International Cooperation: Norway

The international cooperation between Ukraine and Norway is based on the two projects:

1.  The “Retraining and Social Adaptation of Servicepersons and Their Family Members in Ukraine” Project, and
2. The “Retraining and Social Adaptation of Servicepersons and Their Family Members in Ukraine. Integration of the “Ukraine-Norway” Project model into the state system” Project.

The “Retraining and Social Adaptation of Servicepersons and Their Family Members in Ukraine” Project was implemented at Lviv Polytechnic National University from 2014 to 2020. During this period, 428 servicepersons released into the reserve and their family members were retrained. As a result of participating in the professional retraining Project the trainees receive assistance in legal, social, and psychological adaptation, employment, and own business organization.

In 2020, the updated Project started, i.e., “Retraining and Social Adaptation of Servicepersons and Their Family Members in Ukraine. Integration of the “Ukraine-Norway” Project model into the state system”. The updated Project strategy aims at:                                                                                        

• assisting in the area of professional retraining, social adaptation and employment of servicepersons released into the reserve, their family members, and the family members of the perished servicepersons; and
• improving and formalizing the project implementation model, and its transfer to be used by the Ukrainian authorities as an effective model for working with servicepersons, war veterans, and their family members in order to provide professional retraining, social adaptation, and assistance in employment.

An important condition for the new Project phase is the requirement to attract co-funding from the Ukrainian authorities of all levels, and Ukrainian and foreign organizations. These requirements are applied to contracts at all levels between Norwegian and Ukrainian partners involved in the Project.

On April 8, 2020, the spring semester 2019-2020 started under the Project “Retraining and Social Adaptation of Servicepersons and Their Family Members in Ukraine. Integration of the “Ukraine-Norway” Project model into the state system” at Lviv Polytechnic National University. Within the Project framework, our servicemen and servicewomen will be able to master the new professional activity area within the “Project management” program at Tech StartUp School of Lviv Polytechnic, which will support the participants’ projects and promote finding their first clients and partners.

 

The «Retraining and Social Adaptation of Servicemen and Their Family Members in Ukraine» project UKR — 14/0033 
The project is funded by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Norway.

The Project implementers: University of Nordland (hereinafter — NORD University, Norway), International Fund for Social Adaptation (Kyiv, Ukraine), universities of Ukraine, including Lviv Polytechnic National University, non-governmental organizations, and enterprises of various forms of ownership, in cooperation with: 

• Embassy of the Kingdom of Norway in Ukraine; 
• Ministry of Social Policy;
• Ministry of Defense;
• Ministry of Education and Science;
• Ministry of Foreign Affairs;
• Regional State Administrations of Ukraine.

The Project Content: 

• Professional retraining of military personnel and their families in civilian specialties in accordance with the needs of the labor market, the duration of 500 academic hours; 
• Psychological adaptation of the project participants to increase their motivation to take active action to improve their families’ well-being; 
• Legal adaptation of servicemen to increase legal literacy and social security; 
• Promotion of employment of the project participants to improve their living standards; 
• Assistance in the startup of one’s own business and self-actualization of the project participants in business activities under the conditions of high unemployment in Ukraine. 

Criteria and indicators of the «Ukraine — Norway» project success

The project main goal is to increase the level of social adaptation to the civilian life of servicemen and their family members.

The criterion for achieving the goal is the improvement of living conditions of the project participants.

The indicators of achievement:

• raising the income level of a serviceman’s family; 
• solution of social problems (employment, obtaining preassigned benefits, the project participants joining the state and regional social programs, solving the housing problem); 
• expanding opportunities for opening one’s own (family) business, business partner search, receiving support from local funds, public organizations and state programs; 
• obtaining higher education in a civilian specialty, and receiving assistance in finding a job in a new specialty; 
• scientific potential implementation by education/training, dissertation defense, and further employment. 

The project objectives: 

• professional retraining of the project participants at the courses lasting 500 academic hours; 
• psychological adaptation of servicemen and their families to conditions of active activities in civil society; 
• assistance in the employment of the project participants. 
• Major events of the Norwegian-Ukrainian cooperation:

2016

March 2016 — Dr. Tetyana V. Shapovalova, Associate Professor of the Department of Sociology and Social Work, Institute of Humanities and Social Sciences, Lviv Polytechnic National University, was elected Member of the Board of International Fund for Social Adaptation.

2017

March — April 2017 — Working meetings with the participants of the «Ukraine — Norway» project were organized in the cities of Lviv, Ivano-Frankivsk, Ternopil, Vynnytsia, and Chernivtsi. 

May 2017 — The contact group meeting took place on further development of the «Ukraine-Norway» project with the participation of the Ambassador of the Kingdom of Norway to Ukraine, the NORD University Professors, representatives of the Ministries and Departments of Norway and Ukraine, and representatives of Lviv Polytechnic National University, Lviv. 

May 2017 — The Third International Symposium «Norwegian-Ukrainian cooperation: Education, research and business» was held in the city of Lviv. 

December 21, 2017 — The Round Table «The „Ukraine-Norway“ Project: The way to success» was held at Lviv Polytechnic National University with the involvement of the already retrained Project participants and Dr. Maureen Flaherty, Canadian professional in the area of peace and conflict resolution (University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada).

2018

In the spring semester 2017-2018, at Lviv Polytechnic National University two academic groups were retrained:

• February 20, 2018 — May 24, 2018 — 42 persons were retrained within the «English Language and Digital Communication» Retraining Program at the Institute of Administration and Postgraduate Education (Lviv);
• February 21, 2018 — May 25, 2018 — 33 persons were retrained within the «Management of Small and Medium Business» Retraining Program at the Training and Consulting Centre of Lviv Polytechnic (Volodymyr-Volynskyi). 

In the spring semester 2017-2018, Dr. Lana Berglund from the Norwegian side took part in teaching the «Business Administration» discipline for the trainees in Lviv (March 19-21), and in Volodymyr-Volynskyi (March 22-23).

In the fall semester 2017-2018, during the period of September 20-December 20, 2017, one academic group of 33 persons was retrained. In the implementation of the «Ukraine-Norway» Project at Lviv Polytechnic, Department of Sociology and Social Work, International «INTEGRATION» Centre for Professional Partnerships of the Institute of the Humanities and Social Sciences, and Department of Automated Control Systems, Department of Artificial Intelligence Systems, Department of Computer-Aided Design of the Institute of Computer Science and Information Technologies were involved.

September 25, 2018 — The Ukrainian-American Round Table «On the establishment of Veteran Services for combatants and their family members based on Lviv Polytechnic» was held at Lviv Polytechnic with the involvement of the representatives of Frederick Community College (Maryland, USA): Prof. Marshall Botkin and Ms. Rachel Nachlas, Head, Veteran Services.

September 27-28, 2018 — The representatives of Lviv Polytechnic Dr. Roman Korzh, Dr. Tetiana Shapovalova, Dr. Uliana Marikutsa, and Ms. Mariana Hasiak participated in the International conference «The Knowledge for the Development of Society and Business. The Norway-Ukraine Cooperation», devoted to the 15th anniversary of the «Ukraine-Norway» Project. Dr. Tetiana Shapovalova was awarded the Certificate of Honor of the Ministry of Social Policy of Ukraine for her outstanding personal contribution to the implementation of the rights of servicepersons and their families, and their social, legal and professional adaptation to the conditions of the life in civil society, as guaranteed by the legislation of Ukraine.

November 22-23, 2018 — Dr. Olga Yermolenko from the Norwegian side made a working visit to Lviv Polytechnic National University and delivered lectures and trainings within the «Business Administration» discipline. The Project participants had an opportunity to learn about the Norwegian experience of applying innovative approaches to doing business.

November 23, 2018 — Within the framework of her visit to Lviv Polytechnic, Dr. Olga Yermolenko had a meeting with Dr. Roman Korzh, Vice-Rector for Research, Education and Social Development, and Dr. Nina Hayduk, Director of International «INTEGRATION» Centre for Professional Partnerships. During the meeting, the areas of the partnership cooperation between Lviv Polytechnic National University and University of Nord (Kingdom of Norway), and the prospects for further cooperation with Norwegian partners were discussed.

December 4-5, 2018 — Mr. Patrick Hagan visited Lviv Polytechnic National University with the purpose of monitoring the evaluation of the quality of the «Ukraine-Norway» Project implementation at Lviv Polytechnic.

December 13, 2018 — Mr. Boye Garder Lillerud, Military Attaché of the Kingdom of Norway in Ukraine, visited Lviv Polytechnic and took part in the ceremony of the academic group graduation under the «Ukraine-Norway» Project. The meetings with representatives of the University administration were also held.

2019

January 22, 2019 — The presentation «On the development of a system of inclusive service delivery at Lviv Polytechnic» was made by Dr. Roman Korzh and Dr. Nina Hayduk at the Scientific Council of Lviv Polytechnic National University. The rational for the development of Veteran Services for Combatants, Their Families, & IDPs was justified, and the Agreement was adopted, which indicated the need to establish Veteran Services within the structure of International «INTEGRATION» Centre for Professional Partnerships at Lviv Polytechnic.

In the spring semester 2018-2019, during the period of February 27, 2019 — May 29, 2019, one academic group of 33 persons of the «Software Quality Control» specialty was retrained under the «Ukraine-Norway» Project at Lviv Polytechnic. In the implementation of the Project, International «INTEGRATION» Centre for Professional Partnerships and Department of Sociology and Social Work of the Institute of the Humanities and Social Sciences, Department of Automated Control Systems, Department of Artificial Intelligence Systems and Department of Computer-Aided Design of the Institute of Computer Science and Information Technologies, and the Institute of Administration and Postgraduate Education were involved. 

April 17-18, 2019 — Ms. Siliie Aacre made a working visit to Lviv Polytechnic and delivered lectures and trainings within the «Cybersecurity» discipline. The Project participants had an opportunity to learn about the advanced foreign experience in the field of cybersecurity from the Norwegian practitioner.
In the fall semester 2019-2020, one academic group of 33 persons of the «Software Quality Control» specialty program was retrained. During the period of September 16, 2019 —

December 17, 2019, the trainees attended lectures and practical classes in the following disciplines: «English», «Operating systems», «Fundamentals of algorithm building», «Database organization», «Building computer networks», «Practical testing», «Teamwork and effective interaction», «Time management», «Stress management and burnout prevention», «Self-actualization in professional activity», and «Business administration».

October 25, 2019 — The Round Table «Professional, social and psychological adaptation and assistance in employment of servicepersons, war veterans and their families in Ukraine: Prospects of the interaction of the „Ukraine-Norway“ Project partnership network with state institutions at the regional and national levels» was held at Lviv Polytechnic. The purpose of the Round Table was to unite the efforts of representatives of public authorities, local self-government, educators and practitioners of the social sphere and public associations of war veterans on the way of the partnership network development at the local, regional, national and international levels for positive social change.

November 25-26, 2019 — Ms. Iryna Roddvik, PhD, University of Nord (Kingdom of Norway) made a working visit to Lviv Polytechnic and delivered interactive lectures on the topic «How to be successful, given the current challenges?». The Project participants considered the components of a modern, successful, prosperous, and just country, learned how to create a perspective scenario for the Ukraine-2030 development, and underwent some interesting testing. The Project participants also had an opportunity to explore successful cases, types of personal capital and examples of their combination, as well as to learn about Machiavelli’s theory of changing elites and consider examples of conducting negotiations.