A delegation of Ukrainian parliamentarians and employees from the Ministry of Education in Kyiv visited PH Zurich at the beginning of May. The visit from this delegation has been a long time coming, as the Department for International Projects in Education at PH Zurich has been cooperating with Ukraine on educational issues since 2009.

Cooperation began at that time with a commission from the State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SERI), which focused on exchanges on education and democratisation.

Shortly after the start of cooperation, Ukraine went through a period of intense social and political disputes, which came to a head in the 2014 Euromaidan. Schools were increasingly concerned with democracy, not only as a subject matter, but also in terms of school management and general way of life.

Support and cooperation

The Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) was also interested in the subject and financed two relevant projects: Development of Citizenship Competences in Ukraine (DOCCU, 2016–2018) and Decentralisation for Improved Democratic Education (DECIDE, 2020–2024). Through cooperation with a professional team from Kyiv, these projects have built a broad base of knowledge and experience over the years. With the now independent NGO DOCCU, hundreds of teachers from education faculties have been trained and thousands of teachers have been introduced to student-centred teaching methods. The collaboration with PH Zurich has never wavered, even in critical moments such as the current educational reform, the Covid-19 pandemic and the present war.

Visit to Switzerland

As part of this long-standing cooperation, a high-ranking education delegation from Ukraine is now due to visit. Five parliamentarians, employees from the Ministry of Education and the directors of DOCCU will travel to Switzerland to learn about decentralised education and dual vocational training. The delegation will spend a week in Zurich and Bern to visit the PH Zurich, primary and secondary schools, vocational high schools, vocational training places and the public vocational training centre Tempus in Küsnacht. In Bern, the delegation will meet with representatives from the Swiss Conference of Cantonal Ministers of Education, the SDC and the Swiss Parliament for an exchange.

For the Department for International Projects in Education, the delegation’s visit is proof of how long-term, partnership-based and professional cooperation can lead to unexpected success and be supportive, especially in times of crisis. The department is pleased to be able to support Ukrainian colleagues in the field of vocational guidance and the continuing education of teachers at vocational high schools.