The round table "Education for Sustainable Development" within the framework of the strategic session "Integration of Sustainable Development Principles into Educational Programs: Experience and Prospects" was held in an online format.

During the event, scientific, scientific-pedagogical and pedagogical workers, as well as students analyzed the ways and mechanisms of implementing the principles of sustainable development in the NUWEE, discussed best practices, and got acquainted with the integration of principles in individual educational programs.

Rector Viktor Moshynskyi opened the event with a welcoming speech. Rector noted the correct movement of the university towards implementing the goals of sustainable development in the NUWEE, emphasized the importance of university values ​​and the personality of the learner for their implementation, as well as the significance of increasing the level of self-awareness, communicative and technological improvement.

The first report was “Training of specialists in the field of hydraulic engineering and water engineering in the context of sustainable development goals” by Serhii Klimov, Associate Professor of the Department of Hydraulic Engineering and Hydraulics. He spoke about how the educational program of the hydraulic and water engineering and water technologies forms competencies in students related to achieving sustainable development goals. In particular, those related to doubling the productivity of agriculture using water resources, ensuring the creation of sustainable food production systems, increasing agricultural productivity, the ability to adapt to extreme weather events, droughts, floods, etc., through which disciplines the achievement of sustainable development goals is realized.

Associate Professor of the Department of Agricultural Engineering Oleh Bundza spoke about the principles of sustainable development in educational programs of foreign agricultural educational institutions using the example of European and American HEIs. He also highlighted the experience of conducting examinations and self-improvement of foreign universities.

The substantive presentation “Sustainable development of the city: practical aspects of improving the transport network” was made by the acting head of the Department of Transport Technologies and Technical Service Viktoriia Nykonchuk. The report discussed sustainable development of cities and mobility, the creation of a comfortable urban environment, the introduction of innovations into the transport system and the development of sustainable infrastructure of the city, the rational use of resources, which involves the combination of different types of transport, the development of green transport technologies, reducing pollution, etc.

Associate Professor of the Department of Human Resources and Entrepreneurship Olena Oliinyk made a report “Experience of cooperation with business in teaching social responsibility: partnership for quality education. The emphasis in the report was placed on the practical component, namely on cooperation with business within the framework of teaching the educational component “Social Responsibility”. She emphasized that many Masters already have their own business, they are heads of large enterprises, individual entrepreneurs, and therefore, within the framework of the OK, it is important to pay special attention to the practical component.

The head of the Department of Physical Therapy and Occupational Therapy, Nataliia Nesterchuk, spoke about the implementation of the global goals of sustainable development through educational programs of the Institute of Health Care, in particular, the training of highly qualified specialists in preserving and improving one's own health and the health of various population groups, and motivation for physical activity. She emphasized that good health is the most powerful goal of sustainable development.

In turn, Associate Professor of the Department of Building Products Technology and Materials Science Vadym Zhytkovskyi shared his experiences on the implementation of the principles of sustainable development when teaching technical disciplines of the construction direction. Here, the scientist emphasized the importance of forming a responsible approach in future specialists to the use of resources, the development of technologies and the management of production processes, taking into account the goals of sustainable development in the teaching of disciplines for the training of specialists who are able to create environmentally friendly, energy-efficient and resource-saving buildings, using the latest technologies and building materials with low environmental impact.

The last report “Implementation of sustainable development principles in educational programs of the Department of Management and Public Governance” was presented by the Head of the Department of Management and Public Governance Lesia Tykhonchuk. It was about sustainable community development, priorities of economic development of the region by industry, defense inventions, the development strategy of the region until 2027, etc.

In conclusion, the participants shared their thoughts, discussed proposals and directions for further implementation of the principles and ideas of sustainable development at the NUWEE. Among the next steps: continuing to integrate the principles of sustainable development into the educational programs of the NUWEE at all levels of education, strengthening the worldview and professional training in sustainable development by making changes to the standards and educational programs of all levels of training of specialists in higher education institutions (HEIs), raising students' awareness of sustainable development issues through various events, creating a platform for centralized information about new initiatives of the Ukrainian innovation system of sustainable development and the international initiative for the implementation of sustainable development principles, expanding cooperation with international partners based on the digital repository of the NUWEE, analyzing existing state initiatives to support innovators on sustainable development issues in education and the possibility of their implementation at the NUWEE.

The online roundtable can be viewed here 

Nataliia PARKHOMCHUK,
Public Relations Department