Futuro Prossimo (Call 2023, AICS)
West Ukrainian National University has joined the implementation of a three-year project Futuro Prossimo (Call 2023, AICS), aimed at strengthening the training of specialists in the field of psychophysical rehabilitation and home care in three regions of Ukraine — Ivano-Frankivsk, Chernivtsi, and Rivne regions. The initiative will last 36 months, with a total budget of €1,981,000 and a request to AICS of €1,862,140 (94%).
What the project changes:
The project focuses on professional training and retraining of youth to support the country's economic recovery, with a particular emphasis on psychophysical rehabilitation and inclusive employment. Key results:
- R1. Training social-medical workers according to European standards in the three regions.
- R2. Strengthening cooperation among organizations working in the rehabilitation sector.
- R3. Expanding employment opportunities for women and people with disabilities.
Role of WUNU:
The WUNU team is responsible for key digital and educational components of the initiative:
- R1.A1 — MOOC Platform: development of 1 digital platform with interactive courses by month 3; from month 6 — >100 users will have access to training in social assistance and rehabilitation.
- R1.A2 — Job-shadowing in Italy: organizing a one-week internship for Ukrainian lecturers/trainers, selection of 20 participants based on defined criteria.
- R1.A3 — Educational content: together with medical institutions and universities — development of programs and modules and uploading ~600 hours of innovative digital content to the platform.
- R1.A4 — Regional training courses: launching courses in psychotraumatology/psychology, first aid (2 cycles), psychology, rehabilitation, and telemedicine (one course for each area).
Why this is important:
Amid war, the workload on the healthcare system has increased, some infrastructure has been destroyed or damaged, and the shortage of trained personnel in psychophysical rehabilitation has significantly intensified. The project addresses these challenges through scaling up training, digital solutions, and international internships.
Who implements it:
Leader: FOCSIV – Federation of Christian-inspired International Voluntary Service Organizations.
Ukrainian partners: Greek-Catholic Archdiocese of Ivano-Frankivsk, St. Luke’s Clinic (Ivano-Frankivsk), NGO «Good People of Bukovyna», Ivano-Frankivsk National Medical University, West Ukrainian National University (WUNU), Vasyl Stefanyk Precarpathian National University (Faculty of Psychology).
National (Italian) partners: Missione Calcutta APS ETS, IBO Italy, COSVITEC, Ospedale Sacro Cuore di Negrar, Fondazione Aiutiamoli a Vivere, Apurimac.