Виступ відбувся в рамках урочистої церемонії відкриття весняного семестру спільної норвезько-української магістерської програми за напрямком "Сталий менеджмент", яка реалізовується Університетом Нурланд (м.Будьо) за безпосередньої координації Центру Крайньої Півночі Школи бізнесу м.Будьо згаданого університету.
Academic Cooperation:
Partnership for the Future
Ambassador’s Speech
14 January 2013
University of Nordland, Bodø
Dear Ladies and Gentlemen,
Professors and students,
Distinguished guests,
As Ambassador of Ukraine to Norway, I am honored to be present today at the opening of the new semester for the Joint Master programs.
During the recent visit of Prime Minister of Ukraine Mykola Azarov to Norway, education and research cooperation was declared one of the priorities for the future development of bilateral relations.
Catching the momentum, the Embassy of Ukraine in Norway organizes a Conference on bilateral cooperation in the field of Education and Research. The conference will take place in Oslo in the end of February and I invite you to participate in interesting discussions.
Partnership is the key word for my speech today. University of Norland is probably the most efficient and dynamic partner of Ukraine in the field of education and research cooperation. Let me express my appreciation of the efforts and achievements of the High North Center working with Ukraine for 10 years now.
Joint Norwegian Ukrainian Master Program in Sustainable Management is a unique project of academic cooperation. Education across the borders is challenging but also vital in the twenty-first century.
I am pleased that University of Norland also hosts Ukrainian PhD students. This is a first step to more complex forms of research cooperation with Ukraine.
And of course, let me mention the program of social adaptation of the former military officers of Ukraine, launched in 2003 in cooperation with the University of Norland. It is one of the most successful programs of this kind between Ukraine and any other country in the world. Let me thank you for managing this very important social program.
Our bilateral cooperation in the field of higher education and research has been growing recently. Many Norwegian Universities, Norwegian Institute of Foreign Affairs and Norwegian Business School are building their relations with partners in Ukraine.
Focus areas of cooperation range from biotechnologies, and nuclear safety research to business administration and economics, sustainable management, international relations, and even music and ballet dance.
In the future, we expect new partnerships in IT and communication technologies, life sciences.
I would also like to underline that it is very important that Norwegian Ukrainian Chamber of Commerce pays major attention to Education and Research cooperation. Education is a key to economic development. Partnership between Business and Education, Business and Research, is a key to success.
I believe that my colleagues from major Norwegian companies present here agree with me. I also hope that in the future we will have many innovative projects between Norway and Ukraine bringing together business, education and research.
Cooperation between Norway and Ukraine in the field of education and researchis growing fast now. But it also needs a strong push from the governments. Partnership with the State would open for a strategic development of cooperation in the field .
A bilateral agreement on cooperation in education and research between Norway and Ukraine would be a big step forward. The time is ripe now.
I wish you good luck in the new semester !
Thank you.