Objectives of Polish-Ukrainian academic cooperation

Objectives in the international cooperation are considered within the answer to the question “WHAT FOR is the collaboration developed?”, “WHAT PURPOSE do the partners have in initiating joint activities?” Objectives are very close to motivating factors; particularly scientific development of individual researchers is both the facilitator and objective. While setting up cooperation, the partners are intended on the development of their institutions (chairs, labs, departments, units) and enriching professional communication.

Talking about particular practical objectives, we found the most frequent ones: conducting and implementing joint research projects, joint publications, organizing conferences and seminars.

Scientific development is one of the most valuable important reasons and objectives for joint activities. The possibility to conduct research is of great importance for the Polish historians, political analysts and their Ukrainian colleagues. The respondents prove that

‘the main idea of Polish-Ukrainian cooperation is the introduction of new knowledge to Ukrainian universities, new methods to solve problems, exchange of scientific ideas’

(citation of the interviewed person).

The research on the Second Polish Republic began as early as the 70s and 80s, but they were a little on one run. In the 90s there were new opportunities for access to the sources, looks on both sides, there was no censorship, no interference - this is probably the most beautiful thing for the researcher.

Sometimes we think we are very different, and sometimes - quite the contrary.

But one thing I know for sure: we have something to exchange with each other

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What does the opportunity to communicate and collaborate with their Polish colleagues bring to the Ukrainian researchers?

Firstly, the exchange of scientific ideas and experiences, it is easier to learn and learn something:

The research problems that interest Polish and Ukrainian colleagues requires deeper analysis of approaches and understanding of the issues. And awareness of these differences of interests is also a scientific interest because it allows scientists to better understand the diversity of approaches to learning in Ukraine and in Poland. It is a matter of practical interest.

The common history plays ambivalent role in Polish-Ukrainian relations. In the field of science, however, it plays a positive role, above all, not only as an object of study.

Changes to the border between the two countries and the political decisions (for example,

"the Vistula Operation") have forced many Poles and Ukrainians to migrate or change their nationality. Some institutions functioning in Lviv, for example, after the II World War moved in whole or sent to the newly formed or pre-existing institutions on Polish territory. Other institutions important for Polish scholars, such as archives, remained in Ukraine. Family relationships and institutional Polish scholars tend to establish scientific contacts in Ukraine.

Secondly, the cooperation opens up a new field for research in the fields of history and ethnography, both in relation to the common and independent historical periods. Scientists are interested in the protection of historical and cultural landscape of regional development and the local economy (for example, Polish archaeological excavations in Dnepropetrovsk Kodak fortress, protection of historical and cultural landscape for the development of regional characteristics and the local economy, the international research project "Atlas of ethno-linguistic Pobuzhya") .

There is an opportunity to carry out in-depth comparative studies (e.g. the study of totalitarianism in postwar Europe, "Reconstruction of the ancient traditional folk spiritual culture as part of the Middle Polissia joint Slavic linguistic and cultural area").

When selecting topics for joint research, we try as much as possible to take into account / reconcile the Polish colleagues’ interests, as well as our research interests ... We publish materials that have not been widely available before. This close cooperation is a real enrichment.

Third, analysis of best practices in various areas of economic and social activity can improve what is already working in Ukraine, but also offers new solutions to some practical problems that exist in the area of public life or in science, drawing on experience from Polish ("Access to tourist infrastructure m. Lviv. Monitoring for disabled people ").

79 Fourth, conducting basic and applied research using a unique research and test equipment which is not available in Ukraine. Polish partners offer such opportunities to Ukrainian colleagues.

It is important that the Poles have an excellent laboratory base, as with us in recent years, laboratory equipment in general is not growing. Modern equipment, including certified laboratories, provide challenging work and meet the requirements of the modern ways of research.

Fifth, it is about improving teaching practices and the introduction of new methods for teaching students, and thus improvement of the quality of education and research and the competitiveness of the university:

Active cooperation with Polish colleagues contributed to the development of our research and teaching experience has enabled a better quality approach to the study of education in other countries, as well as to determine the prospects for the Ukrainian education.

Finally, the importance of individual professional development of researchers and enhancement of their skills.

New experiences, meeting new people, new experiences ... all these contribute to the fact that we become more mobile and socially active

Ukrainian scientists say that cooperation with Polish colleagues opens access to information of various kinds: information about their experiences, which is a lesson for us;

of scientific competitions and scholarships; about potential partners and sources of funding.

According to the scientists, who conduct joint projects, the more partners are focused on achieving results and particular outcomes and the more they understand thethe aims and content of their cooperation, the partnerships between Ukraine and Poland become more efficient and productive.

The ideas and desire of both universities to find partners for cooperation is a very important condition for successful cooperation. If the university wants to find a partner, it will find!

The prerequisite of cooperation is the desire to find partners who will focus activities on outcomes (you can sign a formal agreement and you do not perform).

Respondents emphasized that the partners really aspire to achieve results in cooperation, focus on the aspects of quality, not the quantity or political issues and benefits. There should be a clear vision of cooperation formats and concretization of its scope and objectives, and what is important, it must be determined by a distribution of responsibilities with deadlines. Then the parties are ready for common solutions to problems. Then we can

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talk about the priorities of such cooperation and the role of individuals and all the institutions as a whole.

5. Conclusions

The Polish and Ukrainian scientists have been collaborating as they were motivated by a desire for professional development. Mutual research interests allow them to raise and develop interesting unexplored research problems, often those that are of particular importance for both countries, for example relating to their common history and heritage.

Both sides find the cooperation between Poland and Ukraine crucial and extremely important for academic development.

Global trends of the internationalization of science and education and development of the European Higher Education Area and the European Research Area have boosted the Polish-Ukrainian cooperation at the level of individual researchers and HEIs, as well as in different institutionalized forms. But a major facilitating factor is subjective, individual-private.

For the Ukrainian universities, regardless of which region they are located, cooperation with Polish partners is a priority in their international academic activities. The major facilitators for the bilateral partnerships do not have institutional specificity: the concept of Slavic soul, positive attitudes to the partners, easy and confident communication, mutual understanding and trust, readiness to set up joint activities.

What is of an important value is that scientific cooperation can contribute not only to the development of science, changes in the academic culture, but also to building a democratic and open society, introducing European standards and academic values, as well as expanding the academic boundaries and creating strategic partnerships between our countries. Then both partners should use the potential of uniqueness of Polish-Ukrainian relationships and promote them at different levels: academic communities, universities, public authorities responsible for higher education and research. The individual motivation of researchers and institutional capacity of Polish and Ukrainian partners should be strengthened constantly by flexible and beneficial public policy, appropriate financial and legal support of particular actions, e.g. in setting up joint consortia for Horizon2020, Erasmus+, etc., and the project “Polish Erasmus for Ukraine” is one of the latest best practices at the intergovernmental level to prove it. The outcomes of the Polish-Ukrainian cooperation are of mutual value, which could be measured quantitatively and qualitatively, and good practices should be disseminated and popularized in both countries.

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