On March 19, 2026, an online meeting was held for graduates of the professional retraining program «Social Entrepreneurship in the Provision of Social Services,» together with the project team «The Universities’ Reaction to Big Obstructions: Building resilient higher education to respond and manage societal crises (TURBO),» within which the training was implemented.
It should be recalled that the course participants were internally displaced persons (IDPs), for whom acquiring new knowledge and skills became an important step toward professional realization and social adaptation in new conditions.
The project at APP is implemented by PhD in Economics, Associate Professor of the Department of Social Work at the Institute of Humanities and Social Sciences Tetiana Shapovalova (project manager), PhD in Pedagogy, Associate Professor of the same department Sofiya Stavkova, PhD in Political Science, Associate Professor Uliana Yatsyshyn, and Doctor of Philosophy, Senior Lecturer Romana Myshok.
The main goal of the meeting was to summarize the training outcomes: together with the project team, participants had the opportunity to reflect on their journey, assess the practical value of the knowledge gained, and discuss how it is applied in real life. Special attention was given to collecting ideas and insights for the further development of educational initiatives.
During the meeting, graduates shared sincere stories of personal and professional transformation, spoke about their experience in launching and developing social projects, and provided valuable suggestions for improving the training program. Such open dialogue makes it possible not only to evaluate achieved results but also to shape more effective approaches to education in the future.
The organizers emphasize that such meetings are particularly valuable because they:
- help maintain connections among graduates and foster an active community of like-minded individuals;
- create a space for exchanging experiences and mutual inspiration;
- contribute to improving educational programs based on real feedback;
- open new opportunities for partnerships and the implementation of future projects.
Participants highlighted the importance of such initiatives for the development of social entrepreneurship in Ukraine, especially in the context of current societal challenges.
The project team expresses sincere gratitude to all participants for their openness, engagement, and willingness to share their experience. It is through such collaboration that a resilient education system is formed–one capable of effectively responding to today’s challenges.
This project has received funding from the European Union (ERASMUS-EDU-2023-CBHE) under grant agreement No 101129315.
