Within the framework of the TwinForHope campaign developed by the UK universities and in order to share academic experience, there were signed agreements between the University of Plymouth and Kherson State Maritime Academy (KSMA) and State University of Infrastructure and Technologies (SUIT).
On October 5, 2022, there was held a working meeting between representatives of Kherson State Maritime Academy and Dr. Kelly Lewington, Mental Health Manager, University of Plymouth (UK). Participants of the event discussed main areas of joint activity and scheduled holding the first guest lectures for KSMA cadets purposed to provide tools for self-correlation of future maritime specialists’ mental health.
With the support of Cormack Consultancy Group, the University of Plymouth (UK) provided technical equipment to ensure the administration of educational and admission processes of KSMA.
Hello Project was launched at KSMA with support of colleagues and students of the University of Plymouth (UK). Helen Bowstead, project manager from the Plymouth University, wished the first- and second-year students of KSMA success in improving their English language skills. Iryna Shvetsova, project manager from KSMA, thanked her colleagues for their support and the opportunities they offer for our students.
Mental Health managers from KSMA, Olena BEZLUTSKA and Iryna SHVETSOVA, arranged and held a meeting between the students of the Navigation Faculty of KSMA and Dr. Kelly LEWINGTON. Dr. Kelly LEWINGTON presented information on useful mental health resources at the University of Plymouth that would be available to KSMA cadets. Participants of the meeting had the opportunity to ask questions and discuss mental health problems.
On November 8, 2022, there was held a reporting meeting on the issues of the work carried out during the last five months. Participants of the meeting discussed first results of Mental Health and Hello projects; outcomes of science working groups meetings. Scientists from both universities collaborate in order to work on joint scientific investigations, papers and projects.
Kherson State Maritime Academy and the University of Plymouth jointly received a grant to work within the Dual Degree program. Future Masters studying at the Marine Engineering Faculty will have the opportunity to obtain a dual degree of KSMA and the University of Plymouth in Ship Technical Systems and Complexes Operation. Kherson State Maritime Academy is one of the Twinning Initiative winners among Ukrainian representatives. The initiative is supported by the UK universities and government.
On 18 May, 2023, a working meeting between Kherson State Maritime Academy and the University of Plymouth (UK) took place within the framework of the Twinning Initiative. Partners discussed the issue of developing a Dual Degree program implemented for masters studying at Marine Engineering Faculty (specialization – “Ship Technical Systems and Complexes Operation”).
On 22 May, 2023, a meeting of intending entrants with the representatives of KSMA and the University of Plymouth (UK) took place. The meeting included two parts. Dr Bogdan GHITA and Deputy Dean for International Cooperation of the Faculty of Science and Engineering and Associate Head of Mechanical Engineering School of the University of Plymouth, Dr Ming DAI reported in the first part of event. In their speeches, the representatives of the University of Plymouth told about specific features of a Dual Degree program. In the second part of the meeting, the Executive Secretary of the Admission Committee of KSMA Ivan RIABUKHA and Head of the Department of Practice, Certification and Employment of KSMA Oleksandr SOLOVEY reported on the features of this year’s admissions campaign. During the video conference, Dean of the Marine Engineering Faculty Oleksandr AKIMOV answered topical questions received from entrants.
On 9 June, 2023, representatives of Kherson State Maritime Academy participated in the International conference ‘Internationalisation as the Key to Resilience and Rebuilding: First year of Twinning’ held at the premises of Lviv Polytechnic National University. The conference was opened with welcoming remarks from Vivienne Stern, Head of the Universities UK, Mykhailo Vynnytskyi, Olha Budnyk, Plenipotentiary of the President of Ukraine for the Fund of the President of Ukraine for Education, Science and Sports, and Jamie Arrowsmith, Head of the Universities UK International. Charles Cormack, Chairman of Cormack Consultancy Group, introduced achievements and challenges of the first year of Twinning to participants of the event and announced the Twinning Strategy 2023 – 2024.
On July 19, 2023, the teams of a UK-Ukraine Dual Award project held a meeting with Cormack Consultancy Group. The event highlighted progress in implementing the projects, as well as updated the main issues that need to be addressed. Kherson State Maritime Academy together with the University of Plymouth presented results of joint work and noted that the project on training engineering masters would start this academic year. Upon completion of the study programme, students obtain dual degrees of the University of Plymouth and KSMA.
On 11 September, 2023, administration of KSMA, representatives of the University of Plymouth (UK) Dr Bogdan GHITA, Deputy Dean for International Cooperation of the Faculty of Science and Engineering and Associate Head of Mechanical Engineering School of the University of Plymouth, Dr Ming DAI held a meeting with master’s students of KSMA. They answered the cadets’ questions and wished them success in passing the English entrance exam.
On September 14, 2023, representatives of the University of Plymouth (UK) delivered a two-session training for KSMA teaching staff on a Dual Award programme. KSMA representatives got acquainted with the document circulation at the University of Plymouth, peculiarities of the UoP learning process and student assessment.
On September 26, 2023, representatives of the University of Plymouth (UK) held an online meeting with the working group of Kherson State Maritime Academy within the framework of a Dual Award project. The meeting was devoted to discussing students’ results of the English language test and progress in enrolment on the programme. Besides, Project Boards considered providing teaching support material and ensuring learning process. Based on the enrolment process, participants concluded that the project is in demand among maritime industry professionals including active marine engineers.
On October 11, 2023, Cormack Consultancy Group held a working meeting with representatives of Ukrainian universities taking part in the Twinning program. Participants of the meeting discussed new opportunities of the program.
On October 16, 2023, a working meeting was held regarding the LMS Moodle features and solution of urgent issues related to organizing quality working process.
On November 1, 2023, a first working meeting of Kherson State Maritime Academy representatives with the University of Plymouth team was held to discuss a training and organizational campaign for further cooperation within the project “Monitoring war destruction from space using machine learning”. The program is aimed at identifying war-damaged objects in Kherson using satellite images and artificial intelligence. The meeting was chaired by Dr. Amir Aly, Lecturer in Artificial Intelligence and Robotics at the School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics, University of Plymouth, UK. During the event, a working group discussed urgent issues related to the organization of the proposed project.
On 27 November, 2023, a working meeting of teams implementing the Dual Award programme of KSMA and the University of Plymouth, UK, took place. During the meeting, teams reviewed teaching and learning materials on LMS Moodle profile of the UoP. The project teams discussed urgent issues and outlined the priority tasks necessary for the implementation of the UoP Module.
On 29 November, 2023, representatives of KSMA partook in the roundtable “Twinning Initiative: the initial results of launching double degrees with UK universities”. The roundtable discussion was organised by Cormack Consultancy Group in cooperation with the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine, and the Presidential Foundation for Support of Education, Science and Sports. During the event, participants discussed challenges, obstacles in the implementation of double degree programmes, and new opportunities.
On 4 December, 2023, a reporting meeting of 6 Ukrainian universities – winners of the Twinning initiative: double degree programmes and their twinning partners – was held on Zoom. KSMA presented joint case together with the University of Plymouth, UK. The meeting was organised by Cormack Consultancy Group. Participants presented their programmes and discussed the challenges they faced in implementing the double degree programme.
On 4 December, 2023, the first meeting of the universities participating in the Twinning double degree programme with the Central Evaluation and Accreditation Agency (Germany) took place. The German agency was represented by Anja Grube, Head of System Accreditation and International Affairs. Participants discussed the peculiarities of accreditation during the war.
On 21 December, 2023, the second working meeting of the universities participating in the Twinning double degree programme with the Central Evaluation and Accreditation Agency (Germany) took place. Participants discussed the specific features of the accreditation and outlined ways of further cooperation.
On 12 February, 2024, during the Campfire meeting, students of KSMA gathered to summarise the results of the Hello Project (project manager Iryna SHVETSOVA) within collaboration with the University of Plymouth (UK). Students of the Navigation Faculty – Nikita BULAIEVSKYI, Artur KYRYLOVETS and Oleksandr YUDCHENKO – shared the results of the project implemented in the first semester. At the end of the Campfire meeting, new participants reflected on their expectations for the future project.
On 13 February, 2024, Kherson State Maritime Academy and the University of Plymouth started working within the Hello Project (project manager Iryna SHVETSOVA). Cadets of various years of study of the Navigation Faculty got acquainted with the UoP students.
Oleksandr Hlazunov, a cadet of Kherson State Maritime Academy, shared his experience and impressions of the Dual Award programme with the University of Plymouth (UK). Review
On 18 March, 2024, a working meeting of representatives of the University of Plymouth (UK), Cormack Consultancy Group and Kherson State Maritime Academy was held. Participants discussed urgent issues related to the quality implementation of the Dual Award programme and ways to solve them.
