On 25 September 2018 the Head of the Department of International Connections of the Mission Yevhen Samuha and the Chief Consultant Valeria Pakhomova took part in the meeting of the Rectors’ Council of Higher Educational Establishments, temporarily displaced from the anti-touristic operations area.

The participants of the meeting were the First Deputy Minister of Education and Science of Ukraine Volodymyr Kovtunets, the heads of line departments of the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine, the manager of the Program “EU Support to the East of Ukraine” Stanislav Topolnytsky,  EU sector manager of education, youth and science in Ukraine Vera Rybak, Director of British Council in Ukraine Simon Williams, the First Secretary, Attaché on Culture and Education of US Embassy in Ukraine Sean O’Hara, representative of the civil organization “ Open policy” Ivanna Kovalyk, Vice-President of Ukrainian Football Students Association Vadim Missura.

The pressed issues of temporarily displaced Higher Educational Establishments were discussed in the context of entrance campaign of 2018 within the program “Crimea-Ukraine” with the constructive suggestions for improvement of the entrance campaign 2019. Besides, the assignment of foreign students to get education in the internally displaced universities was decided. The renewal of licenses for the Higher Educational Establishments of the temporarily occupied Crimea, particularly finding a qualified teaching staff and necessary equipment were highlighted during the meeting.

A special attention was paid to the cooperation between the internally displaced Universities with partner and donor organizations, particularly within the Students Exchange Programs, grants and competitions for the universities. The officials of the Mission stressed on the need for the program “Crimea-Ukraine” to be continued and broadened in order to bring higher education to Crimean residents at the educational establishments of the Ministry of Healthcare of Ukraine. The current illicit activity of the RF University branches in Crimea under their partnership with the universities of Ukraine and west countries was pointed out as well.