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 supported young academics in Ukraine to develop skills and competences in line wih the standard in EU countries. The project aimed to provide knowledge, skills and network opportunities to PhD students from Ukraine. This was done through organising a 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 welcomed PhD students completing their studies at a BUP participating university who focused on a sustainability topic relevant to the Baltic Sea Region.

PhD students training

The main part of the project was a PhD student training organised during the 2024/25 academic year. Accepted students received mentoring and feedback on their thesis. The program also focused on academic writing, academic presentations, critical thinking, development of research methodology, as well as pedagogical skills. The training consisted of three parts.

1. Online seminar series
2. PhD student conference in Uppsala
3. Online Academic Teacher training course

Upon completion of the full training program, participants were awarded a certificate with the number of hours equivalent to 4 ECTS.

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:

1. 12 September 2024: 'Academic Writing; how to improve your scientific writing skills' – Marianna Gladysh and Oksana Krayevska, Ivan Franko National University in L’viv
   
2. 26 September 2024: 'Navigating the Ethical Landscape of Modern Research: Plagiarism, Independent Scientific Writing, and the Role of AI' – Mikael Höök, Uppsala University
   
3. 10 October 2024: 'Methodology of Scientific Research' – Ireneusz Zbicinski, Lodz University of Technology
   
4. 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, was 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 the contribution of The Baltic University Programme.

Event report from the conference.

Online Academic Teacher training course

All accepted PhD students had the possibility to attend a course on Academic teaching, organised by Uppsala University’s Unit for Academic Teaching and Learning. The course took place online between 5 to 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 were suggested to get individual supervision from experts/researchers in their topics during the spring term of 2025.

Project partners

The CAPABLE project was 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