Returning from war is already an act of courage. Yet civilian life brings new challenges, for which military experience does not always provide ready answers. With this in mind, the Department of Management of Organizations, the Institute of Economics and Management, APP, in cooperation with the Walter Baldaccini Foundation (Italy), implemented the project Development of Soft Skills for the Professional Adaptation of Veterans. The initiative has now been successfully completed, leaving participants and organizers with the sense that they have contributed to something truly meaningful.
Over the course of two months, 24 veterans took part in 13 training sessions, including 10 thematic trainings and 3 practical workshops. The program was designed as a comprehensive pathway – from strengthening civic identity and emotional resilience to developing communication, leadership, and decision-making skills, as well as career planning, negotiation techniques, and mentoring. The format combined interactive training sessions, role-playing activities, and individual consultations, enabling participants not only to gain new knowledge, but also to experience personal transformation and growth.
The project’s success was made possible due to the dedicated work of a team of coaches, including Vice-Rector for International Affairs of APP Professor Oleh Karyi, Professors Nataliia Chukhrai and Oleksii Druhov, Associate Professors Mariana Hvozd, Oleh Sorochak, and Uliana Ivaniuk, as well as Head of the Leonardo da Vinci Center for Italian-Ukrainian Cooperation Orest Vasylko. Each of them contributed not only their professional expertise, but also genuine care and commitment to the initiative.
Participants emphasized that the development of communication and social competencies – rather than professional knowledge alone – is what truly helps bridge military experience and civilian careers. For many veterans, the project became more than just a training course; it became a space where they could regain self-confidence and discover new opportunities for personal and professional development.
It is fundamentally important for us that the Department’s educational initiatives are aimed not only at students, but also at those who defended Ukraine and now require support in a new stage of their lives. Veterans are people of extraordinary experience, resilience, and determination. Our role is to help them transform these qualities into valuable resources for successful civilian careers, noted Mariana Hvozd, project manager and Associate Professor at the Department of Management of Organizations.
This initiative became the fourth project led by Mariana Hvozd and implemented with the support of the Walter Baldaccini Foundation. The University sincerely expresses its gratitude to the partners for their trust and for their belief that Ukraine’s recovery includes education as well. After all, Ukraine must be rebuilt not only physically, but through people as well.
