University rectors confer in Bonn on Ukrainian-German cooperation

BONN - During the first week of February, 40 university rectors (presidents) from Ukraine attended a conference in the former capital of Germany. The topic of the conference was "Status and Perspectives of Cooperation between Ukrainian and German Institutions of Higher Learning."

Heading the Ukrainian delegation were Vasyl G. Kremen, Ukraine's minister of education, and Viktor V. Skopenko, president of the Ukrainian University Presidents Union. The German side was represented by the following government officials: Dr. Uwe Thomas, secretary of the Ministry of Education and Research; Prof. Erich Thies, general secretary, Permanent Conference of the Ministry of Culture of the States; Prof. Klaus Landfried, president of the German Conference of University Presidents; and Dorothes Fitterling from the German Academic Exchange Program, Bonn.

In addition to two plenary sessions, the conference included an exhibit on higher education in Ukraine, a joint press conference, and numerous working sessions during which several bilateral agreements were signed. The conference also served as a forum for the representatives of various German universities, who read papers or presented reports on their work in the area of academic cooperation between Germany and Ukraine.

Ukraine's ambassador to Germany, Dr. Anatolii Ponomarenko, who came to Bonn from Berlin, extended to the assembly an official greeting from the government of Ukraine, noting with satisfaction that the rector of the Ukrainian Free University, Leonid Rudnytzky, was among them. Subsequently Prof. Rudnytzky addressed the meeting, outlining the role and function of the Ukrainian Free University as an academic bridge between the two countries.

The participants discussed and resolved several existing problems of an administrative nature. They resolved to hold their next meeting in Crimea in the year 2003.

Copyright © The Ukrainian Weekly, March 11, 2001, No. 10, Vol. LXIX

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