Call of delegates from prairie universities of Canada and from the Mission on academic cooperation in the field of agriculture

16th of February, 2012

For reference: At the end of 2009 the Centre Canada-Ukraine supported by federal and provincial authorities organized a symposium in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan province. More than 50 representatives from 18 organizations in Western Canada and Ukraine participated in the symposium. All of them are primarily engaged in research, innovations and technologies development. Among the consequences of the meeting was the decision of Centre Canada-Ukraine to promote further cooperation between Canadian and Ukrainian universities and colleges.

For this aim consortium of prairie universities was created. In 2010 delegation from Ukraine took a study trip to explore the opportunities of conducting common programs by Consortium and leading Ukrainian universities. Current mission is aimed at continuation of cooperation with agricultural universities and universities of life sciences basing upon previous considerations about common initiatives in the field of science and education.

On the 9th of February, 2012, delegates from prairie universities of Canada and from the Mission on academic cooperation in the field of agriculture visited the National University of Life and Environmental Sciences of Ukraine. Among them there was Dean of College of Agriculture and Bioresources, University of Saskatschewan, Mary Buhr, Dean of the Faculty of Agricultural, Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Alberta, John Kennelly, Acting Associate Dean (Research) of Faculty of Agriculture and Food Sciences, University of Manitoba, Martin Scanlon, Head of Ukrainian Resource and Development Centre, Grant MacEwan University, Roman Petryshyn, International projects Manger, Grant MacEwan University, Yuri Konkin and Associate Head of the Centre Canada-Ukraine Yaroslav Lutsyuk.

The participants met the head of the NUBiP of Ukraine, academician D.O. Melnychuk to continue dialogue aimed at promotion of research and educational cooperation. Among the discussed issues there was a question about the extension of cooperation areas between Canadian universities and NUBiP within the framework of common international scientific initiatives in the field of research and agricultural education. In particular, the key directions of mutually beneficial partnership targeted at long-lasting cooperation were defined. Among them:

• Signing of partnership agreements;
• Start of students, postgraduate-students and teachers exchange programs;
• Conducting of common research;
• Common participation in international conferences, symposiums;
• Development of international projects in the field of agriculture and rural area development based upon innovations and high technologies.

Round-table meeting of members of prairie agricultural universities of Canada and delegates from Kiev, Lviv, Sumy, Dnipropetrovsk, Kharkiv universities

On the 10th of February, 2012, as a continuation of meeting of delegates from prairie universities of Canada and the Head of National University of Life and Environmental Sciences, academician D.O. Melnychuk, Head of National Research Centre for International Activities V.P. Kaminsky and Assistant Rector (International Activities) M.S. Vaschyk participated in the round-table negotiations that took place at Embassy of Canada in Ukraine. Deans of Canadian universities and representatives from National University of Life and Environmental Sciences of Ukraine, Lviv National Agrarian University, Dnipropetrovs'k State Agrarian University, Sumy National Agrarian University, Kharkiv Petro Vasylenko National Technical University of Agriculture gathered together during the meeting. Parties presented opportunities of their universities for future partnership and discussed its preferable directions, forms and fields, in particular, common bachelor students, master students, postgraduate students and teachers exchange programs, conducting of scientific research etc. Next step in realization of common projects is going to be preparing and signing of memoranda about mutual understanding and agreements about partnership between abovementioned educational establishments of Ukraine and Canada.