First Meeting of the “Transnational Academic Conversations” Project
The collaboration between Ternopil National Medical University and MacEwan University (Canada) has been ongoing for over 10 years, evolving across various fields. One of the promising initiatives launched in 2024 is the “Transnational Academic Conversations” series, which actively involves TNMU faculty, particularly from the Department of Higher Nursing Education, Patient Care, and Clinical Immunology.
The first meeting of the 2025 cycle, dedicated to discussing pedagogical approaches in nursing education, took place on March 13, 2025. The event was moderated by Svitlana Danchak, Director of the TNMU Institute of Nursing, and Elizabeth Burgess-Pinto, Associate Professor at MacEwan University.
The meeting brought together invited participants from Ukraine and abroad, including:
Ivan McGlen, Keele University, School of Nursing and Midwifery, UK
Kateryna Komar, Head of the State Institution “Center for Nursing Development of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine”
Larysa Haiduk, Director of the Ukrainian Resource and Development Centre (URDC) at MacEwan University
Lisa McKendrick-Calder, Morgan Wadams, Mary Asirifi, and Bisi Oyelana, MacEwan University
Paul Mahon and Joanne Peters, Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland
Participants from Canada, Ireland, and the UK presented their pedagogical approaches, methodologies, and tools used to ensure high-quality nursing education at their institutions. They also shared their personal experiences in engaging students during classes and discussed the pros and cons of implementing online learning components in the post-COVID-19 era.
TNMU faculty focused their presentations on teaching methodologies adapted to wartime conditions, emphasizing strategies for:
- Maintaining student motivation
- Preventing faculty burnout
- Providing mutual psychological support
The event marked an important step in fostering international academic cooperation, allowing educators to exchange valuable insights on improving nursing education in different global contexts.