Chernihiv Polytechnic Presented Results of Work with Communities at the Final Meeting of the Congress Office
On October 13, 2026, Oleh Novomlynets, Rector of Chernihiv Polytechnic National University, took part in the final online meeting of the Office of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities under the President of Ukraine, dedicated to the results of universities’ work with territorial communities within the Living Lab project educational cluster.
The meeting concluded a stage during which higher education institutions from all regions of Ukraine held meetings with territorial communities on the basis of regional military administrations. Participants summarized results, discussed achieved outcomes, and exchanged experience in organizing work with communities. The meeting was attended by representatives of the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine – specifically Deputy Minister of Education and Science Mykola Trofymenko and Svitlana Kretovych – representatives of the Office of the President of Ukraine, the leadership of the Congress Office, and rectors of participating universities.
The Rector of Chernihiv Polytechnic presented the results of discussing the university’s proposals with representatives of territorial communities in the Chernihiv region. The dialogue was based on an analysis conducted by the university regarding the needs of regional communities in comprehensive spatial planning, resulting in the formation of a “community request – university solution” matching matrix comprising 17 practical cases – ranging from preparing terms of reference for comprehensive plan development and training in geographic information systems (GIS) to geospatial data audits, territorial analytical profiles, and project investment profiles. Each case was mapped to specific departments, educational programs, and university resources.
A special emphasis in the speech was placed on involving higher education students: community requests become topics for graduation theses, coursework projects, and practical training, ensuring the community receives a professional product while the student tackles a real practical challenge.
Meeting participants agreed that the key outcome of this stage should be the transition from discussing problems to concluding specific cooperation agreements between universities and communities and implementing joint projects.
The Living Lab educational cluster is implemented by the Office of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities under the President of Ukraine to support territorial communities, particularly in the development and approval of comprehensive territorial spatial development plans.
