Delegation from Ukraine visits Görlitz

From May 18 to 23, 2018, for the third consecutive year, we welcomed a delegation from the Oleksandr Dovzhenko Hlukhiv National Pedagogical University in eastern Ukraine to our university. The impetus for the first visit came in 2015 from three students in Special Needs Education/Inclusion Studies as part of a study project. The current exchange project, involving the three students and two faculty members from the faculties of Social Pedagogy and Philology, once again focused on topics related to inclusion.

Since 2017, Ukraine has had a new and innovative education law that enables the incorporation of inclusive approaches into the education system. In this context, early intervention centers tailored to the individual needs of children have also been established nationwide in Ukraine for the first time. The Pedagogical University in Hlukhiv is responding to this change and will offer a module titled “Inclusive Education” as part of the Master's degree programme in Philology starting in the upcoming winter semester. This degree programme is comparable to a teacher training programme.

The Ukrainian guests participated in various classes / courses within the Special Needs Education/Inclusion Studies degree programme and presented, among other things, their theoretical and practical approaches to educational assessment. Looking ahead, they discussed potential joint topics for Bachelor’s and master’s theses. In addition, the group observed classes at the Görlitz Forest Kindergarten and the Schkola Ostritz, and took a guided tour of the Rabryka Sociocultural Center. Four female students from Görlitz also accompanied the group during their free time.

All participants look back on an eventful study week and are looking forward to the return exchange. The return visit by the Görlitz students will take place in September 2018.

The exchange was financially supported by the DAAD’s Eastern Partnership Program.