Vice-Rector for Educational and Image Activities Halyna Havryliuk and Director of the Educational-Scientific Centre of Mental Health Yuliia Sidenko represented Bohdan Khmelnytsky National University of Cherkasy during an offsite seminar held as part of the “How are you?” University Community project, which unites 30 higher education institutions across 20 regions of Ukraine.

The networking and practical collaboration event, which took place at the National Technical University “Dnipro University of Technology”, was organised by the Coordination Centre of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine within the framework of the All-Ukrainian Mental Health Programme “How Are You?” – an initiative by Olena Zelenska.

During the meeting, the key topics of discussion included:

– Best Practices: How does it work elsewhere, and what needs to be done to make it work for us?

– Mental Health Services in Higher Education Institutions: The service exists – so why does it remain invisible to participants in the educational process?

– Breaking Stereotypes: How mental health care is becoming an integral part of the work of a purely technical university.

During the visit, the BKNUC delegation paid special attention to the experience of the functioning of the children’s room at the NTU “Dnipro University of Technology”. This was a particularly valuable example, since it is planned to open a similar space at Bohdan Khmelnytsky National University of Cherkasy. Indeed, creating a safe, child-friendly environment is an important step towards supporting student families, university staff, and developing inclusive infrastructure. Such a space not only eases some of the psychological burden from parents, but also demonstrates the university’s care for the well-being of all members of its academic community.

“Such visits to higher education institutions that are actively developing mental health care systems are extremely valuable for our entire community. We not only exchange practices, but also collectively shape a culture of support, where each person is important. During the meeting in Dnipro, we discussed specific cases of promoting mental health services: how to talk about help in a way that is easy to understand, how to attract new participants, and how to make psychological support more approachable and more accessible. Such events are a joint effort that inspires us to move forward,” emphasised Yuliia Sidenko.

The Educational-Scientific Centre of Mental Health

Source: Coordination Centre of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine / Mental Health UA NTU “Dnipro University of Technology”