From Virtual teams to a Summer School in Dublin: ESIIR students take part in NICE 2026!
14 students from the Educational and Scientific Institute of International Relations (ESIIR) have joined the international virtual exchange programme NICE (Network for Intercultural Competence to Facilitate Entrepreneurship).
This year, the following ERIIR students are participating in the programme:
- Radmyla Khmelevska – 3rd year Bachelor's student in International Relations
- Vladyslava Novak – 2nd year Bachelors’s student in International Law
- Sofia Hrechushkina – 3rd year Bachelor’s student in International Economic Relations
- Eva Protsyk – 2nd year Bachelor’s student in International Business
- Daria Kobylivska – 2nd year Bachelor’s student in International Relations
- Odaryna Soha - 1st year Master’s student in International Relations
- Oksana Labiak – 3rd year Bachelor’s student in International Relations
- Kateryna Tkachevko – 2nd year Bachelor’s student in International Relations
- Ivan Mikhieiev – 1st year Bachelor’s student in International Economic Relations
- Kyryl Hryshchenko – 2nd year Bachelor’s student in International Business
- Mariia Smirnova – 1st year Bachelor’s student in International Business
- Iryna Bober – 2nd year Bachelor’s student in International Economic Relations
- Yelyzaveta Sulim – 3rd year Bachelor’s student in International Law
- Kateryna Pakhotina – 2nd year Bachelor’s student in International Business
Over the course of four months, ESIIR students worked in virtual intercultural teams alongside students from the University of Edinburgh, the University of Amsterdam, the University of Padua, the University of Johannesburg, and University College Dublin. Their collaborative work focused on developing solutions to global challenges while strengthening teamwork, intercultural communication, and critical thinking skills.
The programme concluded with a Summer School at University College Dublin, attended by three ESIIR students: Polina Zinchenko (International Business student), Eleonora Isaiko (International Economic Relations student), and Yelyzaveta Kaidash (International Law student).
During the Summer School, our students worked in international teams to develop solutions aimed at advancing the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Working in an intercultural environment fostered creative and critical thinking, encouraged innovative approaches, and strengthened their ability to build consensus and develop shared solutions. The programme concluded with team presentations delivered to the coordinators of the universities participating in the NICE Consortium.
Programm coordinator Arina Maliuha, a lecturer at the ESIIR Department of Foreign Languages and a staff member of the KNU International Relations Office.
“The NICE Summer School provided an excellent opportunity to develop creative thinking, teamwork, and communication skills. Working in international teams, we discussed different ideas, explored innovative solutions, and collaborated to achieve a common goal.” – Polina Zinchenko
"The Summer School programme encouraged creative and innovative thinking. Particularly valuable was the experience of working in international teams, where we exchanged ideas and worked together to identify the best possible solutions." – Yelyzaveta Kaidash
"What I enjoyed most were the interactive workshops and the opportunity to work on a team project. Exchanging ideas with participants from different countries allowed me to see familiar issues from new perspectives and gain a deeper understanding of working in an international environment." - Eleonora Isaiko
NICE offers students the opportunity to work in an international environment, become familiar with different approaches to addressing global challenges, and gain practical experience in intercultural collaboration.