Participation of Karazin University Representatives in an Educational Visit to the Republic of Estonia within the ESTDEV Project

12 june 2025 year

Education, International activities

From June 2 to 6, representatives of V. N. Karazin Kharkiv National University visited the Republic of Estonia as part of the project “Integrating Entrepreneurship Education into the Vocational Education System of Ukraine.”

The goal of the project is to support vocational schools in Ukraine by implementing a learning approach that fosters the development of entrepreneurial skills, as well as integrating entrepreneurship education into all subjects and levels of vocational education in 16 pilot institutions. The project also includes the development of necessary methodology and educational materials to ensure access to entrepreneurship education for all students in vocational institutions.

The Ukrainian delegation was supported by ESTDEV coordinators: Anna Silem (Senior Project Manager at ESTDEV), Alyona Yaskevych (ESTDEV Project Coordinator), and ESTDEV project experts Katrin Kivisild and Erika Veide.

The program included training sessions aimed at developing entrepreneurial competencies, conducted by Estonian experts. In collaboration with Estonian colleagues, educational materials will also be developed to integrate entrepreneurship education into the curricula of vocational schools. Additionally, the delegation had the opportunity to learn about the practical implementation of entrepreneurship education in Estonia and gained insights into the roles and contributions of various stakeholders in this process.

The Ukrainian delegation included representatives from:

• Zhytomyr City Council and Butterfly K LLC;

• Methodological Centers for Vocational Education in Lviv and Rivne Regions;

• Volyn Resource Center;

• Chernivtsi Vocational School No. 8;

• V. N. Karazin Kharkiv National University;

• Ivan Franko Zhytomyr State University.

V. N. Karazin Kharkiv National University was represented by:

• Iryna Shteimiller, Head of the Department of International Relations;

• Maryna Vasylieva, Deputy Director of the Education and Research Institute “Ukrainian Engineering Pedagogics Academy”;

• Roman Nesterenko, Deputy Head of the Department of International Relations;

• Tetiana Bondarenko, Professor at the Department of Information Computer Technologies and Mathematics;

• Viktoriia Chobitok, Professor at the Department of Marketing and Trade Entrepreneurship.

On the first day of the visit, the Ukrainian delegation visited Tehnopol Science and Business Park. Anee-Liisa Elbrecht, Head of the Startup Incubator, spoke about the park’s operations and its core mission. Ukrainian participants also shared details about their own startup projects implemented within the business park. The delegation also attended a seminar on “Entrepreneurship,” conducted by Kätlin Arvola, with a focus on the concept of a growth mindset.

According to the program, the delegation was then divided into two groups: a working group of VET representatives and administrators, and a group of educators. The working group visited the Ministry of Finance, where Marge Aaslaid, Financial Literacy and Awareness Coordinator, emphasized the importance of the ESTDEV project with the Ministry’s involvement. Meanwhile, university representatives visited Tallinn University, where they met with lecturers Serge Rekor and Reeli Liivik and explored the structure of the “Entrepreneurship Pedagogy” course that will be implemented in Ukrainian institutions.

On the second day, the delegation participated in a seminar by Eneken Titova at Ülemiste City focused on developing entrepreneurial competencies. They also visited Tallinn School of Economics, where Aneli Pikmets from the International Office and Allan Kaljakin, Head of Research, introduced the school’s structure, educational programs, and innovative resources such as a modern video recording studio.

On the third day, the delegation traveled to the city of Pärnu, where they visited the Pärnu County Development Center and met with civic leader Vivika Vilja. She spoke about the importance of promoting entrepreneurship among youth and shared successful examples of youth project implementation. That same day, the delegation also visited Pärnu Hospital, where staff explained the healthcare system and compared it with the Ukrainian system.

The fourth day was spent on Saaremaa Island, in the city of Kuressaare, where the group visited Kuressaare Ametikool Vocational School. They learned about the school’s training programs and its material and technical resources. Ukrainian educators took part in a seminar conducted by Jane Magi titled “Creating Value in Entrepreneurship Education” and created a value model map.

The participants also had the opportunity to visit Kuressaare Castle — one of the few surviving medieval castles in Estonia and the best-preserved fortress of Old Livonia.

The visit was organized and funded by the Estonian Centre for International Development (ESTDEV).

All participants gained valuable professional experience and positive impressions.
We thank ESTDEV and our Estonian colleagues for their support and cooperation.
We wish everyone success in implementing new ideas and projects!