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25.04.2025

Lecturers of the K. Niemets Department of Human Geography and Regional Studies of V.N. Karazin Kharkiv National University took part in the Erasmus+ academic mobility program and the International Teaching Week in Political, Economic and Cultural Geographies

Lecturers of the K. Niemets Department of Human Geography and Regional Studies of V.N. Karazin Kharkiv National University took part in the Erasmus+ academic mobility program. Within the framework of the mobility the International Teaching Week in Political, Economic and Cultural Geographies was organized.

On April 7–11, 2025, the International Teaching Week in Political, Economic and Cultural Geographies was held at the University of Ostrava (Czech Republic), an important international educational event organized by the Department of Human Geography and Regional Development. The event was attended by lecturers, scientists and researchers from leading universities in Europe and Asia.

Among the participating countries were Ukraine, Georgia, Poland, Slovakia, South Korea, the Netherlands and Kosovo.

The International Teaching Week brought together participants from the following universities: V. N. Karazin Kharkiv National University (Ukraine), Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University and Ilia State University (Georgia), University of Seoul (Korea), Universum International College (Kosovo), Radboud University (Netherlands), University of Wroclaw (Poland), Maria Curie Sklodowska University (Poland), Matej Bel University (Slovakia) and others.

The week's program included lectures, panel discussions, interactive sessions, thematic meetings and workshops dedicated to key topics of modern geography, namely political transformations, urban processes, interstate conflicts, socio-economic development, regional identity, sustainable development, etc.

The event was actively attended by lecturers of the K. Niemets Department of Human Geography and Regional Studies of V.N. Karazin Kharkiv National University:

  • Professor Kateryna Segida presented a report "Forced Migration as Challenges of Ukrainian Communities in the War Conditions" and took part in a special panel "Ukraine, Georgia and Russia's Aggression" on the topic "Economic, Social, Geographical Changes in Ukraine: A Sustainable Development Post-War Perspective". In her speeches, she revealed the complex processes of socio-economic transformation, spatial shifts and challenges faced by Ukrainians in the conditions of war and post-war reconstruction.
  • Professor Sergiy Kostrikov gave lectures "Introduction to GIS and Remote Sensing in Social and Political Geography: Urban Studies' Perspective" and "Political Geography, Urban Governance, and Spatial Decision-Making with GIS", during which he shared his experience in using geoinformation technologies in the study of political geography and spatial management.
  • Associate Professor Liudmyla Kliuchko gave a lecture on “Socio-Economic Transformations in Kharkiv Region Under the Impact of War” and presented a report on “Demographic Changes in Ukraine and Kharkiv Region During and After the War”, focusing on the profound demographic shifts resulted from full-scale aggression.

During the event, the department’s lecturers not only shared the results of current scientific research, but also established communication with colleagues from universities in Poland, Georgia, Korea, Kosovo, the Netherlands and Slovakia.

The prospects for academic mobility, joint international projects, as well as opportunities to participate in future projects, research and conferences related to the post-war transformation of territories were discussed.

The event also included networking meetings, study tours and excursions, including an excursion to the Dolní oblast Vítkovic industrial facility – a symbol of Ostrava’s post-industrial development.

International Teaching Week demonstrated how important international academic cooperation is in solving global challenges.

Participation in such initiatives is an opportunity to exchange experience, develop partnerships, engage in interdisciplinary dialogue and integrate into the European and global academic space.

The K. Niemets Department of Human Geography and Regional Studies of V. N. Karazin Kharkiv National University and the Department of Human Geography and Regional Development of the University of Ostrava have many years of close cooperation in scientific and educational activities, publications and project applications. This cooperation is actively developing thanks to joint initiatives that contribute to improving the quality of education and scientific research.

Since 2022, 13 students and 8 teachers of the K. Niemets Department of Human Geography and Regional Studies of V. N. Karazin Kharkiv National University underwent training and internships under the Erasmus+ program at the University of Ostrava, which became an important part of academic mobility and contributed to the deepening of partnership relations between institutions.

The lecturers of the K. Niemets Department of Human Geography and Regional Studies of V. N. Karazin Kharkiv National University would like to express their sincere gratitude to the colleagues from the University of Ostrava and the Erasmus+ academic mobility program for the warm welcome, high level of organization of the event, attention to each participant, and the opportunity to be involved in important international academic initiatives. Such events are extremely valuable for professional growth, the formation of partnerships, and the deepening of international academic cooperation.