On June 12-13, 2024, Erasmus+ Cooperation Seminar for Austrian and Ukrainian Higher Education Institutions was held in Vienna, Austria. The event was organized by the Austrian Agency for Education and Internationalization (OeAD) together with the Federal Ministry of Education, Science and Research of the Republic of Austria, Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine, National Erasmus+ Office – Ukraine.

AGENDA of the event – download.

PHOTO REPORT of the event –  at the link.

Around 80 participants joined the seminar representing the Embassy of Ukraine in the Republic of Austria, Federal Ministry of Education, Science and Research of the Republic of Austria, rectors, and vice-rectors and responsible for international cooperation of universities in Ukraine and Austria.

The following speakers welcomed participants of the meeting:

• Jakob CALICE, Agency for Education and Internationalisation (OeAD)
• Vasyl KHYMYNETS, Ambassador of Ukraine to the Republic of Austria
• Heribert WULZ, Austrian Federal Ministry of Education, Science and Research (BMBWF)

The first day of the event began with the moderation of Gerhard VOLZ, OeAD and presentation on initiatives of cooperation between Ukrainian and Austrian institutions, in particular, the results of the high-level meeting on the prospects for the development of cooperation in higher education between Ukraine and Austria in April 2024.

In the first session, participants joined a panel discussion moderated by Jakob CALICE, OeAD Executive Director, on development perspectives in Higher Education Cooperation as a follow up of the meeting in Uzhhorod, as well as current challenges for the Ukrainian universities during martial law. The speakers of the session were:

• Olha DEMYDENKO, National Technical University of Ukraine “Igor Sikorsky  Kyiv Polytechnic Institute”
• Kateryna PRIAZHNIKOVA, Dnipro University of Technology
• Eva SCHULEV-STEINDL, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences
• Olena TUPAKHINA, Zaporizhzhia National University

In the next session of the first working day Iryna SIKORSKA, HERE team, Director of Center of International Education, Mariupol State University, presented current policy developments in the field of higher education in Ukraine. Svitlana SHYTIKOVA, National Erasmus+ Office Ukraine Coordinator, provided details on impact of the participation of Ukraine in the Erasmus+ Programme on the gher education in Ukraine before and during the war.

In the third part of the event, Martin GRADL, OeAD and Kateryna ZHDANOVA, National Erasmus+ Office Ukraine, presented overview of the higher education systems in Austria and Ukraine with all the details on degrees and levels, period of study in years and ECTS, as well as its full compliance to European Higher Education Area Cycles and NQF levels. The OeAD team (Kateryna WURZER, Veronika KULAGA, Martina FRIEDRICH, Olesia HUSAK, Isabella SCHEIBELREITER), made a thorough presentation on eligible Erasmus+ key actions to strengthen collaboration and capacity development of institutions, staff and students during martial law and the period of Ukraine’s recovery.

At the end of the first day, all participants had the opportunity to get to know each other and discuss potential opportunities for cooperation in facilitated working groups.

The second day of the event was fully dedicated to the existing experience of cooperation between Ukraine and Austria within the framework of Erasmus+ and Matchmaking Sessions to present HEIs from both countries and discuss joint ideas for new Erasmus+ calls in 2025.

The second day started with the presentation of Georg WEINGARTNER, Advantage Austria Kyiv (WKO) on current status of economic relations between Ukraine and Austria.

In the next session, participants listened to presentations of successful case studies of Erasmus+ projects between Ukrainian and Austrian universities:

• European University Alliances (Hannes RAFFASEDER, St. Poelten University of Applied Sciences)
• International Credit Mobility (Niels de JONG, University of Education Upper Austria and Lyubomyr BORAKOVSKYY, Ivan Franko National University of Lviv)
• Cooperation Projects (Lisa HESCHL, University of Graz and Svitlana ANDREICHENKO, University of Graz/International Humanitarian University Odesa)

In addition, for the development and research projects between Ukraine and Austria, Lil REIF and Ralf KÖNIG, Austrian Research Promotion Agency (FFG), highlighted funding opportunities in Horizon Europe for cooperation in research and innovation.

In the second part of the event, participants from Ukraine and Austria had the opportunity to join the session in the format of a world café and present their institutions, interests in cooperation within the EUs Erasmus+ Program and find potential partners.

At the end of the event, the moderators summarized the results of the seminar and emphasized the next steps in cooperation between Ukrainian and Austrian universities.

SPEAKERS’ PRESENTATIONS:

• Erasmus+ Cooperation Seminar for Austrian and Ukrainian HEIs Day 1 Part I
• Erasmus+ Cooperation Seminar for Austrian and Ukrainian HEIs Day 1 Part II
• Erasmus+ Cooperation Seminar for Austrian and Ukrainian HEIs Day 2
• Insights from the Austrian Commercial Counsellor in Ukraine
• Other useful materials and HEIS profiles

NEO – Ukraine team sincerely thanks the initiators and co-organizers (OeAD and the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine), speakers, moderators, and each participant! Everyone got contacts, the opportunity to communicate, share and exchange experience and best practices, set up priorities and homework.