Today, Vasyl Stefanyk Carpathian National University, represented by First Vice-Rector Valentyna Yakubiv, signed a memorandum of cooperation with the Ivano-Frankivsk City Council (Mayor Ruslan Marcinkiv), Kolomyia City Council (Mayor Bohdan Stanislavskyi) and Kalusa City Council (Mayor Andriy Nayda, in attendance was the Deputy Mayor for the Activities of the Executive Bodies of the City Council, Nadiya Gush).
The initiator of such cooperation between the university and communities was the Ivano-Frankivsk regional branch of the Association of Ukrainian Cities and Local Governments, headed by Executive Director Yuriy Stefanchuk.
The purpose of this Memorandum is to establish cooperation between the Parties to implement the educational and professional project “Community Creator. Prykarpattia”, which is aimed at creating a platform for training a new generation of specialists capable of working effectively in local government bodies.
Other territorial communities, educational institutions, organizations, or partners who share the project’s goals and objectives may join the project.
Within the framework of such cooperation, it is envisaged:
- holding the Forum “Community Creator. Prykarpattia”;
- studying the personnel needs of territorial communities in the field of public administration;
- selection of participants (students and young professionals) to participate in a five-day training intensive;
- conclusion, at the request of the territorial community, of a tripartite agreement between the university, the community, and the student, which defines the obligations of the parties regarding the training and further professional realization of the participants;
- organization of individual educational programs (curriculums) for students to acquire the necessary competencies in accordance with the needs of the community;
- conducting internships, involving participants in the personnel reserve or employing them in relevant local government bodies;
- students’ performance of practical or project tasks aimed at solving the current needs of communities; * dissemination and development of the educational and professional project “Community Creator”.
After signing the memorandum, an open dialogue was held with the people’s deputies of Ukraine, dedicated to the formation of the main financial document of the state – the State Budget of Ukraine for 2026. The event brought together representatives of local governments, people’s deputies, educators, and experts in the field of community development.
Vasyl Stefanyk Carpathian National University, headed by Vice-Rector Valentyna Yakubiv, was an active participant.
The leaders of the regional territorial communities also participated in the discussion.
Valentyna Yakubiv spoke about the implementation of the educational and professional course “Community Creator”, in particular, she emphasized: “The “Community Creator” initiative is a modern and effective response to the challenges facing our communities. It creates a bridge between the university and local government, combining education with the real needs of the territories. Vasyl Stefanyk Carpathian National University is ready to become a reliable partner in training specialists in public administration who will have not only theoretical knowledge, but also practical experience of management work in communities in accordance with the needs of communities. It is the elements of dual education that allow us to make this process as effective as possible. We are convinced that joint training of personnel will become the basis for sustainable development of the region.
I sincerely thank the regional branch of the Association of Cities of Ukraine, especially Mr. Ruslan Marcinkiv and Mr. Yuriy Stefanchuk, for their initiative and constructive cooperation. I would like to express my special gratitude to the heads of territorial communities who are the first to join the implementation of this initiative. It is thanks to your openness to partnership that we are jointly forming a new generation of managers who will create and develop capable, responsible and successful communities.”
Summing up the results of the open dialogue, Yuriy Stefanchuk emphasized: “Today’s event is primarily aimed at providing answers to the most pressing questions of territorial communities. The focus is on the formation of the State Budget for 2026. We are grateful to the people’s deputies of Ukraine for taking into account one of the key proposals of the Association of Ukrainian Cities – preserving 64% of personal income tax credits to local budgets in the first reading. This is an important signal of support for communities, and we feel it. At the same time, we expect to continue the constructive dialogue and take into account other proposals when preparing the budget for the second reading. This includes, in particular, the return of “forced” personal income tax to communities, verification of basic and reverse subsidies, and changing approaches to horizontal equalization, in particular reverse subsidies. An equally important issue raised by representatives of small communities is the activities of local councils in conditions of a decrease in the number of deputies. These are communities with a population of up to 15 thousand inhabitants, where there is no party representation and each reduction in the number of deputies creates risks for ensuring a quorum and stable work of the councils. This is a challenge that needs to be addressed, because there is a risk of paralyzing the work of the council and complicating the prompt adoption of important decisions for the community.
And probably the most important issue that concerns everyone without exception is the human resource potential in the public administration system. It is for this reason that we have started implementing the educational and professional course “Citizen Creator” in partnership with the Vasyl Stefanyk Carpathian National University. The program provides for a comprehensive approach: from the formation of individual educational trajectories for students to their practical involvement in the work of local councils. The implementation of this initiative aims to solve a dual task – to provide communities with the opportunity to obtain highly qualified and motivated employees, and to increase the motivation of young people to stay in their communities, actively participate in their development and see prospects for professional growth in the localities.
