WEST UKRAINIAN NATIONAL UNIVERSITY

 From August 25 to 29, 2025, the International Summer Convention was held at Dortmund University of Applied Sciences and Arts, Dortmund, Germany.
https://www.fh-dortmund.de/international/veranstaltungsreihen/international-summer-convention.php 

A total of 140 representatives from 40 universities in 18 different countries took part in the program events, which combined intercultural learning, research discussions, cross-border project seminars, and faculty training sessions.

The West Ukrainian National University, Faculty of Computer Information Technologies, and the Department of Information and Computer Systems and Control were represented by academicians Mykhailo Dombrovskyi and Iryna Turchenko.

The Welcome Workshop on the first day, designed as an interactive session, aimed to break the ice and foster connections among participants, creating an atmosphere for communication and setting a positive tone for the entire week. Through involvement in intercultural discussions and teamwork, participants explored diverse perspectives, found common ground, and laid the basis for mutual understanding.

After the seminar, participants joined a tour of the laboratories of the Department of Mechanical Engineering and the Department of Information Technologies.

The key event of the first day was the kick-off meeting of the consortium members — Dortmund University of Applied Sciences and Arts, West Ukrainian National University, National University “Zaporizhzhia Polytechnic” (NUZP), and Kyiv National University of Construction and Architecture (KNUCA) — for the project UA4PIM: Project and Innovation Management for Ukraine, launched in July 2025. https://projects4ukraine.info/  Through the DAAD-funded project, the University Alliance for Project and Innovation Management (UA4PIM) will be established and directly integrated into the European Partnership for Project and Innovation Management (EuroPIM), with which the Ukrainian partners have been cooperating since 2015.

The project coordinator, Honorary Professor of WUNU and Director of the IDiAL Institute at FH Dortmund, Carsten Wolff, presented the project goals, financial plan, and budget structure, and provided an overview of the project timeline, milestones, roles, and responsibilities. Consortium members were welcomed by FH Dortmund’s Rector Tamara Appel and Vice-Rector for Teaching, Research, and International Relations Stefan Weiers.

The first day concluded with a guided tour of the Borussia Dortmund football stadium.

The second day of the convention began with a International Strategy Workshop organized by the International office of FH Dortmund, where participants compared internationalization strategies and shared best practices in implementing strategic goals. They discussed real-case scenarios, identified challenges, and highlighted factors contributing to the international development of universities. The seminar was aimed at international office representatives and coordinators of international programs/projects. Associate Professor Iryna Turchenko, as coordinator of the Euro-American Program in Computer Science and Project Management, took part in the seminar.

In parallel, a Workshop on Project Based Learning was held as an interactive session for educators. WUNU was represented by Mykhailo Dombrovskyi. Together, participants explored approaches to project-based teaching, exchanged practical experiences in group work, and demonstrated key principles in action.

In the afternoon, consortium meetings of individual projects took place. Participants also visited the StoryLab kiU, a media laboratory at FH Dortmund located in the Dortmunder U cultural center. The lab functional combines art, technology, and education, focusing on digital storytelling formats (VR, AR, 360° films, projection mapping). It serves as an open space for students, researchers, and artists to implement innovative multimedia projects and international cultural collaborations.

On Wednesday morning, a Poster Exhibition and a meeting with the Rectorate took place. Various deans and heads of degree programs were on site to discuss opportunities for cooperation in the individual areas. The event was organised like a market where people can move around and talk to the presenters of posters etc.

That same day, the official welcome ceremony of all International Summer Convention participants was held. Rector, Prof. Dr. Tamara Appel gave the opening address. Participants introduced their universities to the diverse audience and exchanged experiences of cooperation within different international projects. Associate Professor Iryna Turchenko, Deputy Dean of the Faculty of Computer Information Technologies at WUNU, presented the current achievements of the classical university of Ternopil.

On Thursday morning, participants presented their research work and ongoing projects.

During the Train the Trainer Session on the use of Artificial Intelligence in the educational process, modern approaches to teaching students of the digital generation were explored. The session addressed the learning mentality of Generations Z, Alpha, and TikTok, as well as the integration of AI and related technological tools, including the responsibility of adapting learning environments to their needs.

At an open PhD colloquium, moderated by Professor Jan Christoph Albrecht, and co-director of the European Master in Project Management master Programme at FH Dortmund, three PhD students presentations from Germany and Pakistan were discussed. Active participation in the discussion was taken by Mykhailo Dombrovskyi, guarantor of the “Project Management” educational program.

The final day of the convention opened with a Workshop on International Meetings which discussed the importance of teaching students’ intercultural communication skills, analyzed the role of culture in communication styles, and addressing challenges of intercultural dialogue.

Professor Carsten Wolff provided Workshop on how to run Cross-border Projects. It was emphasized that international projects in higher education are among the most important tools for foster deeper and more sustainable cooperation among universities. The workshop has two immediate goals: 1) to compile a methods handbook for international cooperation projects, and 2) to initiate new funding applications for the future of our partnerships and consortia.

The International Summer Convention 2025, held under the motto “Working Together – Growing Together!”, provided an opportunity to exchange experience in implementing international projects, engage with representatives from different countries, universities, and faculties, and define new directions for inter-university cooperation.