MEETING OF THE COUNCIL OF PARTNERS FOR THE RESTORATION AND DEVELOPMENT OF SUMY REGION WITH THE PARTICIPATION OF SNAU

The recent meeting of the Sumy Region Recovery and Development Partners Council was an important event for identifying ways to further develop the region. The Partners’ Council, established within the Regional Office for International Cooperation, aims to unite the efforts of the authorities, international donors and the business community to support and develop the region. An important goal of the Council is to ensure effective coordination and information interaction to achieve common goals. In 2023, the region received significant support from international partners in the amount of at least UAH 700 million. Another UAH 300 million is already planned for the near future to implement important initiatives in the communities.

At the meeting, representatives of the authorities, key international donors, business and the public discussed priorities for assistance for the economic recovery of Sumy Region in 2024 and tools to improve the effectiveness of cooperation.

Taras SAVCHENKO, First Deputy Head of the Regional Administration, highlighted the vision of interaction and support of Sumy region by the international community through the prism of the key guidelines of the Strategy for Economic Recovery and Development of the region. During his report, he noted the role of Sumy National Agrarian University in regional and sectoral initiatives and emphasized the importance of the university’s active participation in the development and recovery of the region.

Kiyal AKMATBEK, Program Implementation Specialist at the UN Food and Agriculture Program, spoke about the organization’s priority areas of activity and the criteria for implementing programs to stimulate the economy. These include the scientific areas of the National Academy of Agrarian Sciences of Ukraine on the preservation of local breeds, the creation of a regional craft product, and support for local producers.

Professor Yurii DANKO, Vice-Rector for Research and International Activities of Sumy National Agrarian University, who represents the university as a member of the Council, spoke at the event. In his report, he emphasized the active participation of higher education institutions in the recovery of the region and stressed that universities play a key role in building the scientific and human resources potential necessary for the sustainable development of the region. It was also suggested that it is important to involve universities in various support programs, as they are stable and reliable partners.