Ukrainian Catholic University launches a scholarship program for ATO veterans wishing to study public administration at Master’s level. The course offered within the School of Management is designed in a practical way in cooperation with authorities and business actors so that students are learning based on practical cases.
Kyiv, May 10, 2016. School of Management at the Ukrainian Catholic University (UCU) launches the scholarship program MPA Honor Scholarship. The program is designed for demobilized ATO veterans who wish to take up the Master of Public Administration (MPA) program.It is to be integrated into the actual scholarship program launched in 2015. The project is organized by the UCU and the Western NIS Enterprise Fund (WNISEF). “We believe that investment accessibility of education may best prepare our veterans who would like to contribute to development of the Ukrainian state,” said Jaroslawa Johnson, President and Chief Executive Officer at WNISEF at a press briefing at Ukraine Crisis Media Center. “The scholarship will cover up to 100 percent of education costs including accommodation, meals and logistics. Scholarship amount will be defined after selection and interview stage,” noted Andriy Sorokhan, program coordinator at WNISEF.
Particular value of the MPA Honor Scholarship is that it will allow the demobilized veterans to reintegrate into social life and join the country’s transformation from inside, said Taras Kovalyk, former soldier of Aidar battalion and trainer at “Pobratymy” project who has been student of the MPA course for one year. “Brothers-in-arms often get frustrated as they see no actual changes. They were able to restrain the enemy on the front but cannot do anything here. Over nine months of my studies I saw that constant changes are taking place in the country and I realized in what way I and everyone else can join them. Who has got the actual power and will to implement the changes – there is a platform for them in the management school so that they can get the necessary knowledge, skills and contacts,” noted Kovalyk. “There is actually a huge lack of staff. In all regions where we go to we are invited to work and people are complaining that there is a very little number of people who are willing to change the country with their everyday work.” “We need a much bigger amount of civil servants and state leaders who have European vision, values and are in possession of modern managerial instruments and skills,” confirmed Pavlo Sheremeta, director of the School of Public Management at the Ukrainian Catholic University, former Minister for Economic Development and Trade of Ukraine.
In 2016-2017 academic years it is planned to place 25-30 students in the course, five of them (preliminary) will be ATO veterans. Participation in the program is open to Ukraine citizens in possession of the ATO veteran status, higher education diploma (Bachelor’s degree), managerial skills and intentions to work in public administration. English language skills sufficient for taking up the course are required. Applications are accepted from June 15 to August 1.
The academic course will start in September 2016 and will last for 18 months. “We do not want to produce dreamers-theoreticians. Course implementation is synchronized with authorities and business in a very practical manner,” noted Sheremeta. Students will learn a series of modules (themes), each of which will be supported by the necessary theoretical basis. Actual learning will take place only three days a month. Rest of the time they will be using the theory in practice in particular cases from a certain city, region or company by communicating with representatives of the city, regional authorities and business representatives. Thanks to this form of learning some students immediately find a job. “Three persons from the actual group that is currently studying started working at the Department for attraction of investment at the Lviv regional state administration. One of the course participants even became best employee of the Lviv regional state administration in the 1st quarter of 2016,” noted Sheremeta.
