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Educational trip to the University of South-Eastern Norway, Notodden (Kingdom of Norway)

From May 17 to 21, 2026, faculty members from the Faculty of Education at Vasyl Stefanyk Carpathian National University (Prof. Olena Budnyk, Assoc. Prof. Marianna Matishak, Prof. Lyudmyla Matsuk, Assoc. Prof. Iryna SKOMOROVSKA) made an educational visit to the University of South-Eastern Norway (Notodden, Kingdom of Norway) as part of the project “Rebuilding futures: Empowering educators and students through cross-border collaboration and invention pedagogy (REFINE)” (“Rebuilding the future: Empowering Educators and Students through Cross-Border Collaboration and Invention Pedagogy”) as part of EDUC-WIDE SEED PROJECTS – 2024.
The visit’s program included training sessions to improve skills in making and invention, as well as an exchange of experiences. Colleagues from the University of South-Eastern Norway, Camilla Groth and Larysa Dahl Kolesnyk, emphasized the values of sustainable development in invention, explored the methodological aspects of implementing invention and making, and discussed their impact on the development of resilience and agency among participants in the educational process.

Through their practical work, faculty members at Vasyl Stefanyk Carpathian National University developed their own ideas for improving the educational process, created and presented maker projects, including the original educational games “Quest Maker” and “Landscape of Emotions,” designed to foster inventive thinking among pupils, students, and faculty.
🇳🇴🇺🇦 To conclude the visit, on May 20, a cultural and educational event titled “The Pedagogy of Invention, Intercultural Learning, and the Voices of Ukraine” was organized at the Notodden Library (Notodden bibliotek) to present the interim results of the REFINE project and the podcast “Voices of Resilience and Recovery.” During the event, lecturers from the Department of Theory and Methods of Preschool and Special Education, Assoc. Prof. Iryna SKOMOROVSKA and Assoc. Prof. Marianna MATISHAK, presented the activities conducted at Ukrainian higher education institutions within the REFINE project, the results of a survey of training participants, and reflections on continuing cooperation.

Colleagues from Ukraine joined the events: Prof. Svitlana STRILETS (T.G. Shevchenko National University “Chernihiv Collegium”), Assoc. Prof. Oksana ZINKO (IPKP “Perspektyva”), faculty members and researchers from the University of South-Eastern Norway, as well as representatives of the Notodden community.
The trip proved to be a valuable experience for the university’s faculty, expanding their network of professional contacts for future academic mobility and the creation of innovative educational content, and opening new opportunities for professional development and international cooperation. This will contribute to the further implementation of European educational practices in the activities of Vasyl Stefanyk Carpathian National University

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A faculty member from the Department of Biochemistry and Biotechnology completed an internship at a leading Italian laboratory through the EDUC R&I Fellowship program

Olga Strilbytska, a research associate in the Department of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, spent six weeks at a research laboratory at the University of Cagliari—one of Italy’s oldest universities. The University of Cagliari, located in the heart of Sardinia, is one of the leading research centers in Southern Italy and an active participant in the EDUC Alliance. The internship took place with the support of the EDUC R&I Fellowship program, funded by the European Union under Horizon Europe.

The EDUC R&I Fellowship is a program of short- and medium-term research mobility for researchers at all career stages, bringing together nine partner universities from seven European countries, including the University of Cagliari (Italy), the University of Potsdam (Germany), Masaryk University (Czech Republic), the University of Pécs (Hungary), and Vasyl Stefanyk Carpathian National University (Ukraine). The program aims to acquire new competencies, build international research partnerships, and generate innovative research ideas.

The host was the research group led by Professor Christina Kokko, which specializes in the biochemistry of neuropeptides and molecular markers of neurodegenerative and autoimmune diseases. The laboratory employs methods such as enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), immunofluorescence, Western blot, and gel chromatography on animal models and human samples.

The topic of the fellowship project is “Advanced Methodological Approaches for Investigating Biomarkers of Disease Pathogenesis.” It is precisely these advanced methodological approaches to studying biomarkers in the context of disease pathogenesis that represent the intersection of interests between both research teams. During the internship, particular attention was paid to the potential applications of modern methodological approaches for studying post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and the associated neurobiological changes.

This fellowship is a prime example of how membership in the EDUC Alliance provides researchers at our university with real access to leading European laboratories and fosters the development of long-term international partnerships.

Based on the results of the internship, the parties outlined areas for further collaboration. They discussed the preparation of joint publications, the possibility of submitting joint grant applications, and ideas for future research. The experience gained and methodological approaches are planned to be integrated into their own research projects.

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Lesia Danyliuk’s Participation in the R&I Fellowship Programme

From April 19 to May 16, Lesya Danylyuk, Candidate of Legal Sciences, Associate Professor, and Head of the Department of Labor, Environmental, and Agricultural Law, participated in the R&I Fellowship program as part of the EDUC-WIDE project.

The international internship took place at the Department of Environmental and Land Law at Masaryk University (Czech Republic) under the supervision of the department head, Doctor of Law Vojtěch Vomáčka.

The main goal of the research mobility is to develop academic partnerships between universities participating in the EDUC Alliance.

Lesia Danyliuk’s work program was dedicated to the topic “The Environmental-Legal Vector of Sustainable Development (EU Experience and Prospects for Implementation in the Context of Ukraine’s Post-War and European Integration Environmental Policy).”

During the project, participants were able to launch a new direction for scientific research, exchange experience in teaching academic disciplines that are similarly implemented at the Educational and Scientific Law Institute, and discuss prospects for further cooperation.

Upon completion of the internship, the parties expressed their mutual desire to establish and expand research, educational, and grant initiatives.

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An International Scientific Event “Rethinking Research Evaluation: Well-being, AI & Fairness” Took Place at Vasyl Stefanyk Carpathian National University

On May 15, 2026, Carpathian National University hosted the international scientific event “Rethinking Research Evaluation: Well-being, AI & Fairness” within the framework of the EDUC-WIDE project (EmpoWering EDUC for Inclusive Development of the ERA).

The event focused on the future of research assessment systems, researcher well-being, and the responsible use of artificial intelligence in academia.

The event brought together researchers, academic staff, early-career scientists, PhD candidates, and members of the academic community to discuss what a modern, fair, and human-centered research evaluation system should look like.

Ester Cois, Professor at the University of Cagliari, delivered the lecture “Researcher Well-being and Fair Evaluation”, focusing on how evaluation systems influence researchers’ professional well-being, as well as on issues of inclusiveness, collective success, and rethinking academic excellence.

Luciano Colombo, Vice-Rector for Research at the University of Cagliari, presented “AI and the Future of Responsible Research Evaluation”, sharing his vision of the role of artificial intelligence in the future of research assessment and emphasizing that AI should serve as a tool to support expert judgment rather than replace it.

Following the expert lectures, participants engaged in Q&A sessions, lively discussions, and an interactive workshop titled “Redesign the Perfect Evaluation System”, where teams developed their own models of fair university evaluation based on the principles of responsible research assessment.

The event marked an important step in implementing the EDUC Strategy for Reforming Research Assessment and fostering a new academic culture in which research evaluation is based not only on metrics, but also on values such as integrity, inclusiveness, collaboration, and societal impact.

We sincerely thank the speakers, participants, and international partners for inspiring discussions, new ideas, and joint efforts toward shaping the future of research.