Future Medical Students in Ternopil Competed in Integrity Debates

On May 14, 2026, I. Horbachevsky Ternopil National Medical University hosted a student Integrity Debate, an interactive event that challenged participants with real-life ethical dilemmas requiring thoughtful discussion and difficult moral decision-making. The cases addressed issues such as cheating, purchasing lecture notes, and embellishing résumés with fabricated personal achievements.

A total of 16 students took part in the competition, forming four teams:

“Resuscitation of Conscience” (Anastasiia Lutska, Taisa Hrytsiuk, Veronika Bulka, Kateryna Kodes);
“Stop Bribery Squad” (Maksym Tsyts, Olha Hrodzik, Veronika Kostiuk, Polina Novakova);
“Verbal Knockout” (Viktor Antoniuk, Sofiia Zborovska, Andriana Bilovus, Yuliia Alekseichuk);
“Dose of Truth” (Bohdan Tsap, Arina Kryvun, Diana Matlaha, Mykhailo Fishchuk).

All teams demonstrated a high level of motivation and engagement, approaching the debates with seriousness and enthusiasm. The winning team was “Stop Bribery Squad,” whose arguments were recognized as the most compelling and well-founded. “Resuscitation of Conscience” earned second place, while “Verbal Knockout” and “Dose of Truth” also competed vigorously.

The teams were evaluated by a distinguished jury comprising:

Ihor Drach, Deputy Dean of the Medical Faculty;

Hryhorii Zahrychuk, Rector’s Representative for Quality Assurance;

Iryna Molen, Acting Anti-Corruption Officer;

Taras Borys, Head of the University’s Legal Department;

Viktoriia Miroshnyk, Chair of the Student Scientific Society;

Danylo Kutsenko, Head of the Student Parliament Secretariat.

The debates were moderated by Mykhailo Halei, Mariia Yanchyshyna, and Nazarii Bobko.

I. Horbachevsky Ternopil National Medical University is one of only five Ukrainian universities, the only institution in the Ternopil region, and the only medical university in Ukraine participating in the 2025–2026 pilot implementation of the “Methodological Recommendations for Building Integrity in Higher Education Institutions.” This initiative aims to systematically transform university environments through principles of transparency and academic integrity.

As part of the project, the university has completed a self-assessment of its readiness to implement integrity policies. In collaboration with experts, it identified key challenges and growth opportunities in its anti-corruption framework and received an individualized, step-by-step action plan to implement the recommendations.

The debate event was held within the framework of the pilot project “Anti-Corruption and Integrity: Transforming the Higher Education Environment,” implemented by the Integrity Office of the National Agency on Corruption Prevention in partnership with the NGO “Anti-Corruption Headquarters”, with the support of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) in Ukraine and funding from the Government of Denmark.

Other participating institutions in the project include Borys Hrinchenko Kyiv Metropolitan University, Hryhorii Skovoroda Kharkiv National Pedagogical University, Poltava State Agrarian University, and Zhytomyr Polytechnic State University.

On April 17, 2025, the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine officially approved the “Methodological Recommendations on the Use of Tools and Mechanisms for Transforming Various Areas of Higher Education Institutions Based on Transparency and Integrity,” developed by the National Agency on Corruption Prevention. The document provides practical guidance for reforming university governance, educational processes, internal policies, and administrative operations.