At the initiative of Instructor of English and Employability of the University of Europe for Applied Sciences Christina Muzzu and Deputy Deans of the Faculty of Foreign Languages Nataliia Ivanotchak, Nataliia Pyliachyk, and Head of the Department of English Philology Yakiv Bystrov, a collaboration agreement was signed between Vasyl Stefanyk Precarpathian National University and the University of Europe for Applied Sciences (Iserlohn, Germany). As part of the agreement, during the first semester of the 2023-2024 academic year, the parties implemented the Digital Bridge project: online meetings between the students of the Faculty of Foreign Languages and the University of Europe to improve English language skills and promote the students’ awareness of international issues.
The students of the English Philology Department had a unique opportunity not only to discuss in English important issues in Ukraine and the world, develop systems and critical thinking and learn to apply mental models to understand the geopolitical challenges of the present and future of Europe, but also to get acquainted with the educational process at one of the leading European universities and make new friends in Germany. The results of the Digital Bridge project include raising the students’ awareness of themselves as active participants in shaping their own future, applying systems thinking methods to understand and influence mental models that lead to the events we experience in organizations or society and gain insights on how to change them for the better, applying the Media Literacy Framework to mitigate manipulation through disinformation [www.ue-germany.com].
We express our gratitude to the University Administration and the International Department for facilitating such initiatives, and we sincerely thank our European partners, in particular Christina Muzzu and the University of Europe for Applied Sciences, for supporting Ukraine in challenging times and building bridges of friendship and understanding between the youth of Ukraine and Germany.
About the project on the UE website:
UPD: The results of Digital Bridge Project were presented by Instructor of English and Employability Christina Muzzu to over 200 visitors at the Winter Uni at University of Europe for Applied Sciences. The project has also been featured in the paper Iserlohner Kreisanzeiger (https://www.ikz-online.de/staedte/iserlohn/iserlohner-studenten-bauen-digitale-bruecken-id241551204.html):
