CAPABLE
We at the BUP see a great need to assist Ukrainian universities in the education of the next generation of researchers and university teachers, by jointly supporting their PhD students. For this, the CAPABLE (Common Academic Practices and Abilities in Learning for Research) project was developed. With Ukraine coming closer to the EU, there is a distinct need to align, integrate and prepare the education frameworks and systems with European education standards, in particular the European Research Area. PhD students are the target group that is most closely related to such need, therefore the project aims to support young academics in Ukraine to develop skills and competences in standard with EU countries. So the project aims to provide knowledge, skills and network opportunities to PhD students from Ukraine. This is to be done through organising PhD students training for them in a mixed group with PhD students from other BUP universities; and by contribution from senior experts from BUP participating universities in the EU.
The project welcomes PhD students completing their studies at a BUP participating university and focusing on a sustainability topic relevant to the Baltic Sea Region.
PhD students training
The main part of the project is a PhD student training. Accepted students will receive mentoring and feedback on their thesis. The program will also focus on academic writing, academic presentations, critical thinking, development of research methodology as well as pedagogical skills. The training consists of three parts.
- Online seminar series
- PhD student conference in Uppsala
- Online Academic Teacher training course
Upon completion of the full training program, participants will be awarded a certificate with the number of hours equivalent to 4 ECTS.
The last application day was 5 May 2024.
Online seminar series
During September-October 2024, accepted PhD students participated in a seminar series, focusing on academic development and techniques. The seminars were held online via ZOOM, containing lectures, discussions and exercises.
The seminar sessions were the following:
- 12 September 2024: 'Academic Writing; how to improve your scientific writing skills' – Marianna Gladysh and Oksana Krayevska, Ivan Franko National University in L’viv
- 26 September 2024: 'Navigating the Ethical Landscape of Modern Research: Plagiarism, Independent Scientific Writing, and the Role of AI' –
Mikael Höök, Uppsala University - 10 October 2024: 'Methodology of Scientific Research' – Ireneusz Zbicinski, Lodz University of Technology
- 24 October 2024: 'System analysis for sustainable society: example of demographic aspects' – Andrii Achasov, Ganna Titenko and Anna Kot, V.N. Karazin Kharkiv National University
PhD students conference in Uppsala
This conference, which was organised from 11-14 November 2024 in Uppsala, is the most interactive part of the project.
The PhD students were given the opportunity to meet and learn from each other in an intercultural and multidisciplinary environment. During the event, the participants got the opportunity to give and receive feedback on their own work, as well as input from senior experts in their field. The training also included presentations on publications, interdisciplinary research, as well as discussions focusing on mental health and well-being. The students took part in a Design Thinking Workshop and a workshop on networking for academic cooperation in the Baltic Sea Region.
In total 45 PhD students from 26 BUP universities participated in the event, which was organised in a hybrid mode, giving a chance for the students from Ukraine to take part as well.
The conference was mainly financed by the Swedish Institute (SI) with contribution from The Baltic University Programme.
Event report from the conference.
Online Academic Teacher training course
All accepted PhD students have the possibility to attend a course on Academic teaching, organised by Uppsala University’s Unit for Academic Teaching and Learning. The course takes part online between the 5 March and 20 May 2025.
Additional information can be found in the curriculum for the Online Academic Teacher training course (pdf) Pdf, 150 kB..
Individual supervision
As part of the project, Ukrainian PhD students are suggested to get individual supervision from experts/researchers in their topics which will be scheduled during the spring term of 2025.
Project partners
The CAPABLE project is jointly organised by the following BUP partners:
- Uppsala University (Sweden)
- Ivan Franko National University of L’viv (Ukraine)
- Lodz University of Technology (Poland)
- V.N. Karazin Kharkiv National University (Ukraine)
- WSB University in Poznan (Poland)
Questions and more information
For questions and more information regarding this project in general please contact Project coordinator Lyudmyla Babak via lyudmyla.babak@balticuniv.uu.se
