Jason Anderson of the University of Warwick visits Chernivtsi National University: a summary

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Professor Jason Anderson from the University of Warwick worked in Chernivtsi as part of a programme organised by the Fund of the President of Ukraine for Education, Science, and Sports.

Jason Anderson, Associate Professor at the Centre for Applied Linguistics at the University of Warwick, has concluded his visit to Yuriy Fedkovych Chernivtsi National University. The visit took place as part of the UK–UA Visiting Professors Programme, organised by the Fund of the President of Ukraine. The British academic shared his experience with lecturers, students and practising teachers in the Chernivtsi region.

Professor Anderson worked with lecturers from the Faculty of Foreign Languages, students preparing to become English language teachers, and practicing teachers from general secondary schools. The focus was on modern approaches to language education, digital tools in teaching, pedagogical research, lesson planning in TESOL, professional development for teachers, and teachers’ resilience in challenging circumstances.

Professor Anderson devoted the first day of the academic programme to working with lecturers from the Faculty of Foreign Languages. He presented approaches to digital innovation in TESOL and shared his experience of developing curricula for training future foreign language teachers. Participants also discussed how international experience could be adapted to the Ukrainian educational context.

“It is important to the Fund of the President of Ukraine that international experience is brought into Ukrainian classrooms. In Chernivtsi, Professor Anderson worked with those who shape the quality of education on a daily basis: university lecturers, student teachers, and school teachers. Amid the war, we support universities in Ukraine that provide young people with a modern education and maintain links with the world’s best academic practices. We invest in the quality of teacher training, as it is teachers who are shaping the new generation that will rebuild the country”,

said Yuriy Petrushenko, Director of the Fund of the President of Ukraine for Education, Science, and Sports.

Around 100 people took part in the practical workshops for students and lecturers from the Faculty of Foreign Languages. In ‘Making Teacher Research “Learning-Centred”’, Professor Anderson spoke about pedagogical research as a tool for teachers’ professional development. ‘Contemporary Lesson Planning Frameworks in TESOL’ focused on modern models of lesson planning. In ‘Teacher Resilience through Expertise in Difficult Circumstances’, he discussed teachers’ professional resilience: the development of expertise, support from colleagues and an understanding of the value of one’s own work.

This topic is particularly significant for modern Ukrainian education. During the war, teachers are working in challenging conditions with children and young people experiencing anxiety, displacement, loss and interrupted education. Teacher resilience therefore directly influences the quality of the educational environment, pupils’ motivation and young people’s ability to envisage a future for themselves in Ukraine.

The final day of the programme brought together around 40 English teachers from general secondary schools in the Chernivtsi region. Participants engaged in two professional workshops: ‘Changing Values and Priorities in English Language Teaching’ and ‘The Emergence of Teacher Expertise’. The workshops were conducted as open dialogues, enabling teachers to share questions, reflect on their experiences, and discuss classroom practices.

“We explored a range of topics that support both pre-service and experienced teachers in navigating challenging educational environments, including resilience, professional expertise, lesson planning, and pedagogical research. It was particularly important to me that these discussions took place in close dialogue with Ukrainian lecturers, students, and teachers, whose deep understanding of their educational context greatly enriched our exchange. I am grateful for the opportunity to engage with this professional community”,

said Jason Anderson, Associate Professor at the Centre for Applied Linguistics at the University of Warwick.

A highlight of the visit was the donation of around 30 professional books on English language teaching methodology and teacher education to the Faculty of Foreign Languages. The collection included books on TESOL, the communicative approach to language teaching, lesson planning, the development of teaching expertise, formative assessment, curricula, professional development for teachers and contemporary approaches to language education. These publications will be available to students and lecturers at the Faculty and will serve as a resource for learning, research and professional development.

“Professor Anderson delivered a series of lectures and seminars for three target audiences: university lecturers, particularly those from the Faculty of Foreign Languages; students of the Faculty of Foreign Languages, specifically those who will become English language teachers in the future; and local school teachers. There are plans to continue the collaboration between Chernivtsi National University and the University of Warwick, specifically through a series of lectures and seminars to be delivered by Professor Anderson in October for students of the Faculty of Foreign Languages”,

said Olga Beshley, Visit Coordinator and Associate Professor at the Department of English, Faculty of Foreign Languages, Yuriy Fedkovych Chernivtsi National University.

The UK–UA Visiting Professors Programme is implemented by the Fund of the President of Ukraine in collaboration with the UK–Ukraine Academic Diaspora Network, JSC ‘Ukrgasbank’ (UGB) and the ‘MHP-Hromadi’ Charitable Foundation.

The Fund of the President of Ukraine expresses its appreciation to Yuriy Fedkovych Chernivtsi National University, Professor Jason Anderson, lecturers, students, school teachers across the Chernivtsi region, the visit coordinators and partners for their active engagement and valuable contribution.

All seven lectures and seminars are now available to view.

Background

The Fund of the President of Ukraine for Education, Science, and Sports supports talented young people, contributes to the development of Ukraine’s human potential, promoting international academic cooperation and facilitating the engagement of foreign lecturers and researchers in Ukrainian higher education and research institutions.

The Fund’s areas of activity include the President of Ukraine’s awards and scholarships for talented young people, support for early-career researchers, the development of international educational and research programmes, participation of Ukrainian youth in national and international events, strengthening STEM education, and opportunities for study and research in Ukraine.

The UK–UA Visiting Professors Programme gives Ukrainian universities the opportunity to invite lecturers from leading British universities ranked in the top 250 of the QS, THE or ARWU world rankings to collaborate with them. The programme aims to strengthen international academic collaboration, develop STEM education, support research and create a strong educational environment for Ukrainian students in Ukraine.

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