For four days (from November 6 to 9, 2023), employees of Sumy National Agrarian University, including
Yurii DANKO, Vice-Rector for Research and International Activities, Kseniia BLUMSKA-DANKO, Associate
Professor of the Department of Marketing and Logistics, Director of the Career Guidance Office, and
Olena MELNYK, Head of the International Projects Sector of SNAU, Associate Professor of the
Department of Ecology and Botany, participated in a study visit to Lund University (Sweden). The visit
was part of the UNICOM international project implemented by an international consortium of
universities.

Lund University is considered one of the oldest and most famous universities in Scandinavia. The
institution of higher education was founded in 1666 and since then has become the alma mater of the
most talented and intelligent figures in world history, including, for example, the son of the Ukrainian
Hetman Hryhoriy ORLYK. Moreover, Lund University is included in the TOP 100 World Universities
ranking.

The relevance of the visit is described on the official Facebook page of the Vice-Rector for Scientific and
International Activities of the SNAU, Yurii DANKO:
“Lund University (Sweden) was founded in the XVII century in a province bordering Denmark. The main
goal was to minimize the spread of the Danish language and culture to the Swedish population. It is a
kind of projection on the national reforms in education and the attitude to the border universities of
Sumy, Chernihiv, Kharkiv and other regions, which were and are actually outposts of Ukraine.”

During the first day of training, the staff of our university had the opportunity to listen to information
about ways to start cooperation with Lund University, the legal framework for scientific communication
and cooperation between Swedish universities.

The next day, the program participants visited the Vattenhallen Science Center, a research center based
at Lund University. The participants were surprised by the innovativeness of the exhibitions and
developments presented there. They found a common feature with the SNAU: representatives of local
business were involved in the creation of the science center, which is a common practice for Ukrainian
higher education institutions.

On November 8, we talked about communications and attended city tours. In the evening, Sumy NAU
staff took part in a coordination meeting.

Finally, on the last day of the project, representatives of Lund University spoke about innovations and
modern technologies used in the educational process. Representatives of higher education institutions
from different parts of Europe exchanged views on their stay in Sweden as part of the UNICOM project
during the final discussion.

Editor’s note:
“This was not the first visit for Sumy National Agrarian University within the UNICOM project. Our
employees have also shared their experience with higher education institutions in the Czech Republic,
Latvia, and Genoa.”

Official page of the UNICOM project: https://unicom.community/en/unicom-home/