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Dnipro at Charles University: Honorary Doctorate and Shared Inspiration

From 3 to 7 November, Charles University hosted an eleven-member delegation from Oles Honchar Dnipro National University (DNU), led by Rector Sergiy Okovytyy. The visit represented the culmination of a year-long project entitled “Development of Education, Research, and International Cooperation at DNU”, supported by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic under the programme Strengthening the Capacities of Public Higher Education Institutions in Developing Countries.

The most prominent event of the week was the delegation’s meeting with Rector Milena Králíčková, whose unwavering support for Dnipro National University and for Ukraine since the very beginning of the war was recognised by DNU’s Rector through the conferral of an Honorary Doctorate degree. “I have always held deep admiration for the persistent strength with which Dnipro University continues its academic mission despite the realities of war. I firmly believe that our shared endeavours will continue in the future,” stated Rector Králíčková.

This marks the third time that Charles University has secured this joint project with DNU. Once again, it was structured around three main pillars: internationalisation, resilience, and Czech language education. Throughout 2025, a series of online seminars about these topics enabled hundreds of participants from DNU to expand their skills, broaden their horizons, share practice with Czech colleagues, and make valuable connections. The week-long in-person visit to Charles University primarily served to identify further opportunities for cooperation across faculties and university units at both institutions. In addition to senior leadership and Vice-Rector for International Affairs Viktor Gass, DNU was represented by scholars from branches of economics, medical science and the humanities:

• Inga Kirkovska, Prof., Head of the Dept. of Romance and Germanic Philology

• Natalia Diachok, Prof., Head of the Dept. of General Linguistics and Slavic Studies, Head of the Centre of Czech Language and Culture

• Olena Khomenko, Assoc. Prof., Dept. of General Medicine with a course in Physical Therapy

• Olha Zinchenko, Prof., Head of the Dept. of Marketing and International Management

• Svitlana Kaiuk, Assoc. Prof., Dept. of History of Ukraine

• Tetiana Grynko, Prof., Dean of the Faculty of Economics

• Viktoriia Kutiepova-Bredun, Assoc. Prof., Dept. of General and Social Psychology

• Alla Bakhmetieva, Assoc. Prof., Dept. of Mass and International Communication

• Viktoriia Vershyna, Assoc. Prof., Dept. of Philosophy

The delegation visited the Faculty of Mathematics and Physics, with which DNU is implementing a successful Erasmus+ International Credit Mobility project. Through this initiative, students and staff from DNU will visit the faculty over the next three years, focusing on acquiring applied laboratory skills to support the transfer of cutting-edge scientific knowledge to Ukraine. Further meetings took place at the Faculty of Physical Education and Sport, which cooperates with DNU within the Erasmus+ KA2 project BALANCE, aimed at promoting mental health and wellbeing in academic environments. Another key meeting was held at the Faculty of Arts, where collaboration in the field of Ukrainian studies was discussed. Ukrainian colleagues expressed strong interest in sharing expertise and teaching experience relating to Ukrainian literature, culture, history, as well as language. The field of Ukrainian studies at Charles University has gained further momentum through the Faculty of Arts’ recent accession to the Global Coalition of Ukrainian Studies, an international network designed to connect centres of Ukrainian scholarship worldwide and promote high-quality research and knowledge on Ukraine’s history and culture. The delegation also met with academics from the Faculty of Humanities and the Faculty of Science.

Equally significant were discussions with representatives of various Charles University Rectorate departments, who presented university-wide coordination mechanisms and outlined possibilities for cooperation at the institutional level. Of particular interest was the activity of the Centre for Lifelong Learning, presented by its Head, Radek Čajka. Topics included the Junior University programme, the University of Senior Studies, the Paedagogium platform, the Didaktikon centre, and the emerging phenomenon of micro-credentials.

One of the most impactful discussions addressed the urgent need for upskilling and reskilling programmes for war veterans. “It is clear that the successful reintegration of our veterans into civilian life will depend on lifelong learning programmes such as this one. We must introduce courses that enable retraining, provide veterans with new skills, and prepare them for professions critical to Ukraine’s reconstruction,” remarked DNU Rector Sergiy Okovytyy. Milada Ševčíková of the CU Point Resilience Centre presented support systems designed to assist the academic community in managing crisis situations and psychological stress, including measures implemented in response to the tragic shooting at the Faculty of Arts in December 2023. Ukrainian colleagues in turn shared insights into supporting student mental health and sustaining motivation amid ongoing wartime conditions.

Adéla Jiroudková, Head of the Research Support Office, and Julie Hubeňáková, Head of the European Centre, outlined opportunities for academic cooperation, most notably the Targeted Support for Cooperation in Research and Education with Ukraine mini-grant scheme, open to Ukrainian and Czech scholars across disciplines. Postdoctoral academic stay opportunities for young Ukrainian researchers were also discussed, including the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions and the CHARLESTON programme. Tomáš Novotný from the Public Relations Department shared best practices in university communications, particularly in the area of social media strategy.

Sylvie Boumová, Head of the International Relations Office, introduced mobility opportunities, covering not only physical exchange but also virtual mobility, joint online teaching, and broader frameworks of “internationalisation at home”. Two intensive workshops on strengthening institutional internationalisation were delivered to the DNU delegation by Eva Janebová, a specialist in higher-education internationalisation and intercultural learning. A particularly noteworthy achievement in DNU’s internationalisation strategy is the establishment of the Centre of Czech Language and Culture, which promotes Czech language education within the Dnipropetrovsk region. A methodological session dedicated to teaching the Czech language was held at the Institute for Language and Preparatory Studies, where future Czech language lecturers from Dnipro received expert guidance on AI-assisted exercise design and resources for improving Czech pronunciation.

The week once again reaffirmed that cooperation between Charles University and Oles Honchar Dnipro National University extends far beyond formal agreements. It represents an enduring partnership that continues to generate new opportunities for education, research, and academic solidarity with our Ukrainian colleagues. The initiatives and plans developed over the past year and during this visit reflect a shared commitment to advancing collaboration at an individual, institutional, and international level.

TEXT: Jelizaveta Getta

PHOTO: International Relations Office