On 23 March, a scheduled meeting of the Academic Council took place at Sumy National Agrarian University. The agenda included strategic issues concerning the development of research activities, the approval of study programmes for the coming academic year, and a number of important organisational decisions.
The meeting traditionally began with a formal ceremony during which the achievements of the university’s researchers were recognised. Rector Ihor KOVALENKO presented Certificates of Authorship for new plant varieties to academic and teaching staff from the Faculty of Agricultural Technology and Natural Resource Management. This time, the awards were presented to: Vladyslav KOVALENKO, Viktor ONYCHKO, and Mykola SAKHOSHKO.
Following the formalities, the Academic Council continued its work according to the agenda. The Chair of the Academic Council, Volodymyr LADYKA, reported on personnel changes within the Council, after which the discussion moved on to the university’s core areas of activity.
Considerable attention was paid to research work. Yurii DANKO, Vice-Rector for Research and International Affairs, presented a comprehensive report on the state of research at SNAU and outlined measures for its further development.
Particular attention was paid to supporting young researchers: the Academic Council reviewed the applications and endorsed the nominations of young researchers to participate in the competitions for scholarships from the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine and the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine for 2026. Issues regarding the assessment of current scholarship holders, the approval of specialised academic councils for the defence of dissertations, and recommendations for the publication of research papers were also considered.
Equally important was the discussion of the educational process, coordinated by the Head of the Academic Department, Nataliia KOLODNENKO. The main decision in this area was the approval of the university’s educational programmes for the 2025–2026 academic year.
In addition, based on the decisions of the Council for Quality Assurance in Education, the following decisions were taken: new members of project groups were approved; professional development programmes for civil servants were approved; and new teaching and learning materials were recommended for publication, which will expand the library collection and enhance the training of students.
The meeting of the Academic Council marked an important step in the university’s development: the decisions taken strengthen its academic potential and open up new opportunities for students and academic staff.
