As part of the further deepening of cross-border cooperation, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Romania to Ukraine Alexandru Victor Micula, Acting Consul General of Romania in Odesa Claudiu Tataru, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Moldova to Ukraine Valeriu Chiveri, acting Consul General of the Republic of Moldova in Odesa Ion Chornyi paid an official visit to Izmail State University of Humanities (ISUH).
According to the program of the visit, the delegation met with the rector of ISUH Yaroslav Kichuk, who thanked our partners for their support of the Ukrainian people and familiarized the foreign diplomats with the modern challenges facing the university community in the context of implementing pro-European initiatives, promoting sustainable development of territorial communities of Ukrainian Bessarabia under martial law. In the context of modern geopolitical shifts, which were reflected in the Russian-Ukrainian war, this depressed region acquired new strategic importance. At the beginning of the full-scale invasion, effective communication of the leaders of the Bulgarian-speaking and Romanian-speaking communities of the region with foreign partners (Bulgaria, Moldova, Romania), international support for the military in the field of security and systematic assistance to volunteers, internally displaced persons, representatives of foreign charitable and humanitarian missions in the south of Odesa region were organized on the basis of the university.
ISUH is the only autonomous state institution of higher education in the south of the Odesa region with 85-year traditions, which systematically implements a Ukrainian-centric humanitarian policy in the strategically important cross-border multicultural region of Ukrainian Bessarabia. Dozens of pro-Ukrainian projects, aimed at strengthening Ukrainian national and civic identity, were successfully implemented on the basis of the Center for Civic Education created at ISUH in the south of Odesa. Also, with the support of the rectorate of the university, projects. aimed at preserving and developing the ethnic, cultural, and linguistic identity of persons, belonging to national minorities of Ukraine, are being implemented. On the basis of the Center of National Cultures created at ISUH, the corresponding centers of national communities successfully function at the university. Due to their multifaceted activities, these centers successfully integrate into Ukrainian society, systematically cooperate with communities where Albanians, Bulgarians, Gagauz, Moldovans, Romanians and representatives of other ethnic groups live compactly.
The foreign guests got acquainted with the results of the 5-year activity of the Information Center of Romania, which operates on the basis of the university. The main goal of this center is to popularize the European integration course of Ukraine, European values, language and culture of Romania as the closest neighboring state – a member of the European Union.
Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Romania to Ukraine Alexandru Victor Micula and Acting Consul General of Romania in Odesa Claudiu Tataru highly appreciated the contribution of the university community to strengthening Ukrainian-Romanian good-neighborly relations.
The rector of the university presented joint cross-border projects developed by specialists from universities and public organizations of Moldova, Romania and Ukraine. In particular, he presented the project of creating a multi-disciplinary state cross-border university on the basis of ISUH, which is planned to be implemented within the framework of the state policy on the modernization of the network of higher education institutions.
Taking into account the state’s positions, the structural subdivisions, including temporarily relocated state higher education institutions, will be able to unite at the modern locations of this university, which will contribute to strengthening the educational and scientific potential of the new cross-border university of the Euroregion “Lower Danube” in the context of the implementation of the EU Strategy for the Danube Region.
Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Moldova to Ukraine Valeriu Chiveri and Acting Consul General of the Republic of Moldova in Odesa Ion Chornyi presented books for the university library and took the initiative to create the Information Center of Moldova on the basis of a new cross-border university.
The official visit of the international delegation to ISUH confirmed the importance of the university as an educational, scientific and cultural center that promotes systemic cross-border cooperation and European integration. The discussed initiatives and prospects for the creation of a multi-disciplinary cross-border university open up new opportunities for regional development and international partnership.
According to the press service of Izmail State University of Humanities
