Ukrainian Catholic University was chosen to participate in a dual degree program as part of The UK-Ukraine Twinning Initiative. Now students of the Master’s Program of the UCU Humanities Faculty will have the opportunity to receive a dual degree: from UCU and the University of Nottingham, which is one of the top 20 institutions of higher education of Great Britain.
In September, 25 UCU students will begin studies in a joint master’s program and, on condition of successful completion, will receive both a Ukrainian and a British degree.
This is possible thanks to The UK-Ukraine Twinning Initiative, which offers a model of cooperation among universities and is coordinated by the Cormack Consultancy Group and the Fund of the President of Ukraine for the Support of Education, Research, and Sports, with the support of Universities UK International. The initiative allows universities all over the world to support their Ukrainian colleagues in a real and concrete way. The dual degree program allows Ukrainian students to take courses at British universities online, while residing in Ukraine.
The results of the competition for the joint dual degree master’s program were announced in February, and the implementation of the project is planned to start in September 2023. Halyna Protsyk, Director of UCU’s International Academic Relations Office, says that UCU and the University of Nottingham submitted the application jointly and are very glad that they won the competition and received financing for the project.
“They have supported us and we can develop a joint master’s program in the Humanities, which will start in September 2023,” says Halyna Procyk. “This programme will be a new step forward in rethinking the field of the Humanities as a foundation of Ukrainian soft power, societal resilience, and building the necessary framework for social reconstruction. It will help resolve the current crisis caused by the isolation of separate branches of humanist knowledge and the persisting impact of Russian-Soviet imperialist narratives.”
Halyna Protsyk is convinced that a dual degree from two strong universities, UCU and the University of Nottingham, will undoubtedly provide Ukrainian students with even more opportunities and tools that they will use not only to consolidate victory, but also for the reconstruction and prosperity of Ukraine in the future.
Andrii Yasinovskyi, Dean of the Faculty of Humanities at Ukrainian Catholic University, says that the goal of this new master’s program is the formation of a new type of humanities specialist who understands the problems of modern society, is guided by a values approach, and possesses integral humanitarian knowledge and skills. “We have set ourselves the task of preparing a kind of humanities specialist who combines the competencies of an academic researcher and an expert, who is able to work with the problems of the past in up-to-date academic and public spaces, to create a new image of Ukraine, and to propose a Ukrainian agenda for the world. Our graduates ought to answer the questions: What is Ukraine in its past and present? What is Ukraine’s role in the future? What can Ukraine offer to the global world?”
Professor Jeremy Gregory, Pro-Vice-Chancellor for the Faculty of Arts at the University of Nottingham, says: “We’re delighted to have been chosen as one of just six UK universities to take part in this pilot twinning scheme, and we recognise the importance of the role we now have in shaping future Ukrainian humanitarian graduates. The Humanities help us to understand human identity, culture, and how our history connects to our future. This course will combine theoretical and practical learning to support humanities graduates who will lead Ukraine’s social transformation.”
Professor Jonathan Tallant, Head of the School of Humanities at the University of Nottingham, adds: “The Department of History, that will be leading the Nottingham side of the degree, has particular research expertise in the study of culture, society, politics, race, gender relations and international affairs. Staff in the Department and School are thrilled at the opportunity to collaborate with our Ukrainian colleagues on this exciting venture.”
We note that more than 70 partnerships are operating in Ukraine as part of The UK-Ukraine Twinning Initiative. In total, this year the project is supporting six universities in Ukraine: Ukrainian Catholic University and the University of Nottingham; Kherson State Maritime Academy and the University of Plymouth; Sumy National Agrarian University and the Royal Agricultural University; Ivano-Frankivsk Technical University of Oil and Gas and London South Bank University; Lviv Polytechnic National University and Nottingham Trent University; and S. Kuznets National Economic University in Kharkiv and Abertay University.