The project title:
Improvement of methods and tools of Political Science in Ukraine: influence of the V4 universities
Focus area of the project:
Education and capacity building, increase in the volume of common formal, informal and non-formal educational tools and teacher training opportunities
The project relevance and context:
The project is aimed at improving the methods and tools of Political Science (within researching and teaching of Political Science disciplines for BA, MA and PhD students) in Ukraine (mainly at Ivan Franko National University of Lviv), in particular through the involvement of the universities/partners from the V4 countries. Accordingly, the project is aimed at attracting the experience of leading educational institutions and experts (partners) from the countries of the Visegrad Group, thanks to which it is possible to improve the situation in Ukraine.
The main objective of the project is to increase the level of understanding and application of tools for studying political processes (initially by teachers and scholars and later by students and society). To do this through the project funds and tangible/intangible resources of the partners and applicant, it is planned to: conduct a preparatory series of theoretical and practical workshops on the problems of methods and tools of Political Science with the participation of experts from the V4 countries and Ukraine; prepare and hold a conference (with the participation of experts, postgraduates and students from the V4 countries and Ukraine) on the problems of methods and tools of Political Science, in particular in the analysis of parties and elections (especially in the context of the 2019 elections in Ukraine); prepare and publish collections of materials based on the results of workshops and conference that should be disseminated among the main educational institutions of Ukraine; inform lecturers, experts and students about the possibilities of the IVF resources’ using for the development of Political Science in Ukraine. Based on these intentions, the project should enrich methods and tools of Political Science in Ukraine.
The project is related to the main mission of the applicant university and its partners. Therefore, it has a regional cut, since it relates to the experience of Political Science development in Ukraine and neighboring countries. The main reason is that Political Science in the V4 countries is much more developed than in Ukraine and is improved through the European and world integration. Therefore, the V4 countries are the best examples of the expected advancement of methods of Political Science in Ukraine. However, not only the Ukrainian side, but also the partner side can gain new experience, since it can reconsider political processes in Ukraine. The project has a two-way regional added value and can contribute to the expansion of regional institutions of political education and science.
The main mission of the applicant university is to develop and disseminate knowledge in the field of research and educational Political Science. This means that the applicant prepares specialists (bachelors, masters and PhDs) in Political Science, which are engaged in various spheres of management, research, teaching and public activity, etc. Accordingly, the applicant is maximally interested in adopting the methods and tools of research and educational Political Science, which for objective reasons are less developed in Ukraine than in the neighboring countries of the Visegrad Group. Therefore, the applicant (through the resources of the IVF and in the regional context) seeks to improve and develop Political Science in Ukraine, in particular through the prism of improving teaching and research skills in the outlined plane.