Sharing Resilience Experience: MSU Educators Complete the First Training Programs under the BIKE-HEI Project

The first phase of the project “Boosting Innovative and Knowledge-Based Entrepreneurship in Higher Education Institutions” (BIKE-HEI), which ran from April to December this year, is coming to an end.

Its main goal was to implement training programs aimed at nurturing change-makers focused on green entrepreneurship. The ambitious mission was carried out by teams from partner universities, including Mariupol State University, led by project coordinator Iryna Sikorska.

At MSU, the training was delivered by Associate Professor of the Department of Marketing and Tourism Inna Arakelova and Associate Professor of the Department of Labour Economics Valeriia Podunai. Their audience consisted of students, lecturers, and specialists from various fields in Ukraine, Spain, Germany, Slovenia — more than 900 participants in total.

The resilient educators approached their teaching not only responsibly, but also creatively. Inna Arakelova highlighted the topic of educational resilience, explored with students the experiences of Ukrainian businesses under conditions of war and uncertainty, and shared her own.

For me, the course was both challenging and very important. It was my first experience giving lectures in English to international students, so a lot of effort was required.

In the topic of educational resilience, I saw my mission as showing young people from other countries how Ukrainians live. In addition, I had to conduct several classes without electricity and stable internet connection. Thus, they saw firsthand what resilience means when a person or institution faces it alone,

— says MSU Associate Professor Inna Arakelova.

For her part, Valeriia Podunai, who lectured for academic and non-academic staff, focused on the resilience of green and digital systems.

Teaching in the BIKE-HEI training course was an interesting experience that allowed me not only to share my expertise, but also to assess my professional level and proficiency in academic English.

I was greatly inspired by the high engagement of participants in discussions. We explored basic theories of forming a resilient organization, and their practical cases involving digital and green technologies. The example of Mariupol State University — particularly the experience of its community in maintaining organizational resilience under crisis conditions — resonated strongly,

— noted MSU Associate Professor Valeriia Podunai.

Ahead lies the final conference in Slovenia, where teams from partner universities will present their achievements and outline goals for the coming year.