EN
UK
In a significant move towards international educational collaboration, the Lifelong Learning Centre reports on a recent development. On February 10, in the German twin city of Sumy – Celle, a methodological seminar was conducted under the Urban X-Change Network project. The event, titled “Celle-Sumy Joint Peace Centre: Support in Crisis Times Through Education, Social Affairs, and Culture,” focused on organizing lifelong and adult education during challenging times.
Participants from the German side included Lisa Wernke, a representative from the Institute of International Cooperation of the German Adult Education Association (DVV International), Lilian Steinke, the director of Volkshochschule Celle (Celle’s Community College), along with her team, and representatives from Lower Saxony’s educational sphere, psychological centers, and libraries.
The delegation from Sumy comprised Yuriy Petrushenko, the Head of the Board of NGO Lifelong Learning Centre, and Chair of Department of International Relations, Executive Director of the Lifelong Learning Centre, Hanna Shvindina, the Deputy Head of International Cooperation, Tetyana Mayboroda, Director of the Institute of Business, Economics, and Management, Tetyana Vasilyeva and PhD student Kateryna Onoprienko, all of whom are engaged in adult education both as researchers and practitioners.
The seminar provided a platform for Sumy representatives to gain insights into the current issues of adult education in Lower Saxony and Celle. The delegates from Sumy shared their experiences in operating the Lifelong Learning Centre in close cooperation with the university, discussing the courses implemented under the project, the relevance, and importance of choosing training and seminar themes, particularly since the onset of Russia’s full-scale invasion, to support the local population.
A significant outcome of the seminar was the signing of a Memorandum for long-term cooperation between Sumy State University, NGO Lifelong Learning Centre, and Volkshochschule Celle. This memorandum aims to develop collaboration in the field of lifelong education, drawing on nearly a century of German experience in specialized adult education institutions (VHS) and addressing the current support needs of the residents of Sumy amidst the war.
