A scientist of the Department of Germanic Philology and Translation of Faculty of Philology, Psychology and Pedagogy of Poltava Polytechnic, Candidate of Pedagogical Sciences, Associate Professor Yuliia Nikolaienko received a scholarship within the academic exchange programme for teachers from the Austrian Agency for Education and Internationalisation (OeAD). For four weeks, the academician delivered lectures on intercultural communication and practical English classes at the University of Applied Sciences Burgenland – Fachhochschule Burgenland GmbH (UAS Burgenland, Eisenstadt, Austria).
As part of the participation of academic staff and students of National University “Yuri Kondratyuk Poltava Polytechnic” in the Central European Exchange Programme for University Studies (CEEPUS), Candidate of Pedagogical Sciences, Associate Professor Yuliia Nikolaienko had an internship at the University of Applied Sciences of Burgenland (Fachhochschule Burgenland) from 2 to 28 September, 2024.
The teacher had the opportunity to get acquainted with the organisation of the educational process at a leading Austrian university, to exchange experience with colleagues in the field of teaching foreign languages in higher education, to give lectures and practical classes, to discuss the prospects of joint educational and scientific projects of National University “Yuri Kondratyuk Poltava Polytechnic” and University of Applied Sciences Burgenland.
During her internship, the scientist taught the course “Intercultural Collaboration” for bachelor’s students of the Faculty of Energy and Environment. During the first lessons, the lecturer gave a presentation about Ukraine, during which she introduced the students to Ukrainian culture, national mentality, geographical and economic features, and told about the brightest pages of history and the heroic struggle of Ukrainians for freedom and independence.
Particular attention was paid to highlighting the peculiarities of Ukrainians’ communication behaviour in the context of intercultural communication. The presentation was followed by a lively discussion, during which students actively asked questions about Ukraine, expressed their opinions on the information presented, and compared various aspects of Austrian and Ukrainian cultures. In the course of further lessons, the lecturer introduced the students to the concepts of intercultural communication as well as intercultural cooperation.
The students learnt how to apply well-known cultural models in real-life intercultural communication to avoid misunderstandings, overcome barriers and effectively interact with people from different countries. Through brainstorming sessions, group discussions, and case studies, the students and the speaker explored topics such as cultural values, identity, cultural diversity, and more.
The scientist also joined the teaching of an English course for students of the Center for Study Preparation of the University of Burgenland, who are studying English for the certification exam and admission to Austrian higher education institutions. As Yuliia Nikolaienko notes: “It was a very interesting experience working with a multilingual, multiage and multicultural audience. My main task was to unite these students and engage them in active communication in English to improve their skills in speaking, listening, reading and writing, which was done through the use of various communicative and interactive learning technologies.”
“These four weeks of internship have become a very valuable contribution to both my professional and personal development. I got positive emotions and unforgettable impressions from communicating with my colleagues and students, immersing myself in a foreign language environment and gaining a lot of practical experience in intercultural interaction. I am sincerely grateful to the administration of National University “Yuri Kondratyuk Poltava Polytechnic” and personally to Rector, Professor Volodymyr Onyshchenko for the comprehensive assistance and the opportunity to get a unique experience of internship in the European educational space, as well as to the Coordinator of International Cooperation of Poltava Polytechnic, Candidate of Philological Sciences, Associate Professor Anna Pavelieva, who makes a lot of efforts to implement numerous academic mobility programmes and different international projects at our university. I would like to thank my colleagues from Austria, in particular, the international mobility coordinators Kathrin Hofer and Crista Koppensteiner, and especially Martin Yandl, my academic supervisor at the University of Applied Sciences Burgerland, for their constant support and our fruitful cooperation,” – summed up Yuliia Nikolaienko.
This year’s CEEPUS scholarship holders at the University of Applied Sciences Burgerland are Deputy Dean of the Faculty of Philology, Psychology and Pedagogy, Candidate of Philological Sciences, Associate Professor of the Department of General Linguistics and Foreign Languages, Chair of the Council of Young Scientists of the Faculty of Philology, Psychology and Pedagogy Nataliia Bondar and Head of the Department of Germanic Philology and Translation Oksana Vorobiova.
Recently, Doctoral Student of the Department of Building Structures of Poltava Polytechnic Olha Harkava took part in the 15th PhD fib-Symposium held at Budapest University of Technology and Economics, Head of the Department of Fine Arts Tetiana Zinenko took part in the 51st Congress and General Assembly of the International Academy of Ceramics (IAC) held in Portugal under the auspices of UNESCO, Head of the Department of Germanic Philology and Translation Oksana Vorobiova took part in the conference and exhibition of the European Association for International Education (EAIE) held in Toulouse, and a specialist of the International Cooperation Sector of the International Relations Department Svitlana Koval took part in the international training course “ELF – Experiential Learning Festival”, which took place from 6 to 13 August 2024 in Brasov, Romania.
It should be noted that students of Poltava Polytechnic have the opportunity to study abroad under the grant programmes of credit academic mobility for a semester or a whole academic year at the leading universities of Austria, Greenland, Denmark, Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia, Norway, the Netherlands, Germany, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Finland, and the Czech Republic.
For more information about the current academic mobility programmes, please contact the International Relations Department (room 320-F, interoffice@nupp.edu.ua) or the Coordinator of International Cooperation of National University “Yuri Kondratyuk Poltava Polytechnic” – Candidate of Philological Sciences, Associate Professor of the Department of Germanic Philology and Translation Anna Kostiantynivna Pavelieva (room 310-C, email: kunsite.zi@gmail.com, phone: +3-8-(095)-91-08-192).
Media Center of
National University “Yuri Kondratyuk Poltava Polytechnic”
