The Center for Sustainable Development created in UzhNU
The Center for Sustainable Development has been created by the decision of the Academic Council of UzhNU. The corresponding order of the Rector of UzhNU was issued on March 27th, 2015. Assistant Professor of the Department of Political Science and Public Administration, Candidate of Political Science Hanna Melehanych was appointed the head of the Center on a voluntary basis.
As Ms. Melehanych told us, the Center for Sustainable Development was created because of the need to introduce the concept of sustainable development taking into account its three main perspectives: economic, social and environmental, which have to be implemented at the national, regional, local or even institutional level; as well as to promote this approach among students with the support of the joint EU/UNDP project "Community Based Approach to Local Development."
The goal of the Center is the promotion of international programs and sustainable regional development as well as stirring up research activities of the university in this area. The main objectives of the Center are to spread the principles of sustainable development and best practices of regional and local development; discuss new conceptual theories of sustainable development, its main characteristics and structural elements; promote independent research activity of the university in the field of sustainable development of the region; discuss new theories and methods of analysis of the main indicators of sustainable development of the region; gain new knowledge, produce and solve actual problems of sustainable development of the region and the areas developing on the brink of related sciences and interdisciplinary connections; cover and disseminate research finding, research papers and projects on sustainable regional development; involve the teaching staff, post-graduate students, undergraduates and students in solving important theoretical and practical problems in the field of sustainable regional development.
At the regional level the Center also deals with monitoring and dissemination of information on international grant competitions, international programs and international technical assistance projects with the focus on sustainable regional development; gives advice on the development of projects for obtaining international financing; provides methodological and organizational assistance in writing grant applications.
Within its competence the Center participates in the preparation and implementation of the components of target programs and projects in the region; in the analysis of possible funding sources; finding potential investors for implementation of projects in the region including international technical assistance. It carries out educational activity, implements projects and holds workshops, seminars, trainings aimed at the elaboration of plans, programs and proposals for the development of social, economic and structural rearrangement of the region; examines contemporary theoretical approaches in the area of sustainable social development; reviews and analyzes case situations on local development.
The Center aims to organize meetings with leading scientists, public research and communication activities and events to disseminate scientific outlook and strengthen research in the field of sustainable regional development; promote the participation of local actors in the competitive selection of investment projects that are eligible for state support, etc.
The newly created unit has ambitious plans. It is planned to organize several major events independently or with the help of partner organizations by the end of the academic year 2014-2015. The Resource Center is going to participate in organizing the conference "Mobility of education, innovation culture and social responsibility as resources of competitiveness of European Universities" which will be held in our university in April. In early May, student debates on sustainable development issues will take place in UzhNU, the winners will represent our university at the interregional debates held on the 14-16th of May, 2015. Such competition is annually organized for the network of partner universities of the EU/UNDP project "Community Based Approach to Local Development".
The Competition of student research papers will be held In May and June. Summer School "Sustainable development with the participation of Communities" will be organized for the winners of the competition in July. The training on sustainable development and organizing communities will be held for teachers. We are going to give more detailed information about the events, which will take place in the next academic year, later on. It’s planned to organize visits to communities, seminars, publication of the monograph, training courses on the subject and practical training sessions for students, etc.
We invite all students and lecturers who are interested in the issue to join the activities organized by our center.
