Participation Type
Panel
Session Title
Carpathians-Appalachians: Preserving Highland Regions in the Age of Globalization
Session Abstract or Summary
The session deals with perspectives of preserving highland regions of the Ukrainian Carpathians in the age of globalization. The value of the Carpathians cannot be overestimated as the region supports plant and animal species not found anywhere else in the world. Ukrainian villages in the Carpathians have a rich ethnographic heritage, and continue to maintain cultural traditions found nowhere else in Europe. However, many highland villages in the region suffer acute environmental, economic and social problems, including high levels of unemployment and underemployment, with many residents working abroad a large portion of each year. This proposed session analyzes attempts at preserving ecological and cultural value of the region known as “Precarpathia,” a mostly mountainous area that includes 913 square kilometers, five National Parks and two National Biosphere Preserves.
Special focus is made on how we can preserve the unique identity of highland regions through proper education and research. The session will also highlight two major projects targeted at sustainable development of Precarpathia.
All presentations will be in power point accompanied by images and short videos enabling the conference participants and guests to see “multi angle palette” of the unique Ukrainian Highland Area and understand social and environmental problems the region is struggling with. A lot of informational brochures, books and photo albums illustrating the above issues will be presented at the session.
Presentation #1 Title
Development of Highland Communities: International Center for Students’ Meetings in the Highland Village of Mykulychyn
Presentation #1 Abstract or Summary
In this session, the President of the Precarpathian National University will present one of the University projects for developing local communities “International Center for Students’ Meetings”.
In May 2007, Ivano-Frankivsk Regional Council, together with Precarpathian National University and the University of Warsaw, made a decision to establish the International Centre for meetings of Ukrainian and foreign students in the highland village of Mykulychyn, located in the heart of the Ukrainian Carpathians.
The aim of this Center is to create a meeting place for students from different foreign countries in order to participate in discussions, seminars, conferences, and student exchange programs.
The Project received the support of Presidents of Ukraine and the Republic of Poland and was included to the “Roadmap of Ukrainian-Polish relations”. Together with another major University project, targeted at rebuilding the former astronomical Observatory on Mount Pip Ivan (2028 meters high), the project concerning the creation of the International Center for Students’ Meetings in the Highland Village of Mykulychyn will definitely make a great contribution to sustainable development of the Precarpathia.
The creation of the above International Center for Students will both help to develop the highland community and will provide students from different regions and countries with opportunities to learn more about highland regions and the importance of their sustainable development.
At-A-Glance Bio- Presenter #1
Igor Tsependa is the President of the Precarpathian National University, one of the leading schools in Ukraine.
Under Mr. Tsependa’s supervision the Precarpathian University collaborates with many institutions worldwide, including some from the Appalachia.
Presentation #2 Title
Sustainable Development in the Ukrainian Carpathians: Adequate Educational Support as a Key to Success
Presentation #2 Abstract or Summary
This presentation analyzes attempts at sustainable development of the highland region of the Ukrainian Carpathians through proper education focused on the importance of preserving local culture and traditions in the age of globalization.
As well as in Appalachia, the relative isolation of the Ukrainian Carpathians, their depressed economic conditions, complicated weather conditions : regular flooding in the spring or summer, mudslides (mostly caused by heavy deforestation), heavy snowfalls in the winter, poor infrastructure have all played their role in the quality of education in highland towns and villages.
Many village schools are substandard and thus have poor heating, creating obvious problems for learning in colder months when outside temperatures fall down to -20, -30 degrees Celsius (-4, -22 degrees Fahrenheit).
In the Carpathian Region attendance is even a greater problem in most highland areas where parents periodically leave for seasonal work as migrant laborers in the capital city of Ukraine – Kyiv or foreign countries such as Russia, Czech Republic, Poland, Italy, Spain or Portugal.
Nearly all highland schools have insufficient instructional materials, lack of up-to-date manuals, computers, and internet access. The highland school curriculum also lacks pedagogical flexibility, as there are very few instructional materials directed toward the peculiarities of highland life and work.
The presentation will focus on educational systems in the Ukrainian Carpathians and Appalachia. It will highlight the main problems in education of the above highland regions and will offer solutions for sustainable development of highland regions. In particular, the paper will also focus on the importance of teaching foreign languages at schools and universities located in the Ukrainian Carpathians as many individuals working at tourism and cultural establishments have inadequate levels of foreign language proficiency and this lack of proficiency has an important impact on the promotion of this unique mountain region.
At-A-Glance Bio- Presenter #2
Associate Professor of English at the Division of Foreign Languages and Country Studies, Department of Tourism, Precarpathian National University
Roman Poznanskyy has multiply participated in the ASA annual conferences.
He is also in charge of collaboration between Precarpathian National University, Ukraine and a number of US colleges.
Presentation #3 Title
Carpathian National Nature Park: Preserving Ecological Value of the Ukrainian Carpathians
Presentation #3 Abstract or Summary
Unsustainable use of natural resources has caused many environmental and technological problems in the highland region of the Ukrainian Carpathians. Uncontrolled deforestation in the Carpathians, lack of high-quality sustainable development projects, insufficient technical and informational support have been among the most serious problems. The violations of the Constitution and environmental laws have increased significantly in the above highland region. The main goal of this presentation is to show and to eliminate the problems and “gaps” in the Ukrainian legislation concerning environmental issues and development of the region and offer efficient solutions. Unsustainable use of the natural resources of the Carpathian Mountains has caused a number of serious environmental problems. Carpathian forests have been depleted and endangered both by unsustainable logging, chemical pollution, acid rains and big industrial centers. The presenter will make a focus on how to effectively deal with the above problems.
Uncontrolled deforestation and timber export have become one of the most serious problems at the Carpathian terrain and reached the scale of ecological disaster.
This presentation highlights the role of the Carpathian National Nature Park in preserving the ecological value of this mountain region.
At-A-Glance Bio- Presenter #3
Victor Sluchyk
Associate Professor at the Department of Biology and Ecology, Precarpathian National University
Viktor Sluchyk is an expert in ecology and nature parks
Presentation #4 Title
Ecological Monitoring in the Carpathians: Research and Educational Center "Observatory" on Mount Pip Ivan of the Ukrainian Carpathians
Presentation #4 Abstract or Summary
The paper will focus on the project concerning the restoration of the scientific Observatory on Mount Pip Ivan, the second-highest peak of the Ukrainian Carpathians.
Astronomical Observatory on Mount Pip Ivan was commissioned in 1938 as the Warsaw University Observatory. During the Second World War and in the post-war period it was destroyed. In the early 2005 the Ivano-Frankivsk Regional State Administration and the Regional Council allocated funds for development of the restoration project for the Observatory building. Precarpathian National University, together with the University of Warsaw, made the decision about reopening of the Observatory as the educational and research center for students from both countries, which would operate in spring and summer. The above restored observatory is going to become one of the largest highland research centers in the world. It will also become a center for ecological monitoring and research in one of the most biologically diverse highland regions of the world – the Eastern Carpathians.
At-A-Glance Bio- Presenter #4
Associate Professor at the Department of Biology and Ecology, Precarpathian National University
Myroslava Mylenka is an expert in biology, ecology, environmental monitoring and environmental education.
Development of Highland Communities: International Center for Students’ Meetings in the Highland Village of Mykulychyn
In this session, the President of the Precarpathian National University will present one of the University projects for developing local communities “International Center for Students’ Meetings”.
In May 2007, Ivano-Frankivsk Regional Council, together with Precarpathian National University and the University of Warsaw, made a decision to establish the International Centre for meetings of Ukrainian and foreign students in the highland village of Mykulychyn, located in the heart of the Ukrainian Carpathians.
The aim of this Center is to create a meeting place for students from different foreign countries in order to participate in discussions, seminars, conferences, and student exchange programs.
The Project received the support of Presidents of Ukraine and the Republic of Poland and was included to the “Roadmap of Ukrainian-Polish relations”. Together with another major University project, targeted at rebuilding the former astronomical Observatory on Mount Pip Ivan (2028 meters high), the project concerning the creation of the International Center for Students’ Meetings in the Highland Village of Mykulychyn will definitely make a great contribution to sustainable development of the Precarpathia.
The creation of the above International Center for Students will both help to develop the highland community and will provide students from different regions and countries with opportunities to learn more about highland regions and the importance of their sustainable development.
