologies and Design - project initiator;
University of Foggia (Italy) - project coordinator;
Riseba University of Applied Sciences (Latvia);
Mingachevir State University (Azerbaijan);
Institute for Social and Economic Initiatives (Ukraine).
The VEHUB4YOU consortium members will make joint efforts to organise a network of international virtual business hubs and business education for high school, college and university students of both economic and non-economic specialities by creating an International Network of Virtual Youth Business Hubs, which includes 60 virtual international business hubs based in schools, universities and rural libraries in Ukraine and Azerbaijan. To determine the needs of the project’s target audiences, a survey was conducted among teachers and young people in Ukraine and Azerbaijan. Representatives of more than 50 schools, 7 colleges, and 9 universities took part in the survey. The survey revealed that more than 83% of the surveyed teachers expressed a desire to participate in the international Erasmus+ project and become a certified trainer of a virtual youth business hub, and 86% want to supplement existing programmes in educational institutions with new European practices of virtual learning in business education. The facilitator training cycle will begin this autumn and continue in February 2024. Next, work will begin on creating and organizing a network of business hubs, developing their areas of activity and topics for virtual meetings. Within the framework of the project and with the help of the created virtual hubs, it is planned to strengthen relations with European educational institutions. It is planned to organize Startup project competitions for schoolchildren and students from Ukraine and Azerbaijan, the winners of which will have the opportunity to present their projects at European universities.
Then, as a moderator of the Conference, Oleksandra Olshanska handed over the floor to the project coordinator Giulio Esposito, Head of the International Office and Erasmus+ Coordinator at the University of Foggia, Italy.
In his speech, Mr. Giulio Esposito stressed the importance of the grant project, reported on the main directions and terms of its implementation, focusing on the fact that European universities, with the help of universities and youth organisations of Ukraine and Azerbaijan, will share their business courses and teaching experience with young people from the Eastern Partnership countries. The project participants will develop a set of methodological materials for online business training. In addition, a curriculum for hub managers and facilitators, tailored to local requirements, will be published.
Rector Bayramov Shahin Vahif oglu greeted the Conference participants on behalf of the staff of Mingachevir State University.
In his speech, Professor Shahin Bayramov congratulated the participants and guests, as well as the Rector of KNUTD, Ivan Mykhailovych Hryshchenko, with whom he has long-standing friendly relations, on the start of the Conference, and stressed the importance of this event for the establishment of an international image, recognition and support of Ukrainian higher education and Kyiv National University of Technologies and Design in particular. Professor Bayramov emphasised that Mingachevir State University and KNUTD have close ties, a cooperation agreement was signed between the universities, in the context of which the universities became partners in the Erasmus+ project, which testifies to their broad cooperation, support and common vectors in the development of science, education, and innovation. The Rector wished everyone creative inspiration, interesting discussions and fruitful work.
Svitlana Shytikova, project coordinator of the National Erasmus+ Office in Ukraine, greeted the participants and guests with the start of the Conference.
In her speech, Svitlana Shytikova noted that the ERASMUS-EDU-2021-VIRT-EXCH project "INTERNATIONAL NETWORK OF VIRTUAL YOUTH BUSINESS HUBS", VEHUB4YOU was the first project in Ukraine to be awarded in the field of virtual exchanges. This is a great achievement and the National Erasmus+ Office is proud of this achievement of Kyiv National University of Technologies and Design. The coordinator noted the need to implement such a project for the youth of Ukraine, highlighted its main directions and expected results. In conclusion, Ms Shytikova wished the conference participants successful implementation of all the tasks set in the project and fruitful work.
Among the honoured guests of the Conference was Tetiana Cherpak, Deputy Head of the Department for Internal Policy and Public Relations – Head of the Public Relations and International Cooperation Division of the Department of Public Communications of the executive body of the Kyiv City Council (Kyiv City State Administration).
In her greeting, Tetiana Cherpak focused on the importance of the KCSA’s cooperation with the city’s higher education institutions, in particular, she stressed that such relations with Kyiv National University of Technologies and Design are systematic and productive. In particular, this applies to joint events for young people, such as meetings with well-known entrepreneurs, stakeholders and employers, internships for students in various departments of the city administration, job fairs, etc. Ms Cherpak also emphasised the importance of the grant project for the development of the youth start-up movement and stressed that the KCSA is ready to assist in its implementation. In addition, Ms. Cherpak personally cooperates with the Department of Marketing and Communication Design as a stakeholder and guest practitioner.
Giorgi Gavtadze, Professor of Akaki Tsereteli State University, Head of the Interdisciplinary Scientific Cluster of Doctoral and Master's Students, Kutaisi, Georgia, welcomed the participants of the Conference.
He emphasised the relevance of the Conference topics and platforms. Mr Georgiy expressed his sincere congratulations to the participants of the grant project and noted its importance for Ukraine in the context of the war in terms of the need to disseminate business education, spread economic knowledge among young people, as well as further training of specialists in various economic specialties capable of solving complex problems during full-scale military aggression and post-war recovery of the national economy of Ukraine.
Gordiy Rumyantsev, State Expert of the Directorate for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration of the Ministry of Digital Transformation of Ukraine, welcomed the participants and guests of the Conference.
In his speech, he emphasised the importance of the event and wished the participants fruitful work, creative discussions and scientific results, and suggested several areas of cooperation with the Ministry of Digital Transformation of Ukraine. Mr Gordiy made a presentation on the state of digital transformation in Ukraine, current trends and directions for further digitalisation of all spheres of our country’s activities.
Many foreign colleagues took part in the international event online, as the Conference was held in a hybrid format. In particular, the participants of the Conference were greeted by Dr David Graham, University of Sheffield Hallam (UK), Professor, Head of the Tourism and Hospitality Management Subject Group, Dr Ian Elsmore, University of Sheffield Hallam (UK), Professor, Head of the Tourism and Hospitality Subject Group at Sheffield Business School. The participants heard their reports on the current features of the global hospitality and tourism industry.
The plenary session of the International Conference was attended by Anton Kleshchov, National Coordinator of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), PhD in Technical Sciences, who greeted the participants and guests of the Conference and expressed his sincere wishes for creative success and fruitful work of the Conference platforms. Mr Anton dedicated his report to the issues of eco-industrial parks formation, focusing on the problems and prospects of their creation and operation both in Ukraine and in the world as a whole.
After a short break, the Conference participants continued to work on its platforms online. Many interesting and thorough reports were made on the current problems of the functioning of the socio-economic system of Ukraine in the context of a full-scale war and the prospects for its recovery in the post-war period.
In general, the IV International Scientific and Practical Conference "Imperatives of Economic Growth in the Context of Implementation of the Global Sustainable Development Goals" was held at a high scientific, practical and organisational level, was quite informative and useful, as was repeatedly noted in the speeches of the participants and guests of the Conference. Based on the results of its work, a collection of abstracts will be published in electronic format.
We express our sincere gratitude to the staff of the Department of Marketing and Communication Design for the high level of preparation, organisation and conduct of the Conference!
We sincerely thank the participants and guests of the Conference for interesting reports, rich and fruitful discussions! Let’s move the educational and scientific front together to our Victory!
28.04.2023
