Discussion of strategic issues within the DEFEP project: Uman National University joined the working meeting of partner universities
On April 21, 2025, a regular Zoom meeting of participants of the international project DEFEP (Distance Education for Future), implemented with the support of EU countries and aimed at developing distance education in Ukraine, took place. The event was attended by representatives of higher education institutions – project partners, including Uman National University.
The participants discussed a number of key issues important for the further implementation of innovations in the field of distance education. In particular:
- agreeing on the structure and content of the Sustainability plan, a document that defines a long-term strategy for the development of project results after the end of grant support. It was agreed to distribute responsibilities between the partners for its content.
- drafting a cooperation agreement with representatives of the public, civil society, and business sectors, as well as a draft memorandum on the establishment of the Association to Support Distance Education. The documents are expected to be finalized taking into account the legal opinions of the partner universities.
- agreeing on the final version of the letter to the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine, which should outline recommendations for regulatory support for the development of distance programs.
- Discussion of the course of the distance learning course “Intercultural Communication”, which has already started. Participants were reminded of the need for active participation of students, timely completion of tasks and interaction with teachers in both asynchronous and synchronous formats.
- preparing for the 2025 admission campaign for experimental distance master’s programs. The partner universities shared plans for competitive proposals, targeted recruitment programs, and information and advertising activities to attract applicants.
- monitoring the quality of the educational process: a survey of students and teachers is underway, as well as the collection of video feedback as part of internal self-assessment.
Uman National University is actively involved in the DEFEP project, implementing European quality standards for distance learning and maintaining a partnership dialogue to transform the educational environment in Ukraine.