The centre will help develop the potential of talented young people in Luhansk Oblast, as well as bolster opportunities for the professional development of teachers of natural sciences

Rubizhne, Luhansk Oblast, 1 October 2021  – The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Ukraine has opened a new STEAM centre in Rubizhne, Luhansk Oblast, with the financial support of the European Union.

The centre is based at the Regional Small Academy of Sciences in partnership with the Institute of Postgraduate Pedagogical Education of Luhansk Oblast. The centre’s main audience will be creative young people in Luhansk Oblast, who are interested in science and technology, as well as teachers who want to integrate the principles of STEAM-education in their schools.

STEAM education (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Mathematics) is a multidisciplinary approach to learning that combines science, innovative technologies and creativity. It focuses on solving concrete problems whilst stimulating out-of-the-box and critical thinking, research skills and effective teamwork.

UN Recovery and Peacebuilding Programme Manager Victor Munteanu said that the COVID-19 pandemic has driven demand for innovative solutions to most pressing issues, while the future growth and prosperity of conflict-hit eastern Ukraine is impossible without modernizing education.

“We’re convinced that by opening this STEAM centre in Rubizhne, we’re investing in a better future,” Munteanu said. “The innovative approaches that will take root here will undoubtedly accelerate creative solutions, addressing local challenges, and we’re looking forward to seeing the outcomes of this great beginning.”

The STEAM education centre is equipped with modern equipment for robotics, 3D-modeling and conducting laboratory work in astronomy, biology, geography, physics, and chemistry.

Martin Schroeder, head of local and human development at the EU Delegation to Ukraine, underlined that modern education is key to the economic revitalisation of eastern Ukraine.

“We have all seen excellent examples when Ukraine and Ukrainians have made it to the forefront of innovations and digital technology,” Mr Schroeder said. “This centre will give the youth of Luhansk Oblast opportunities to bolster their creative talent and enhance own soft and hard skills. Together with teacher development programmes, the centre will continue to create knowledge and help solve problems, both in the region and Ukraine as a whole.”

Denys Denyschenko, the Director of the Department of International Technical Assistance, Innovative Development and External Relations of Luhansk Oblast State Administration, noted that the STEAM approach is being actively implemented in modern education, successfully combining humanities, natural sciences and technical disciplines.

“The newly created STEAM-education centre in Rubizhne is a creative educational, digital, and technological space that will produce unique opportunities for the comprehensive development of young people,” Denyschenko said. “Its main advantage is that it prepares students for the real life.”

The STEAM Education Centre was opened under the UN Recovery and Peacebuilding Programme in partnership with the Small Academy of Sciences of Luhansk Oblast, Luhansk Oblast Institute of Postgraduate Education, NGO the “Centre for the Future Development and NGO “The Fund of Educational Initiatives” with the financial support of the European Union. The total cost of the project was over UAH 1,700,000 (EUR55,000).

Background

The United Nations Recovery and Peacebuilding Programme (UN RPP) is being implemented by four United Nations agencies: the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the UN Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women), the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO).

Twelve international partners support the Programme: the European Union (EU), the European Investment Bank (EIB), the U.S. Embassy in Ukraine, and the governments of Canada, Denmark, Germany, Japan, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Sweden and Switzerland.

Media enquiries

Yuliia Samus, UNDP Communications Team Leader, yuliia.samus@undp.org