A round table devoted to “Implementation of the third mission by higher education institutions: the experience of the University of Latvia” was held at the Donetsk State University of Internal Affairs, within the framework of the ERASMUS + KA 2 CBHE 101083077 “UNIVERSITIES-COMMUNITIES: STRENGTHENING COOPERATION” (UNICOM) project. The scientific and scientific-pedagogical staff of the DonSUIA were involved in the event. The round table was opened by first vice-rector of the University Yehor Nazymko, who told the audience about the purpose of the project and the results obtained during the first year of mobility. Yehor Nazymko also drew their attention to the fact that the main mission of the DonSUIA was defined as implementation of the key needs of communities, which consists in ensuring the security component – protection of human rights and national security.
In the course of work, the speakers shared with the attendees the knowledge gained during their foreign business trips. Head of the DonSUIA research laboratory for the prevention of criminal offenses Tetiana Ponomarova focused on the peculiarities of ensuring the third mission by the representatives of the University of Latvia. It was noted that a key aspect of the foreign visit was getting acquainted with the work experience of the Educational Center of Management and Entrepreneurship of the University of Latvia, the main activity of which is to provide continuous education of adults by conducting seminars and organizing full-time and distance training upgrading courses in various fields (about 27 programs of professional development (not less than 160 academic hours), which provide 11 digital competencies) in accordance with the needs of the labour market. The Educational Center of Management and Entrepreneurship of the University of Latvia also closely cooperates with the State Agency for the Development of Education through the implementation of the educational project “Upgrading the professional competence of employed persons”. In the process of training, representatives of the Center also use interactive business simulation games in order to ensure the development of educational competencies.
Head of the international cooperation unit, Viktoriia Moskalenko, shared her impressions of participating in the summarizing dissemination event of the project- an international conference “University and Inclusion”, organized by the Fondazione Sicurezza e Liberta in Rome ( the Italian Republic ), during which all the conference participants presented the results of their own research regarding the role of Universities and associations in European cooperation, the specifics of their interaction with communities and stakeholders, as well as implementation of foreign experience in the work of Universities with communities.
Andrii Zakharchenko, head of the DonSUIA research laboratory of the communities’public security, spoke about his participation in the study visit to Lund University. In particular, the speaker focused on the professional creation and distribution of podcasts. Head of the department, Hanna Buha, shared the knowledge gained during the foreign trip to the University of Genoa, which is the leading institution of higher education in Italy regarding the implementation of the Universities’ third mission.
Summarizing the speakers’ reports, Yehor Nazymko emphasized the priorities of the DonSUIA in implementing the mission of the project, such as, purposeful use and transfer of academic knowledge to solve various social problems, the transfer of technologies and innovations in the form of cooperation with state structures.
