TNMU Hosts Roundtable with First-Year Students to Celebrate Europe Day

As part of Europe Day celebrations in Ukraine, associate professors of the Department of Higher School Pedagogy and Social Disciplines Olha Khrytsenko, Nadiia Humenna, and Serhii Bondarenko organized an online roundtable “Ukraine as a European State: Historical, Value-Based, and Legal Dimensions” for the first-year students of Ternopil National Medical University.

In her presentation, Associate Professor Olha Khrytsenko substantiated the idea of Ukraine’s ideological and value-based kinship with Europe, emphasizing that Ukrainians are creators of European history and that the worldview priorities of the Ukrainian people reflect core European values.

Participants learned about the historical origins of European values, which stem from Christian principles (such as the inherent value of the human being, equality, respect for human dignity, care for vulnerable social groups, and freedom of the individual and nation) and the democratic traditions of ancient cultures.

Olha Khrytsenko highlighted the role of Ukrainian women in demonstrating to Europe and the world how to implement equality in education and healthcare.

Associate Professor Nadiia Humenna introduced students to the main stages of Ukraine’s European integration from a legal perspective. She discussed the signing process of the Association Agreement between Ukraine and the European Union, its advantages, and its importance for the country. Particular attention was given to the obstacles Ukraine faced, the support of European leaders, the mass protests known as the Revolution of Dignity, and the tragedy of the Heavenly Hundred.

Associate Professor Serhii Bondarenko emphasized the significant contribution of the Ukrainian people to the fight against Nazism during World War II on European soil. He noted the heroism of Ukrainians recognized as Heroes of the former Soviet Union, including Oleksii Berest, Ivan Kozhedub, Kateryna Zelenko, and Liudmyla Pavlenko.

The roundtable concluded with a moment of remembrance for Ukrainians who died in World War II and in the ongoing Russian-Ukrainian war.