Students and teachers are able to take part in academic exchanges with one of the leading American colleges thanks to the agreement signed by Rector of National University “Yuri Kondratyuk Poltava Polytechnic” Volodymyr Onyshchenko and President of Santa Fe College Jackson Sasser on scientific and educational cooperation and a long-term international academic exchange program. The conference became a new form of academic conversation during the lockdown.
The moderators of this online meeting were Dean of the Faculty of Humanities of Poltava Polytechnic Anna Ageicheva and Assistant Vice President for Academic Affairs of Santa Fe College Vilma Fuentes.
According to Dean of Faculty of Humanities Anna Ageicheva, the conference yet again proved the point that the globalization enters the life of every Ukrainian really quickly, calling for tolerance towards culture and value of every nation, “Globalization destroys stereotypes. Such cross-cultural conversations create new image of Ukraine and Ukrainians as a friendly, cheerful, freedom-loving and wise nation.”
Philology students of National University “Yuri Kondratyuk Poltava Polytechnic” Sofia Dmytriuk, Anastasia Vypovska, Iryna Lobko, Anna Kravchenko and student of Poltava Oil and Gas College of Yuri Kondratyuk National University Oleksandr Babenko gave presentations about our country in English. The speakers presented the sights of their hometown, history and modern life of Yuri Kondratyuk National University, historical monuments of Odesa - the South pearl of Ukraine, discussed the traditions and customs, cultural peculiarities of our country.
American teachers Vilma Fuentes and Dustin Fridkin spoke highly of Poltava Polytechnic students’ level of English and teachers’ professional skills.
“The level of English proficiency is just perfect, it was very interesting to go on this virtual tour around your country. I wish you further success in studying and career,” - Haydee Britton, Professor at Santa Fe College, a translator with 30-year experience of working with the UN.
The process of mastering foreign languages during the rapid globalization was of special interest for our American colleagues.
“During the discussion, we exchanged priceless experience of learning and teaching English. Such innovative projects give students the possibility to acquire new skills, bring interesting ideas into life and get experience of communication with native speakers,” - Dean of the Faculty of Humanities at National University “Yuri Kondratyuk Poltava Polytechnic” Anna Ageicheva.
National University “Yuri Kondratyuk Poltava Polytechnic” provides proper conditions and possibilities for mastering foreign languages successfully. Teachers use both traditional and innovative techniques in classes. A great attention at the Faculty of Humanities is paid to the speaking skill development; students and teachers take active part in the academic exchange programs with the best European universities. Native speakers are invited to teach at the university, over the past few years volunteers of the Peace Corps have taught English for our students, numerous joint cultural and educational events are held.
Translation students can practice their professional activity from the first years of studying by participating in the events held at the university, practicing their oral translation skills with the modern equipment of the only simultaneous interpretation booth in Poltava region.
Virtual guides - authors of the presentations about our country shared their impressions about participation in such a conference with us. For many of them, this time was not the first.
“For me personally, such events allow to get new interesting experience in public speech. It’s important to mention the unusual type of the conference. It was a great chance to practice the English language with native speakers from the USA and to communicate with people from India and Brazil. We managed to get listeners interested in Ukraine, and this is cool. Besides, this experiment allowed us all to take our minds a little off of the lockdown and social isolation,” - Iryna Lobko, a third-year student of the Faculty of Humanities of National University “Yuri Kondratyuk Poltava Polytechnic”.
Such cultural and educational events will be held in the future too at National University “Yuri Kondratyuk Poltava Polytechnic”. The next stage of the project will take us on a virtual tour to Florida.
Media Center of
National University “Yuri Kondratyuk Poltava Polytechnic”
