The Ukrainian and Polish scientists and teachers from 35 educational establishments and institutions are engaged at scientific and practical conference “The idea of the university in the European and national dimensions: tradition, present and prospects”, which began November 3, 2016 in the Mirror Hall of Lviv University .
“It is symbolic that this conference takes place at Lviv University – the university, which launched higher education in Ukraine – Dean of the Faculty of Pedagogical Education, Dmytro Hertsyuk addressed with a welcoming speech the participants of the conference. – For more than 850 years the idea of the university continues to evolve, creating simultaneously new challenges and problems. Despite the transformation process, universities of the XXI-st century left some fundamental principles which university life was based on, and without which they would not have built their future. It is about autonomy, academic freedom, inseparability of educational and scientific processes as well as the mission of the university as a “guardian” of humanistic tradition”.
Lviv University Rector, Professor Volodymyr Melnyk emphasized on the role of teachers in the context of discussions.
“The University is primarily a social and cultural phenomenon, which laid the historical and traditional scientific and pedagogical genome of the very society. The teachers are people who work in the sphere of upbringing, science and sense of responsibility for younger generations and traditions, according to which the university community exists. Hence, we need a responsible attitude to the university, it’s not only the scientific and pedagogical school but it is the mechanism, the system of values, a kind of paradigm, which establishes the principles of society as a whole “, – says Volodymyr Melnyk.
Rector said that “no European civilization has created a university, namely the University laid the foundation of the formation of European civilization, since the universities genetically incorporate two functions: autonomy and rational way of life”.
Academician-secretary of Department of General Education and Philosophy of Education NAPS of Ukraine, member of the National Academy of Pedagogical Sciences of Ukraine, Doctor of Education, professor Olga Sukhomlynska addressed the participants with a welcoming speech. The professor said that the Ukrainian education today faces serious challenges, but she believes that we will be able to overcome them by combined efforts. “We can find a way out of any situations, incorporating the field of education. Many of us are aware that educational activities – is not only a profession but a mission “, – said Olga Sukhomlynska.
Director of the Institute of Pedagogy of Jan Dlugosz Academy in Chestohov (Poland), Doctor Habilitation and Professor, Kazimierz Redzinski said that close cooperation with Lviv University promotes mutual scientific enrichment of Ukrainian and Polish teachers who are able to participate in conferences and training programs. “Such a cooperation can be called intercultural pedagogy”, – concluded the professor.
During the plenary and section settings educators spoke about the idea of the university in the situation of postmodernism, the formation of a new identity of Ukrainian university within the context of the challenges of internationalization, forming intercultural competence in terms of university educational environment, the role of pedagogical education at universities of Ukraine. Scientists also discussed issues related to academic traditions, social and educational initiatives, research and theoretical principles of university education, focusing on the current challenges.