In early September, representatives of Sumy National Agrarian University took part in an international event held at the KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm (Sweden). The event was organized within the framework of the Erasmus+ KA2 UNITWIN project “University Infrastructure for Workforce Development with a Focus on Dual Transformation”.
Sumy National Agrarian University was represented by the Vice-Rector for Research and International Affairs, Professor Yurii Danko, Head of the Bioeconomy and Green Marketing Laboratory, Professor Olena Nifatova, and Associate Professor of the Department of Marketing and Logistics, Kseniia Bliumska-Danko.
SNAU is responsible for the implementation of one of the key work packages in the project, aimed at identifying the needs of stakeholders in the competencies necessary for green and digital transformation. The university team developed a research methodology, conducted a survey and analyzed the data obtained, summarized the positions of representatives of various industries, and identified the most in-demand knowledge and skills. During the working meeting, Professor Olena Nifatova presented a report on the current needs of stakeholders in competencies for dual transformation to international partners. The results of the study became the basis for further discussion of the content of new training courses that will be developed within the project. Representatives of key stakeholders joined the discussion. Their suggestions and professional experience helped to specify the list of competencies that enterprises and organizations need today in the context of digital changes and the transition to the principles of sustainable development.
The program of the first day included a presentation of the study results, receiving feedback from stakeholders, brainstorming on the definition of future training courses, as well as a discussion of digital transformation in partnership with society.
The participants learned about the experience of implementing the Digital4Sustainability and DeepCEL projects and held a coordination meeting on the next stages of UNITWIN. Special attention was paid during the second day to the integration of sustainable development principles into professional educational courses for various target groups. The relevant experience of KTH was presented by the Sustainability Manager of the KTH Sustainability Office Héléne Hermansson-Järvenpää. The KTH Sustainability Office is a specialized unit of the university that coordinates the implementation of sustainability principles in the educational process, scientific research, university management and everyday campus life. Among the practices presented is the mapping of educational programs in accordance with the UN Sustainable Development Goals. This approach is already being successfully implemented at Sumy National Agrarian University. A comparison of the experience of the two universities showed that SNAU is developing the education and management system in the same strategic direction together with leading European partners.
The participants also held a working session on the preparation of new project applications, got acquainted with the KTH campus infrastructure and visited Viable Cities. During this visit, the experience of involving stakeholders in the dual transformation was presented, as well as practices developed in the Valencian region of Spain. The results of the meeting in Stockholm will contribute to the development of relevant training courses focused on the real needs of the labor market, strengthening cooperation between universities and stakeholders, and further integrating digital and green competencies into the educational process.
