Representatives of WUNU took part in the international TURBO Conference II
From September 22 to 25, 2025, a delegation from the West Ukrainian National University took part in the international conference TURBO Conference II “Higher education, capacity building and societal crises: international perspectives,” which was held at Kozminski University (Warsaw, Republic of Poland). The event brought together scientists, educators, experts, and representatives of the academic community from around the world to discuss the challenges facing the higher education system in the context of global crises and to seek effective strategies for its development.
Uliana Koruts, Vice-Rector for Academic Affairs and Research at WUNU, delivered a presentation on “Fostering resilience of universities through international collaborations”. The presentation outlined the role of international cooperation as a key factor in enhancing the institutional resilience of universities in times of instability.
The speaker emphasised the importance of higher education institutions participating in international educational projects, academic exchanges and research initiatives that promote adaptation to new challenges, maintain the quality of educational services and support the academic community. The experience of WUNU in implementing international projects that ensure the continuity of the educational process even in conditions of war and social upheaval was presented.
Iryna Humovska, Associate Professor of the Department of Foreign Languages and ICT, joined the discussion panel “Education and Innovation for Societal Resilience.” In her report, she emphasized the critical role of education in preserving social unity, shaping civic awareness, and supporting psychological well-being in times of social crisis. Particular attention was paid to the resilience of student translators—future professionals who will work in the complex world of multilingual communication and intercultural interaction.
The point was that translators not only convey the meaning of a text or spoken language, but also become intermediaries between cultures, ensuring dialogue, understanding, and support in times of social challenges. Developing resilience in student translators helps them cope with stress, adapt to unpredictable situations, make decisions in uncertain circumstances, and maintain professional effectiveness.
It was noted that education, combined with innovative approaches, forms the basis for training a new generation of translators capable of maintaining communication even in crisis situations. Such training is important not only for the personal development of students, but also for strengthening social resilience in general.
Oksana Shandruk, director of the Center for Social and Psychological Support and Resilience at WUNU, presented a report entitled “Educational and social strategies for Ukraine’s displaced populations.” The presentation emphasized the need to create a safe educational environment for internally displaced persons, which includes not only access to knowledge, but also emotional support and adaptation to new living conditions. WUNU's practices in implementing resilience development programmes were demonstrated, in particular through educational courses, workshops, individual consultations and group therapy. The speaker emphasised the importance of an inclusive approach in the educational process, focused on the needs of displaced persons.
Yuliia Voityshyn, Head of the International Relations Office, presented the results of her own research on the topic: “Legal Protection of Family Rights of Persons Displaced by War: Ukrainian and International Contexts”. The format of the presentation was structured according to the 5Cs framework (Common Ground, Complication, Concern, Course of Action, Contribution), which allowed for a clear structuring of the issues, identification of the main challenges, and proposal of ways to address them. The participants provided valuable comments and recommendations , which will contribute to the improvement of the research. Yuliia also took part in the Steering Committee Meeting 8 of the TURBO project, during which the implementation of current tasks was discussed, and priorities for further activities and formats for involving partner universities were determined. The financial, organisational and academic aspects of the project were discussed.
The project is funded under the European Union's Erasmus+ Programme (ERASMUS-EDU-2023-CBHE) Grant Agreement No 101129315.
