These Alumni Talks were the third and final event within the framework of the Erasmus+ Programme under the Jean Monnet action for Higher Education (Module “Political Institutions and Systems in Europe: Comparison and Experience for Ukraine”, No. 101126702). The event brought together students, alumni, and academic staff to summarize several years of work, discuss the educational process, and consider future prospects for the development of political science education and its comparative component.
The meeting became a logical continuation of the series of Alumni Talks, which traditionally create a space for open dialogue between current students, graduates, and the academic community. The event was organized by the Department of Political Science, the Center for Political Studies, the student society “Polis” and participants of the Jean Monnet Module project “Political Institutions and Systems in Europe: Comparison and Experience for Ukraine.”
During the Alumni Talks, special attention was given to the academic courses “Comparative Politics: Political Institutions and Systems of Western European Countries” for undergraduate Political Science students and “Comparative Analysis of Political Institutions and Systems of Central and Eastern European Countries” for master’s students. Both courses are implemented within the Jean Monnet Module and aim to provide an in-depth study of political institutions and systems, models of governance, and the functioning of political systems in European countries and the European Union. The goal was to obtain meaningful feedback between students and lecturers in order to further improve the courses.
The meeting also focused on summarizing the results of the project’s implementation and discussing prospects for further development of academic disciplines related to comparative politics and the analysis of political institutions and systems in European countries. Participants emphasized the importance of strengthening the comparative politics training of students, particularly through the introduction of new and updated courses, expansion of research topics, and enhancement of interdisciplinary approaches.
A separate part of the discussion was devoted to general issues in the educational process of political science students. Students and graduates shared their perspectives on the development of study programs, provided recommendations and comments on certain elements of the educational process, and emphasized the need to strengthen the research component in education. Among the suggestions were increased student involvement in research projects, development of research skills, and academic discussion practices.
The meeting featured a lively and substantive discussion on political education in Ukraine in the context of current transformations and European integration processes. Participants discussed the role of political institutions, the importance of quality political education, and the need to adapt certain European practices to Ukrainian realities.
The meeting was moderated by the project coordinators and implementers — Acting Head of the Department of Political Science, Professor Vitalii Lytvyn, and Acting Dean of the Faculty of Philosophy, Professor Anatolii Romaniuk. In their remarks, they emphasized the importance of continuous dialogue with students and alumni, as well as the need for ongoing improvement of educational programs in line with contemporary academic and societal challenges.
Based on the series of meetings held this year, proposals and recommendations for the further development of academic courses and educational practices within and beyond the project “Political Institutions and Systems in Europe: Comparison and Experience for Ukraine” were summarized. These outcomes were included in the final report of the event “Political Institutions and Systems Matter,” which is available for download in both Ukrainian and English.
The event was organized by the Department of Political Science, the Center for Political Studies, and the student society “Polis” with the financial support of the European Union within the Erasmus+ Programme under the Jean Monnet action for Higher Education (Module “Political Institutions and Systems in Europe: Comparison and Experience for Ukraine”, No. 101126702).
