The event became a landmark academic platform that brought together more than 200 scholars, administrators, and leaders of global higher education from different countries to discuss key trends in the development of university autonomy, institutional resilience, and the fundamental values of the global academic community.
Since 2011, National University “Yuri Kondratyuk Poltava Polytechnic” has been a signatory of Magna Charta Universitatum – an international community of universities that share the principles of academic freedom, autonomy, and social responsibility of higher education. Participation in this year’s conference once again confirmed the University’s consistent progress toward European integration, innovative development, and openness to global partnership.
The official opening of the conference took place with the participation of leading representatives of Magna Charta Observatory – Patrick Deane, President of the Governing Council of MCO (Canada), and David Lock, Secretary General of MCO (United Kingdom).
The conference program included a number of substantive thematic blocks, in particular: “Magna Charta – Facing the Challenges: The Next Five Years,” within which Patrick Deane and David Lock presented updated strategic guidelines for the development of Magna Charta and modern approaches to supporting university freedoms at the international level;
“The Research Agenda: Results and Next Steps,” moderated by Giga Zedania, Head of the Research Agenda, former Rector of Ilia State University, and member of the Governing Council of Magna Charta Observatory (Georgia), where interim results of research programs were presented and new directions for university research were outlined;
“Living Values – Evidence of Impact,” devoted to the practical outcomes of implementing the principles of Magna Charta in different countries. David Lock presented current analytical materials of the Observatory, after which Durban University of Technology shared successful cases of institutional transformation;
“Insights from the USA: Presentation of MCO Cooperation with North America,” chaired by Patrick Deane, which brought together leading experts from the United States, the United Kingdom, and international educational networks to discuss the protection of academic freedom, the strengthening of democratic values, and the development of international educational cooperation.
For the Ukrainian delegation, participation in the conference became an important component of strengthening international presence. Representatives of Poltava Polytechnic actively joined strategic discussions dedicated to the future of global higher education, the challenges of institutional resilience, the development of partnerships, and the deepening of academic cooperation amid turbulent global changes.
Poltava Polytechnic confidently represents Ukrainian science and education on the international stage, demonstrating readiness for active, responsible, and meaningful participation in the global academic community.
Participation in Magna Charta Universitatum is not only evidence of international recognition of the University’s achievements but also a strategic commitment to further development: strengthening European standards of education quality, unlocking the potential of students and researchers, and enhancing the role of the University as an intellectual and social driver of positive change.
