On June 23, Mariupol State University hosted a regular meeting of the working group on "Education" within the frameworks of the development of Mariupol Development Strategy 2030. The meeting was aimed at discussing areas of cooperation between the city authorities and the universities and projects for joint implementation.

The meeting was attended by expert Lilia Hrynevych, former Minister of Education and Science of Ukraine, Oleksandr Kochurin, Deputy Mayor of Mariupol and the representatives of higher educational institutions of Mariupol.

Mariupol State University was represented by Professor Kostyantyn Balabanov, Rector, Honorary Consul General of the Republic of Cyprus in Mariupol, Professor Olena Bulatova, the First Vice-Rector, Professor Svitlana Bezchotnikova, the Dean of the Faculty of Philology and Mass Communications, Professor Olena Pavlenko, the Dean of the Faculty of Foreign Languages, assistant professor Olena Brezhneva, the Head of the Preschool Education Department, Associate Professor Lenina Zadorozhna-Knyagnytska, the Head of the Pedagogics and Education Department.

At the beginning of the meeting, Lilia Hrynevych noted that the universities play an important role in shaping the future of Mariupol, as they are a source of intellectual potential and produce specialists in professions in demand in the labor market. Today, the city is most in demand by police, medical staff, educators and teachers.

To provide the city with the qualified specialists, university representatives proposed to update educational programs every two years, taking into account current trends and wishes of potential employers, to introduce dual education for quality theoretical knowledge and practical skills in the city, to develop educational programs to train future teachers, which would allow to teach several subjects. The participants also agreed to make education more accessible for the adults, including the elderly and the unemployed.

Mariupol State University actively cooperates with the city authorities. Joint efforts allow for high-quality training of the teachers for pre-school and secondary education, improve the skills of educators, teachers, psychologists and librarians, to improve the image of Mariupol by developing international relations with the European Union.