TNMU Faculty Delegation Participates in the “Progressive Educators Summit 2025”

On December 6, 2025, representatives of the academic staff at our university — Associate Professors L. Trushchenkova and Yu. Petrashyk and O. Lytvynova attended the Progressive Educators Summit 2025, a major national event held at the Ukrainian House in Kyiv. The event, organized by the NGO “Progressive,” served as a platform for strategic dialogue, bringing together educators from across the country, rectors of leading higher education institutions, and representatives of government and civil society.

The Summit became a venue for open discussion on bridging the gap between expectations and reality in Ukrainian education. Participants focused on the quality of the educational process, inclusion, academic integrity, and dignity in the teaching profession.

The importance of the event was underscored by the participation of key figures responsible for shaping national educational policy. Among the attendees were:

• Oleh Sharov, Director General of the Directorate of Professional Pre-Higher and Higher Education of the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine, who outlined the strategic vectors for sector development in 2025;
• Representatives of the National Agency for Higher Education Quality Assurance (NAQA), whose presence highlighted the priority of quality assurance and academic integrity;
• Rectors of leading higher education institutions, including heads of universities that officially joined the “Progressive” community during the event (European University, Ukrainian State Flight Academy, among others).

Such high-level participation allowed attendees not only to discuss current challenges but also to receive first-hand information about legislative initiatives and future plans of the relevant authorities.

The summit program included several professional panels, such as:

• Public discussion “PROeducation 2025: Ways to Overcome Educational Gaps”;
• Presentation of achievements in advocating for educators’ rights;
• Open microphone session “Voices of Education,” where participants shared experiences of responding to crisis situations.

Special attention was devoted to the social mission of education — supporting veterans, particularly issues related to the rehabilitation of individuals with visual impairments, which is highly relevant in the context of present-day challenges.икликів.

One of the key outcomes of the visit was the establishment of potential pathways for future cooperation with Kateryna Narovska, President of the National Association of Mediators of Ukraine. During a working meeting, agreements were reached on integrating mediation practices into our university’s educational process. For medical students, mastering mediation skills is an essential competency due to the specifics of clinical practice, which requires:

1. Effective conflict resolution: the ability to address misunderstandings in doctor–patient and colleague-to-colleague interactions;
2. Deontological resilience: preventing professional burnout through constructive communication;
3. Clinical reasoning: mediation-based approaches foster empathy and impartiality — core elements of patient-centered care.

Inspired by colleagues from other institutions, our university representatives initiated the process of preparing a future memorandum of cooperation with the NGO “Progressive.” The goal is to establish within our university a hub of innovative educational practices — a so-called “Progressiveness Island” — that will enable us to integrate into the national network of educational innovators, strengthen project-based activities, and open new opportunities for the professional development of both faculty and students.

We extend our gratitude to the organizers, the NGO “Progressive,” and to the event partners, including the Friedrich Ebert Foundation (FES UA), for creating a meaningful space for professional dialogue and consolidation.

Participation in such events demonstrates our university’s commitment not only to adapting to the demands of the time but also to actively shaping the future quality of education.