Representatives of Bohdan Khmelnytsky National University of Cherkasy (BKNUC) paid a working visit to Jamk University of Applied Sciences (Jyväskylä, Finland) from 29 August to 6 September 2026 as part of the Erasmus+ KA171 staff mobility programme.

The BKNUC delegation included Oleksandr Spriahailo, Vice-Rector for Scientific, Innovation and International Activities; Svitlana Koval, Head of the International Relations Office; and Maksym Dolzhenko, Director of the Educational-Scientific Centre of Support and Rehabilitation of War Veterans and Students.

The programme focused on research, innovation, and international activities, with a particular emphasis on digital rehabilitation and the use of artificial intelligence.

On the first day, participants learnt about Jamk’s activities in research, development, and innovation (RDI), its work in the field of digital rehabilitation, and the innovative AIRe platform – Agentic Intelligence for Multidisciplinary Rehabilitation.

AIRe was one of the key elements of the programme. The participants engaged in hands-on testing of the platform, worked with the AIRe Hub, and explored prompting techniques. During a workshop at RehaLab, they analysed various thematic cases taking into account the contexts of different countries, which provided an opportunity to gain insight into the wide range of practical applications of artificial intelligence in rehabilitation.

In addition, the participants discussed the future development of AIRe, its implementation in a global context within the framework of AIReON, and the potential use of VR and simulation environments in rehabilitation practice.

An important component of the programme was the international seminar “International Perspectives on Rehabilitation and Digital Transformation”, during which representatives from Ukraine, Indonesia, Vietnam, and Rwanda shared their countries’ experiences, current needs, and approaches to developing rehabilitation services and digital technologies.

For the Ukrainian delegation, the seminar provided an opportunity to share BKNUC’s experience and discuss promising areas of cooperation with partners from different countries.

The programme also included meetings with representatives of Jamk’s Rectorate and international partners. In particular, the Ukrainian delegation participated in discussions on cooperation in the field of One Health.

Study visits to institutions demonstrating various aspects of modern rehabilitation, sport, healthcare, and the use of technology were another valuable component of the programme.

The delegation visited the Finnish Institute of High Performance Sport (KIHU) and Hospital Nova / Wellbeing Services County of Central Finland, where they gained insight into practical approaches and innovations in these fields.

The final part of the programme in Helsinki included visits to the company developing LumiraLink, the Activity Laboratory at the HUS New Children’s Hospital, and modern HUR / BudoGym training facilities. These visits provided an opportunity to see how digital technologies, research-based solutions, and innovative approaches are applied in real-world settings.

The visit to Jamk marked an important stage in the development of cooperation between the two universities in the fields of digital rehabilitation, artificial intelligence, research, education, and academic mobility.

“In international cooperation, one week of an in-person visit can achieve more than months of correspondence and formal requests. These six days were incredibly intensive, yet very important for me, my colleagues, and Bohdan Khmelnytsky National University of Cherkasy. We discussed current challenges in education, research, and international cooperation, as well as how to adapt cutting-edge rehabilitation solutions to the Ukrainian context,” said Oleksandr Spriahailo, Vice-Rector for Scientific, Innovation and International Activities.

Of particular importance for BKNUC is the potential to apply the experience gained to the development of the Educational-Scientific Centre of Support and Rehabilitation of War Veterans and Students. The Ukrainian context has created significant demand for modern, accessible, and technologically advanced solutions to support veterans, students, and civilians in need of rehabilitation.

“One of the main challenges we face is the insufficient number of rehabilitation centres and specialists, particularly in smaller cities. This makes it significantly more difficult to scale up rehabilitation services. At the same time, we are already using digital tools, including gamification and artificial intelligence for data analysis and processing. During our visit to Jamk, we saw opportunities that could help us take the next step – from providing online support for diagnostics and monitoring the quality of exercise performance to scaling up services and expanding professional competences. Jamk representatives were also interested in our experience of using chatbots for online rehabilitation and suggested exploring opportunities for further cooperation in this area. We plan to continue working with our Finnish colleagues on adapting and developing such digital solutions for the Ukrainian context,” said Maksym Dolzhenko, Director of the Educational-Scientific Centre of Support and Rehabilitation of War Veterans and Students.

As a result of the visit, the university expanded its professional network and identified promising areas for joint research, educational, and innovation projects.

This visit builds upon the ongoing cooperation between Bohdan Khmelnytsky National University of Cherkasy and Jamk University of Applied Sciences. A key foundation for this partnership is the Erasmus+ KA171 inter-institutional agreement for 2026–2029, which has opened up opportunities for further academic mobility for students and staff.

For Bohdan Khmelnytsky National University of Cherkasy, this mobility was not only a professional training opportunity but also a chance to gain firsthand insight into modern Finnish approaches to rehabilitation, test innovative digital solutions, and, together with international partners, identify practical steps for further collaboration.

Svitlana Koval, International Relations Office