The pilot course focused on the reconstruction of war-torn and damaged territories was designed especially for Ukrainian students studying at CTU, but also for other interested students from other universities who are originally from Ukraine and can eventually contribute to its recovery and reconstruction.
The course was focused on planning, reconstruction and rehabilitation of war-affected settlements and was attended by about 20 students, mostly from CTU, but not only from the Masaryk Institute of Advanced Studies, but also from Faculty of Civil Engineering and Faculty of Information Technology. In addition, two groups joined the online course - from Zhytomyr and Lviv, i.e. a total of 24 students and teachers who were interested in the course in Ukraine and are mostly from Czech expatriate communities in Ukraine.
The purpose of the pilot course was to test the developed learning module, which will introduce the complex of knowledge and skills that are needed for the reconstruction of territories and settlements, and to pass them on to those who will return to Ukraine after their studies and participate in the reconstruction of the country. The aim was to test not only the substantive but also the technical parameters of the training, in order to prepare for the implementation of the main five-day course, which will be launched in autumn this year together with the O. M. Beketov National University of Urban Economics in Kharkiv, Ukraine. Given the current situation in Kharkiv, the course will probably have to be taught in a hybrid form. Therefore, the technical parameters and limits of implementing training activities in a hybrid environment were verified in the pilot course. The course combines lectures on selected planning and development topics with practice games and practical training of selected techniques for participation and development. Participant feedback focused on the substantive content of the topics presented and skills practiced was an important component. Participants positively evaluated the selection of topics and especially the practice activities. They also appreciated the example of the reconstruction of post-war Kosovo and recommended inclusion of more of these. They also suggested that the course should be supplemented, for example, by addressing the issue of the disabled, who will be more numerous in Ukraine after the war.
In spite of minor organizational problems, the course took place in a pleasant atmosphere full of discussions, as well as in the expectation of direct and practical outcomes.
The project was financially supported by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic in support of Ukraine and is part of the Czech Development Aid.
(Pictured: Course participants with its organizers. In the middle - prof. Vladimíra Dvořáková, CSc., MÚVS director, on the far left - doc. Vladimíra Šilhánková, Ph.D., dr. Lucia Dobrucká a dr. Martin Maštálka, photograph by R. Palic)
