As part of the participation in the Twinning conference in London, the coordinator of the Twinning initiative at IFNTUNG, an associate professor Marian Slabinoha visited the campus of LSBU, a partner with whom the university has active, substantial, and extremely important cooperation. The meeting began with a discussion of the current state of partnership initiatives and prospects for further interaction, including in the context of topics raised at the Twinning Conference the day before.
Deputy Dean of LSBU Global Ravindran Sundararajan outlined the development and functioning of the current educational program for double degrees in “Information Technologies for Sustainable Energy Development.” Its strategic importance for Ukraine was emphasized, especially in the conditions of post-war reconstruction. Attention was also drawn to the fact that this year IFNTUNG already has its first graduates, which is a significant proof of the real outcome and effectiveness of the partnership.
Head of International Partnership Department Aysata Edmondson noted progress in the field of academic mobility: despite the difficult conditions of wartime, two students from IFNTUNG were able to attend a summer school in London, expanding their experience and strengthening international cooperation. And the senior coordinator of academic mobility programs Herman Prada emphasized that the students of IFNTUNG are always welcome guests within the walls of South Bank University.
International Cooperation Managers at LSBU Global Sofi da Silva and Aadam Akhmed confirmed readiness to further develop partnership and work on initiating new initiatives that will contribute to expanding academic and scientific opportunities between universities.
In turn,Marian Slabinoha presented the features of academic mobility for Ukrainian teachers and students during the period of martial law and outlined promising directions for joint work – from engineering specialties and intercultural communication to modern information technologies.
The meeting concluded with a tour of the LSBU campus: the student center, laboratory of renewable energy sources, and library, which allowed for a deeper immersion into the academic environment of the partner university. At the end, representatives of LSBU were thanked by the rector of IFNTUNG for their continuous support of Ukrainian education during an extremely challenging period for our country.
IFNTUNG expresses sincere gratitude to partners from London South Bank University for their perseverance, initiative, and unwavering openness to collaboration. Such partnerships go beyond formal interaction, evolving into genuine trust and lasting friendship, which work towards the future of Ukrainian education and the rebuilding of the country.