The meeting with Larysa Hayduk, the Head of the Ukrainian Resource and Development Centre (URDC), turned out to be extremely valuable in the context of our long-term cooperation. Each of the meetings during the two weeks of work was rich and productive, filled with effective discussions regarding the further development of the projects. A series of meetings with the members of the Ukraine Support Club, which operates on a voluntary basis as part of the URDC, contributed to defining the prospects of our future initiatives.
During the discussions with Larysa Hayduk, the possibilities of further development of cooperation and promising projects that can be implemented with the support of the URDC were considered. Among the main areas of discussion, the organization of postgraduate education for nurses in Ukraine, the provision of continuous postgraduate education in the field of nursing, the involvement of teachers in joint educational activities and participation in joint international scientific projects and grants stood out.
During the internship of Svitlana Danchak, the Director of the Academic and Research Institute (ARI) of Nursing, and her deputy Lyudmyla Mazur, a meeting was held with teachers, students of MacEwan University and members of the public representing the Ukrainian diaspora of the province of Alberta.
Representatives of the ARI of Nursing shared the experience of teaching students during martial law, information about innovative approaches to education and scientific research implemented at the university. The meeting also provided an opportunity to discuss prospects for cooperation and exchange of experience between the two institutions. It is worth noting the deep interest of colleagues in strengthening international cooperation with TNMU and interaction in the field of science and education.
During the business trip, the delegation actively participated in a number of seminars and lectures, jointly exchanging professional experience. In particular, Svitlana Danchak lectured to 4th-year students, where she discussed the topic “Crash syndrome” in the context of the military conflict in Ukraine. In her speech, in addition to current medical knowledge, important aspects of critical thinking and a deep understanding of the difficulties that arise when providing medical aid during wartime events were highlighted.
Such events became an extremely important intellectual exchange, where each participant had a unique opportunity not only to learn new knowledge, but also to share their own ideas and perspectives.
The delegation’s visit to MacEwan University was marked not only by its participation in educational events, but also by the team’s great interest in all the information about Ukraine that the delegation can share. In order to further deepen mutual understanding and exchange of experience, a separate meeting with MacEwan University staff was announced. At this event, aspects of the life and work of those who remained in Ukraine and actively continue their professional activities were considered.
The discussion took place at a high emotional level, each of the meeting participants did not remain indifferent to the fate of Ukraine.
Associate Professor S. Danchak and Associate Professor L. Mazur spoke about the life and work of TNMU employees during the war and shared the results of a study on the impact of war on nursing students.
The reports caused deep impressions and sympathy of the listeners. The question-and-answer panel session stretched over an hour, engaging everyone in lively dialogue. The speakers expressed an important idea: the spirit of Ukrainians is invincible, and standing shoulder to shoulder with the youth of our country, doing everything in our power, has a much greater impact than any theories of military strategy described in books. Living on our native land and fighting for it is our most powerful weapon. The silence for a minute and the tears in the eyes of those present showed how important and powerful a word can be.