IMPLEMENTATION OF THE EUROPEAN UNION PROJECTS AT THE NATIONAL UNIVERSITY «CHERNIHIV COLEHIUM»: CHALLENGES AND PROSPECTS

Abstract

The aim of the paper is to identify and systematize the challenges for successful implementation of the European Union projects at the T. H. Shevchenko National University «Chernihiv Colehium» (NUChK), and to outline prospects and directions for overcoming them.

Methodology. The paper is based on the results of the author's empirical research (interviews with academic coordinators and managers of implemented and active projects in combination with the method of self-ethnography).

Scientific novelty. The main challenges and obstacles for the successful implementation of the EU projects implemented at the NUChK have been identified and systematized, and the main strategic directions have been outlined both for immediate response and for the optimization of project activities at the university in the longterm perspective.

Conclusions. As a result of the study of challenges for international project activity at three levels (state, regional and university), it was found that the main block of obstacles for the implementation of the projects of EU programs is concentrated at the university level. While conditions for the implementation of projects in Ukraine are constantly being improved at the national level, international activities are overseen by relevant offices (for example, the Erasmus+ office of Ukraine), at the university level there is still a need to develop appropriate environment.

The biggest challenges are: the absence of a project department, insufficient participation and support from the international and financial departments, the lack of personnel with sufficient level of command of foreign languages (in particular, English) to work with project teams, the lack of a database on NUCK projects, a complex of technical and organizational difficulties caused by the war.  

The most promising vectors for the formation of relevant university policies to overcome the outlined challenges may be: creation of a project department (or accumulation of its functions within the existing «Department of International Relations and Social Partnership»), which would provide comprehensive information about grant opportunities (programs, competitions, the algorithm of preparing project applications, specifics of the implementation of EU projects, etc.); professional training (improvement of qualifications) of employees in relevant departments specializing in international project activities; creation of a permanent coordinating council (or other similar institution), which monitors project activities and provides consistent and timely assistance for project teams; accumulation of information about NUChK projects in a single database; updating pages of the university's website related to international project activities in order to strengthen the institution's positive image on the international level.