On May 27, 2026, a meeting of teachers of higher education institutions of Ukraine implementing educational programs in the specialization “Environmental Design” with representatives of the European Council of Interior Architects (ECIA) took place. The meeting was organized with the initiative of Danylo Kosenko, Head of the Department of Interior Design and Furniture of the KNUTD.

On behalf of ECIA, the meeting was attended by Thomas Seifert, President of ECIA, and René Pier, Member of the ECIA Board.

From the Ukrainian side, the meeting was attended by Danylo Kosenko , Head of the Department of Interior and Furniture Design of the Kyiv National University of Technologies and Design; Tetyana Bulgakova and Oleksandra Shmelova-Nesterenko, Associate Professors of the Department of Interior Design and Furniture of the KNUTD; Yulia Tretyak, Head of the Department of Design of the Kyiv National University of Construction and Architecture; Tetyana Sprysa, Guarantor of the Educational Program “Environmental Design” of the Lviv National Academy of Arts; Iryna Bondarenko, Dean of the Faculty of Environmental Design of the Kharkiv State Academy of Design and Arts; Natalia Sklyarenko, Head of the Department of Design of the Lutsk National Technical University; Inna Yakovets, Head of the Department of Design of the Cherkasy State Technical University; Natalia Romanenko, Professor, and Mekuria Demessie, Associate Professor of the Department of Design of the ChSTU, and other scientists.

Thomas Seifert told the participants about the activities of ECIA, which unites 23 European organizations of interior architects (designers). He noted that the tasks of ECIA are to exchange knowledge, harmonize national professional standards, strengthen the recognition of the profession, form a more expressive European voice in communication with society and regulatory institutions, as well as establish cooperation with representatives of the profession around the world.

René Pier introduced the meeting participants to the main provisions of the European Charter of Interior Architectural Training as one of the participants in updating the document in 2020. He pointed out the three main components of interior formation: physical space, social space, and mental space, and how this classification allows us to determine the professional competencies of an interior architect (designer).

René Pier noted the differences in approaches to the title and status of the profession in different European countries. In some countries, such as Germany, the profession of interior architect is regulated, while in most countries, such as Ukraine, it is not. In countries such as Italy or Slovakia, the use of the professional title “architect” is strictly limited; in these countries, the profession is called “interior designer”, as in Ukraine. He also spoke about a study on the state of development of education, practice, and legal status of the profession in European countries, which ECIA recently carried out with funding from the European Union.

Answering questions from Ukrainian participants, Thomas Seifert and René Pier explained in more detail the features of the regulation of the profession in different countries, approaches to distinguishing the professions of “architect” and “interior architect (designer)”. They noted the promising Ukrainian approach in defining the profession of “environmental designer”, which is more comprehensive. The participants paid special attention in the discussion to the advantages of master’s level education not only for future teachers and researchers, but also for practicing designers, noting that a master’s degree allows a specialist to develop complex objects, work in interdisciplinary teams and manage complex projects. They also discussed current trends in the development of the profession, in particular the growing demand for the ability to develop projects for adaptive reuse of buildings, implement design approaches for sustainable development and participatory design.

Finally, Thomas and Rene invited Ukrainian teachers to participate in the annual ECIA General Assembly, which will be held this year in Warsaw.

We are grateful to our partners from ECIA for an interesting conversation and look forward to continued cooperation. The results of the discussion will be considered in improving educational programs in the B2 Design specialty (Environmental Design specialization). This will contribute to increasing the competitiveness of Ukrainian education, the successful entry of Ukrainian universities and our graduates into the common European space.

01.06.2026