October 13, 2025
The first day of Erasmus Days at KNU shone brightly with the energy of its students!
Nadiia Serohina, Deputy Head of the International Relations Office, moderated the event.
Despite the ongoing war, our students demonstrate that both education and science, as well as the pursuit of peace, are not limited within national borders. The first day of Erasmus Days for young people was filled with lectures, practical advice, interactive quizzes, and challenges. About 200 students participated in the event to explore Erasmus+ opportunities, ask questions, share experiences, and gain inspiration for new international adventures.
Volodymyr Bugrov, Rector of Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, opened the meeting by emphasising on the values of democracy, tolerance, academic freedom as well as openness to new ideas, including the importance of using international opportunities for education and advancement. Kseniia Smyrnova, Vice-Rector for International Cooperation, highlighted the significance of the University’s participation in European initiatives and strengthening Ukraine’s position in the shared educational space and developing alliances. She also presented the University’s achievements in implementing Erasmus+ projects and how the programme offers new opportunities for students.
Andrii Gozhyk, Vice-Rector for Education, underlined the role of mobility in developing critical thinking and cultural dialogue, and shared practical advice on the rules of academic mobility and how to avoid common mistakes when participating in Erasmus+ programmes.
Lilia Galich, Head of the Academic Mobility Office, presented the University’s website for Erasmus+ programme participants, described the necessary documents and the peculiarities of preparing applications, as well as provided practical advice on successful participation in academic mobility programmes. Roman Petyur, Head of the International Relations Office, shared his own experience of participating in the Erasmus+ programme. He talked about how international mobility opens up new horizons, develops professional skills and allows students to see education in a broader European context. Mr. Roman emphasised that participation in such programmes is always about development, communication and trust, which always comes from being open to the world. His speech made the event more positive and inspiring, and motivated students to bravely take advantage of the opportunities offered by Erasmus+. Alina Kornienko, Academic Mobility coordinator at the Faculty of History, reported on the preparation of documents for participation in Erasmus+, shared life-hacks on filling in application forms, choosing courses and communicating with partner universities. Her advice is intended to help students understand all stages of participation in the programme, from the initial idea to signing the Learning Agreement and recognition of results.
Roman Balandyuk, a Ukrainian working at Lund University (Sweden), gave an online presentation about priorities for cooperation with our University, scholarship opportunities, and his own study experience, which was the real highlight of the day. It is his knowledge of languages and openness to new things that are the keys to success in Erasmus+ and the international environment.
Representatives of the Erasmus Student Network (ESN Kyiv), Iryna Demchenko and Oleksandra Olkhovska, also joined the event. Who else but students can support their peers? They talked about how the network helps students adapt to new countries, find new friends, and feel as part of the European family.
The event was driven by presentations from mobility participants who shared their experiences of studying at partner universities: Snizhana Ulanova, Eötvös Loránd University (Hungary); Yulia Panasyuk, University of Valladolid (Spain); Anna Didyk, Sofia University St. Kliment Ohridski (Bulgaria); Oleksii Superzon-Vershinin, University of Valladolid (Spain).
Each participant in the mobility programme becomes an ambassador for our University. They share their experiences, introduce foreign students to Ukraine and show that studying at Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv is both highly respected and interesting, with a European spirit. The International Relations Office team is always close to students and colleagues, serving as a support system to make Erasmus+ more accessible and affordable. Erasmus is not just about studying; it is a path to discovering oneself and the world. The main thing is not to be afraid to take the first step: learn more, prepare, and try. Each mobility programme is a unique experience of development and inspiration.
Live our values, inspire our future!
October, 14
During the second day of Erasmus Days, a seminar entitled ‘Erasmus+ for KNU: your path to international educational projects and cooperation’ was held. It was moderated and presented by Liudmyla ZAGORUIKO, Associate Professor and leading specialist of the Office. Prof. Kseniia SMYRNOVA, the Vice-Rector for Education (International Cooperation), who focused on the opportunities for project activities for KNU teachers, shared her own experience in managing educational projects, and also noted the assistance of the International Relations Office in the preparation and implementation of Erasmus projects. The first part of the seminar was devoted to Erasmus+ Programme competitions, where teachers and administrative staff learned about the features of Erasmus+ Programme competitions that are open to Ukrainian higher education institutions. The second part was devoted to the specifics of writing project applications for the Erasmus+ Programme competition in the KA2 ‘Capacity Building in Higher Education’ direction. The format of the second part involved identifying and describing the main mistakes made when writing a project application, as well as ways to avoid these mistakes.
October, 15
During the third day of Erasmus Days 2025 initiative, an event dedicated to academic mobility programmes for Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv staff was held at the University. The event was moderated and presented by Anastasiia POZHAR, a leading specialist of the International Relations Office, coordinator of Erasmus+ academic mobility programmes, Ph.D. in Philology, Associate Professor, Associate Professor of the Department of Foreign Languages of the Educational and Scientific Institute of Law, who gave a detailed description of all the academic mobility opportunities for employees of Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, where and how to find out about all current offers, the differences between mobility for the purpose of internships and mobility for the purpose of teaching, how to prepare a package of documents for participation in the competitive selection process and how to correctly fill out the Mobility Agreement for Teaching and Mobility Agreement for Training, and where to find out the results of the competitive selection process. The third day was specially marked by the visit of a foreign guest, Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of the Kingdom of Belgium to Ukraine Luc JACOBS, who encouraged participants to take advantage of the extensive educational opportunities offered by the European Union’s Erasmus+ programme. Volodymyr BUGROV, Rector of the University, addressed the audience with a welcoming speech, emphasising the opportunities for international activities and academic mobility programmes for teachers and administrative staff of Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv. Roman PETYUR, Head of the International Relations Office, Lilia GALICH, Head of the Academic Mobility Office, and lecturers from various faculties, institutes and departments of KNU shared their experiences and impressions of the academic mobility programmes in which they participated, focusing on typical mistakes and difficulties in completing and submitting application documents for participation in competitive selection processes: Anastasia VOLOBUYEVA, PhD in Social Communications, Associate Professor of the Department of Print Media and History of Journalism, Deputy Director of the Educational and Scientific Institute of Journalism; Tetiana FALALIEVA, Professor, Head of the Department of Biomedicine, Educational and Scientific Centre ‘Institute of Biology and Medicine’; Svitlana DERBA, PhD in Philology, Associate Professor, Head of the Department of Ukrainian Philology for Foreign Citizens of the Educational and Scientific Institute of Philology; Iryna DIDENKO, PhD in Pedagogy, Associate Professor, Head of the Department of Foreign Languages of the Faculty of Economics; Lilia SANDYGA, PhD in Philology, Associate Professor, Associate Professor of the Department of Foreign Languages of the Faculty of Economics; Yulia BABCHUK, PhD in Philology, Associate Professor, Associate Professor of the Department of Foreign Languages of the Natural Sciences Faculties of the Educational and Scientific Institute of Philology; Viktoria ILKOVYCH, Doctor of Philosophy in History and Archaeology, Director of the Centre for Social Development, Assistant at the Department of Ethics, Aesthetics and Cultural Studies of the Faculty of Philosophy, and Yulia YATSENKO, Assistant at the Department of Meteorology and Climatology of the Faculty of Geography. Overall, 58 employees from all faculties and educational and scientific institutes/centres of Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv joined the event in online and offline formats, expressing their interest in the Erasmus+ academic mobility programmes and actively participating in the discussion.
