On November 8, 2022, our partners from Ivan National University of Lviv hosted their final assembly was held based on the results of the project “Responsible research and innovation grounding practices in BIOSciences (ResBios)” of the Horizon 2020 program.
The head of the Department of Biochemistry, professor Nataliia Sybirna, assistant professors of the Department of Biochemistry Olena Stasyk, Mariia Nagalievska, and Mariya Sabadashka were involved in the implementation of the project. They made reports at the final assembly on the main achievements and prospects for further institutional changes, which are based on the introduction of responsible research and innovation practices into the educational process. In particular, the speakers talked about seminars, round tables, two summer schools and the launched video blog, which will enable students of higher education institutions, high school students and teachers to get open access to scientific information and methods used in experimental research at the Department of Biochemistry.
The results obtained during the implementation of the project are the basis for long-term changes in three key directions: the introduction of informal education at the Department of Biochemistry, popularization of biological science among the public, deepening of the principles of academic integrity among participants of the educational process at the Faculty of Biology.
In the discussion of the achievements of the Core team of the Department of Biochemistry, which carried out the ResBios project and presented the Ivan Franko Lviv National University to the international scientific community, representatives of the top management of the University and the Faculty of Biology spoke, namely the Vice-Rector of Research Academician of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Doctor of Chemistry, Professor Roman Gladyshevskii, the Vice-Rector for Research, Teaching and IT-Development Candidate of Physics and Mathematics, Associate Professor, Senior Research Fellow Vitaliy Kukharskyy, Dean of the Faculty of Biology Candidate of Biological Sciences, Associate Professor Ihor Khamar and Dean’s deputy of educational and methodical work Candidate of Biological Sciences, Associate Professor Vitalii Honcharenko. Students and graduate students of the Faculty of Biology also took part in the discussion. The meeting was attended by external stakeholders – the biology teacher of the Lviv Secondary School of Eastern Languages and Oriental Martial Arts “Budokan” Maryana Lyuta and cosmetologist, teacher of the School of Aesthetics and Health “Nova Ty” Sofia Chaika .
The speakers emphasized the importance of the implementation of such projects and their positive impact on the educational and scientific potential of Ukrainian universities, the popularization of science in society, the introduction of informal and informal education practices not only in secondary schools, but also in higher education institutions. A rational balance between formal and informal education will ultimately have a positive impact on the socio-economic development of the country and the democratization of society, and will expand the availability of education for all citizens who wish to study. One more final product of the project’s executors deserves special attention – “Ethical Code of Higher Education Graduates of the Faculty of Biology of the Ivan Franko National University of Lviv“. This code contains normative documents regarding the rules of academic integrity, norms of behavior when working with biological objects, requirements for the preparation of scientific works of participants in the educational process and researchers of biological research laboratories.
The tools of informal and non-formal education created within the framework of ResBios, the means of popularizing biological science, the network of contacts of external and internal stakeholders are extremely relevant today in the conditions of challenges and uncertainty provoked by the Covid-19 pandemic and the war unleashed by Russia against Ukraine.
The staff of the Department of Biochemistry and all participants of the assembly expressed their sincere thanks and respect to our defenders for the opportunity to study, work, develop and create for the benefit of Ukraine!