On June 4, 2025, Rector of Sumy National Agrarian University Ihor KOVALENKO presented a report at a meeting of the Council of Rectors of Higher Education Institutions of Sumy Region with the participation of the Head of the Sumy Regional Military Administration Oleh HRYHOROV. The presentation was about the university’s successfully implemented security and dual education practices.
The meeting was attended by the heads of higher education institutions of Sumy region: Ihor KOVALENKO, Rector of SNAU, Vasyl KARPUSHA, Rector of Sumy State University, Yurii LIANNOY, Rector of Sumy State Pedagogical University, Oleksandr KUROK, Rector of Dovzhenko State Pedagogical University, Yurii NIKITIN, Rector of SOIPPO, and Serhii LUKASH, Director of the Sumy Branch of KhNUIA.
The discussion also included representatives of the local administration: Deputy Head of the Sumy Regional State Administration Oleksiy DROZDENKO, Director of the Department of Education and Science of the Sumy Regional State Administration Viktoria HROBOVA, Head of the Sumy Regional Branch of the Committee on Physical Education and Sports of the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine Vladyslav MASLOV; and local entrepreneurs: Director of Vorozhbalatinvest LLC Mykola SHTUKIN, owner of the private cheese factory O’BEGER Volodymyr OPRYSHKO, and Director of CPCS Oleksandr ALFIMOV.
Among the topics discussed were the challenges and prospects for the 2025 admission campaign caused by the region’s location on the border. A key priority for all higher education institutions is the need to create safe conditions for the educational process.
In order to reduce competitive pressure on border higher education institutions, regardless of the security conditions in the region, the participants of the meeting raised the issue of changing the minimum price for contractual education, which takes into account the cost of training one student, and there was general agreement on this.
The Head of the Sumy Regional Military Administration, Oleh HRYHOROV, emphasized the importance of partnerships between higher education institutions and local entrepreneurs to train specialists needed by the local manufacturing market. He emphasized the need to involve students in practical training with local businesses in the format of dual education.
During his speech, Ihor KOVALENKO, Rector of Sumy NAU, spoke about successful practices of implementing dual education and cooperation with businesses at the university. SNAU, along with all higher education colleges, is constantly developing in this direction by constantly increasing the number of educational programs that are needed in the local market and developing partnerships with
entrepreneurs, which is positive for the socio-economic situation in the region and provides students with career opportunities.
It is difficult to underestimate the importance of the meeting, as it demonstrates the common commitment of all participants to the development of Sumy region. SNAU is proud to be involved in this, because it is in the context and strives to improve the conditions for students and applicants.
