National University “Yuri Kondratyuk Poltava Polytechnic” continues to expand its international horizons actively, ensuring the integration of its scholars into leading European educational projects. Recently, Vitaliia Skryl, PhD in Economics and Associate Professor at the Department of Finance, Banking Business and Taxation, participated in an intensive training course under the Erasmus+ program titled “Aflateen training: social and financial education how to teach sfe to adolescents (13-16 years old)”, which took place in the town of Arenas de San Pedro, Spain, from April 13 to April 18, 2026.
The project was dedicated to implementing the unique Aflatoun methodology, recognised globally as one of the most effective systems of social and financial education (SFE) for teenagers and youth. It is unique in that it harmoniously combines practical financial skills with important social values, such as responsibility, equality, and sustainable development.
The training course brought together educators from various countries to develop modern approaches to teaching adolescents aged 13–18, the basics of financial independence, social responsibility, and entrepreneurship.
During the intensive week in Arenas de San Pedro, participants worked to strengthen professional competencies and master flexible, student-centred methodologies. Special attention was paid to adapting global financial tools to local educational realities. The program combined theoretical modules with interactive sessions, during which a lively exchange of experiences took place among representatives of the international Aflatoun network.
The central theme of the training was social and financial inclusion. Vitaliia Skryl, together with her colleagues, studied methods that not only teach youth to manage resources effectively but also foster critical thinking, leadership, and the ability to drive positive change in their communities. Achieving such results is facilitated by the unique Aflatoun approach, which balances the “social” and the “financial”, viewing money as a tool for achieving socially significant goals.
For the representative of Poltava Polytechnic, participation in a project of this level served as a powerful incentive to further improve the department’s educational programs. “Studying the experience of the Aflatoun network allows us to introduce advanced European standards of financial literacy directly into the educational process of our university. This is not just about numbers and budgets; it is about forming a new culture of responsible leadership among Ukrainian youth”, – the scholar notes.
Thanks to the interactive format of the training and international exchange of experience, course participants received effective tools that they can implement in their own communities. Furthermore, this program provided our participant with the opportunity to join a global network of like-minded people, which will contribute to her active participation in youth development and the fostering of an active civic position.
In addition to the training, an important task of the trip was laying the foundation for future international academic mobility and joint research projects. By implementing these initiatives, Poltava Polytechnic confirms its status as a leading educational centre in Ukraine, which actively joins the global network of mutual assistance – a resource vital for sustainable development and the post-war reconstruction of our country.
The return of Vitaliia Skryl to the walls of her home university, bearing innovative methodologies and an international certificate, has become a landmark event for the academic community. This experience opens new avenues for introducing advanced European practices into the learning process, thereby enabling the training of new-generation specialists in the financial sector. It is precisely such competent leaders, armed with global standards of knowledge, who will become the driving force behind Ukraine's economic revival and reconstruction.
Recently, Yelizavieta Samoilenko, a 3rd-year student of group 301-FF (speciality 035 “Philology”), took part in the international Erasmus+ “Peace and Youth” youth exchange, first-year student of the “Marketing” educational program Sofia Babych took part in a youth exchange under the Erasmus+ “Only Tolerance” program, aimed at consolidating the principles of tolerance and deep respect for cultural diversity; Pavlo Yavtushenko, a second-year Master’s student specializing in 014 “Secondary Education (English Language and Literature)”, became a participant in the Erasmus+ training course titled “The Power of Sportsmanship”, Poltava Polytechnic Student Valentyna Mytsenko Participated in an Erasmus+ Training in Poland, a master’s student at Poltava Polytechnic participated in an Erasmus+ youth exchange in Malta; Poltava Polytechnic teachers studied innovative digital tools and artificial intelligence in STEM education in Estonia; and a future translator took part in an Erasmus+ youth exchange in Georgia, where she learned to counter discrimination and stereotypes.
We remind you that lecturers of Poltava Polytechnic can participate in academic mobility and internship programs. Students can study abroad under Erasmus+ credit academic mobility grant programs for a semester or the entire academic year at leading universities in Austria, Greenland, Denmark, Estonia, Spain, Lithuania, Latvia, Norway, the Netherlands, Germany, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Finland, and the Czech Republic.
For more detailed information on current internship, teaching, and academic mobility programs abroad, please get in touch with the International Relations Department (office 213-C, interoffice@nupp.edu.ua).
