In November 2024, a new interdisciplinary educational project “Security Resilience: Ukraine and the European Context” (Euresissecur) module was launched at the Odesa Polytechnic National University. Jean Monet within the framework of the EU Erasmus+ Program, we talked about its purpose, the new course for students, and the impact on security policy with the coordinator and expert of the IEC, associate professor of the Department of Local Self-Government and Territorial Development of the Institute of Public Service and Management of the Odesa Polytechnic National University, Olena Knyazeva.
– Ms. Olena, what was the main impetus for the creation of the EUresissecur project?
– Today, security is not only a military threat. It is an ecological, technological, and humanitarian challenge. We live in a time when the formation of national resilience is one of the main tasks of the state. And education plays a key role here. That is why our training course, which we are currently teaching at the university, “Resilience to Dangerous Challenges: Ukraine and the European Context,” has become an opportunity to combine European experience with Ukrainian reality.
– Does the project have European support?
– Yes, it is being implemented with the support of the European Union within the framework of the program Erasmus+ Jean Monnet Actions. It is important that this is not just funding, but part of the EU's global strategy to build a safe, sustainable society. And Ukraine is not just a participant here, but an equal partner.
– What is special about the training course you are creating?
– We have developed discipline "Resilience to Risk Challenges: Ukraine and the European Context"It is aimed at bachelors, masters, and postgraduate students, as well as the academic community. The main goal is to prepare future public administrators who are able to not only theoretically know, but also practically respond to threats.
– Who is the course aimed at besides students?
– We also focus on representatives of government bodies, local governments, the public, business and the media. That is, everyone who participates in the formation of security policies. Improving competencies in public administration is our strategic task.
– What will society gain as a result of the project?
– Firstly, this Tutorial, which is already available in Ukrainian and English. Secondly, the series educational activities — webinar, workshop, final conference. And most importantly — the formation of a new professional culture. We are forming analytical, critical youth, capable of acting in conditions of uncertainty.
– What does the European component look like in this context?
– We analyze EU security policy, in particular the provisions The EU Global Strategy for Foreign and Security Policy, and we look at what tools can be adapted in Ukraine. At the same time, our team not only adopts experience, but also shares its own developments. In the conditions of war, Ukrainian communities have demonstrated examples of self-organization that deserve to be studied and disseminated.
– What is the role of the team? Who supports you in implementing the project?
– We have a great team: Professor Mykola Izha, Professor Kostyantyn Dyadyura, Professor Tetyana Pakhomova, PhD student Kateryna Domashevska. All of them are leading researchers and teachers of the Odesa Polytechnic National University, working at the intersection of political, technical, and social sciences. This is our interdisciplinarity in action.
You can learn more about the project on the official pages:
- 🌐 Website: https://op.edu.ua/international/projects/mone24
- 📘 Facebook: facebook.com/EUresissecur
