Ivan Franko and Ukrainian Catholic Universities Sign Cooperation
Agreement
Prof. Ivan Vakarchuk, rector of Ivan Franko National University
in Lviv, and Fr. Borys Gudziak, rector of the Ukrainian Catholic
University (UCU) in Lviv, on 24 January 2003 signed an agreement
on cooperation between the two institutions. Cardinal Lubomyr
Husar, head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church and Grand
Chancellor of the UCU, was also present at the ceremony, which
was held in the Mirror Hall of Ivan Franko University.
Prof. Vakarchuk and Fr. Gudziak delivered short speeches
to the audience of university professors, journalists and
guests. The two rectors emphasized that this agreement testifies
to fruitful cooperation that should be opposed to conflicts,
divisions and unhealthy rivalry. A program of interinstitutional
individual humanitarian studies, MIHUS, launched in December
2002, became another vivid testimony to the united efforts
of UCU and Ivan Franko National University in Lviv. This program
aims to improve the quality of education and involves12 students
from the departments of history and philosophy of Ivan Franko
University and the UCU departments of humanities and theology.
In the future, the participants of the program will be able
to choose any courses offered in these four departments.
After the speeches, Prof. Vakarchuk and Fr. Gudziak signed
the agreement, according to which the two parties will concentrate
their efforts on the following projects:
- the development of interinstitutional individual humanitarian
studies programs (MIHUS) at the departments of history
and philosophy, and humanities and theology, at Ivan Franko
National University in Lviv and UCU, respectively, as
well as in cooperation with the University of Warsaw and
the academy "Artes Liberales"
- the training and retraining of instructors of Christian
ethics at the departments of history and philosophy of
Ivan Franko National University in Lviv and the Catechetical
and Pedagogical Institute of UCU
- the publication of textbooks in the field of humanities
- joint seminars in academic philosophy, the translation
and publication of textbooks and monographs in this field
- the foundation and publication of a joint cultural
journal
After the agreement was signed, Cardinal Husar expressed
his gratitude for the opportunity to witness this historic
event. He expressed his conviction that the idea of cooperation
between these institutions will bear good fruit. "The
key word of this event is the word 'together,'" said
Cardinal Husar. "Two academic institutions want to work
together, serve their nation together and serve education
and the truth together. Therefore, we should ask God to bless
their endeavors." In conclusion, the cardinal wished
both rectors the most fruitful cooperation.
Source: www.ugcc.org.ua
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