The Universities’ Reaction to Big Obstructions: Building resilient higher education to respond and manage societal crises (TURBO)

The Universities’ Reaction to Big Obstructions: Building resilient higher education to respond and manage societal crises (TURBO)

About the program

The project was created in response to the need to address the complex challenge of mass displacement of people in Ukraine caused by the war, as well as their need to integrate into new communities. More information can be found on the official program website

Goals

Specific objectives:

1. Improve and build Ukrainian HEIs’ capacity to provide more flexible educational offers relevant to the labor market and practice-oriented in the business and management field for faster integration into the EU educational space.  2. Contribute to re-placing internally displaced persons (IDPs) into new local communities through retraining and social adaptation.  3. Share experience on the retraining and social adaptation of IDPs within Ukraine and internationally.  4. Improve the Ukrainian system’s regulatory framework for HE through the recognition of micro-credentials as part of lifelong learning practices at universities.  5. Facilitate cooperation between multiple actors to ensure social inclusiveness, increased employability of students, and quality of HE during times of social crisis.

Project parties

Coordinator in Norway: Nord University  

Beneficiaries:  - In Poland: Akademia Leona Kozminskiego  - In Ukraine:

  • International Charitable Foundation for Social Adaptation (IFSA)
  • Chernivtsi National University Yuriy Fedkovych 
  • Lviv Polytechnic National University 
  • West Ukrainian National University 
  • Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv 
  • Chernihiv Polytechnic National University 
  • South Ukrainian National Pedagogical University named after K.D. Ushynsky 
  • Vinnytsia National Technical University 

The final beneficiaries of the TURBO project are IDPs with graduate education searching for work who will benefit from academic retraining in Ukrainian HEIs. This is expected to lead to better employment and integration into the local society, where IDPs had to resettle due to the war.

Immediate results

  • Training of at least 56 Ukrainian HEIs’ representatives in creating, running, and assessing educational programs; 
  • Seven educational programs in business and management based on the micro-credentials approach developed and tested in 7 Ukrainian regions through the professional training and social integration of at least 350 IDPs.

Impact: Contribute to developing resilient universities with the flexibility to adapt to the emerging needs of Ukrainian society in the context of dramatic changes and to integrate Ukrainian HEIs into the EU.

The role of Kozminski University in the TURBO project

The role of Kozminski University in the TURBO project is significant and focuses on several key areas:

Status and Role within the Consortium

  • Kozminski University acts as an academic partner in the project, alongside Nord University (the project coordinator) and Ukrainian higher education institutions.
  • Its responsibilities are primarily related to strengthening the competencies and institutional capacities of Ukrainian universities in the field of modern management and educational practices.

Expert Contribution

  • Kozminski University contributes its expertise as a leading business school in Central and Eastern Europe, supported by an extensive network of international partnerships and a strong practice-oriented approach to education.
  • Its experts (including Prof. Dorota Dobija and Dr. Sylwia Hałas-Dej) will deliver training and provide advisory support in the areas of management, quality assurance in education, and cooperation with the business environment.

Contribution to Project Outcomes

  • Training of at least 58 staff members from Ukrainian higher education institutions.
  • Support for the development of 7 new educational programmes based on micro-credentials.
  • Participation in dissemination activities and stakeholder engagement (including conferences and publications).

Main Responsibilities

Kozminski University serves as the leader of Work Package WP2: “Capacity Building and Competence Improvement for Partner HEIs.”

The University is responsible for the organisation and delivery of training activities for representatives of Ukrainian higher education institutions in the following areas:

  • Strategic and crisis management for university leaders.
  • Management of innovative educational programmes (including the design of micro-credentials, accreditation processes, and quality assurance).
  • Development of an interactive university model (digitalisation, cooperation with the business sector, and internationalisation).

Kozminski University cooperates with Nord University in the development of training materials and the exchange of experience in the areas of:

  • International accreditations.
  • Interactive teaching methods (including gamification and blended learning).
  • Building relationships with the business sector and establishing career centres.

In addition, the University provides support in the digitalisation of educational processes and the implementation of innovative teaching solutions.

*The project has received funding from the European Union (ERASMUS-EDU-2023-CBHE) under Grant Agreement No. 101129315.

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