A press conference by rector Valentyna Yakubiv on the topic “100 days of rectorship: results, decisions, next steps” was held at Vasyl Stefanyk Carpathian National University. Also participating were the chairman of the university’s Supervisory Board, Dmytro Romanyuk; vice-rectors for scientific and pedagogical work, Nataliya Belova, Eduard Lapkovsky, and Vitaliy Shkromyda; vice-rector for scientific and pedagogical work and international activities, Liliya Turovska; and vice-rector for scientific and pedagogical work and socio-economic development, Volodymyra Boychuk.
Strategic focus — culture, quality, efficiency
In her speech, Rector Valentyna Yakubiv outlined the key results of the first 100 days of work and presented strategic guidelines for the university’s development.
The first strategic goal is to create a culture of corporate development and personal growth. According to Valentyna Yakubiv, the management team has consistently adhered to the principles of openness and transparency from the very first days. All decisions are made in accordance with clear rules and understandable procedures. This allows building trust in the team and effectively achieving the set goals.
“Significant attention has been paid to the mental health of employees and students – a series of support measures has been organised. For the first time, the university has implemented a comprehensive HR system that covers all personnel management processes and is aimed at improving working conditions and professional development of employees,” the rector said.
The second strategic goal is to ensure high-quality education and the comprehensive development of students. An external audit of educational activities was conducted, which identified weaknesses and outlined development opportunities. On this basis, the education quality management system was reorganised and improved, and expert interaction with the National Agency for Higher Education and Science and industry expert councils continues.
In 100 days, the university has achieved significant results:
— 47 winners of international and all-Ukrainian student scientific competitions;
— 7 scholarship holders of the Mayor of Ivano-Frankivsk named after the Hero of the Heavenly Hundred Roman Huryk — “Change the world for the better”;
— 8 scholarship holders of the Mayor of Ivano-Frankivsk named after the Hero of the Heavenly Hundred Roman Huryk — “University for the city. City for the university”;
— 1 scholarship holder of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine named after the Hero of the Heavenly Hundred Roman Huryk.
University students became European champions in basketball and martial arts, and also won the Ukrainian championships.
Among the innovations are the introduction of a course on academic entrepreneurship and the launch of the Carpathian Startup School as a platform for student entrepreneurship and innovation. The development of entrepreneurial education and innovation skills is also implemented under the initiative of NANOBIOTECH NEXUS. A Parents’ Forum was held, and the implementation of the dual education project “Citizen Creator” was launched together with the regional branch of the Association of Cities of Ukraine.
The network of partnerships has been expanded: 26 agreements have been concluded with lyceums, and cooperation with 14 communities and organisations has been strengthened. A memorandum of cooperation has been signed with the charitable organisation “Charity Fund “Common Space” (Taras Boychuk), within the framework of which a socially responsible project to support veterans and their families has been launched.
International cooperation and grant activity
Thanks to active negotiations with partners in Poland, Germany, and Spain, the university has expanded the opportunities for academic mobility. Agreements on educational exchanges with Spanish universities have been signed, as well as new agreements on research internships at universities in Germany, Poland and Spain. This process is already having a tangible multiplier effect.
The university has won national and international grant competitions — more than 12 million hryvnias have been raised, in particular for the implementation of research internship programs.
Chairman of the Supervisory Board Dmytro Romanyuk noted:
“One hundred days is certainly a rather short period to evaluate results from a long-term perspective. At the same time, this is the stage when you can already understand whether the course has been chosen correctly and in which direction the university is moving.”
The task of the Supervisory Board is to form strategic guidelines for the management team. And at this stage of our cooperation, we can state: the new rector is moving in the right direction. A significant amount of work is being done; key performance indicators for both the rector and vice-rectors have already been approved in accordance with the requirements of the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine.
“Ahead is active work on reviewing and updating the university’s development strategy. We see that the team is included in the process, focused on results, and this creates a positive impression.”
Operational efficiency and strategic management
A separate block of work concerns increasing the university’s operational efficiency and financial sustainability.
“We have introduced a system of KPIs — key performance indicators — at all levels of management: from the rector to heads of departments. This allows us to define areas of responsibility clearly and expected results, and to assess work efficiency. I am convinced that this system will have a significant positive effect in the coming periods,” emphasised Valentyna Yakubiv.
We have also begun implementing artificial intelligence-based tools to support employees and teachers — they help optimise many daily processes.
In parallel, the university’s strategic management is being updated. For the rector, it is fundamental that the development strategy clearly define priorities, goals, and expected results.
At the end of the press conference, Valentyna Yakubiv presented a development plan for the year:
The updated strategy identifies five key areas of development:
- A culture of corporate development and personal growth.
- Ensuring high-quality education and comprehensive development of students.
- Development of the research ecosystem and integration into ERA through projects and international consortia.
- Improving operational efficiency and financial sustainability.
- Creating an environment of co-creation, partnership, and social interaction.
