V4RIT-SURR Project – Virtual Winter School “Theory Does Not Have to Be Boring” is already behind us

144 participants from Ukraine, the Czech Republic, Poland and Slovakia took part in the Virtual Winter School organised as part of the project "V4 Regions in Transition Supporting Ukraine Redevelopment and Reconstruction". The training entitled "Theory Does Not Have to Be Boring - Redevelopment and Reconstruction of Transition Regions in the Face of Climate and Social Changes" consists of six lectures presenting various aspects of management at the local and regional levels.

The Virtual Winter School "Theory Does Not Have to Be Boring - Redevelopment and Reconstruction of Transition Regions in the Face of Climate and Social Changes" dedicated mainly to the representatives of Ukrainian local governments as key entities in the processes of reconstruction of Ukraine and its preparation for accession to the European Union, enjoyed great interest. Six lectures presenting various aspects of management at the local and regional level were attended by: 91 participants from Ukraine,     9 from the Czech Republic, 27 from Poland, 14 from Slovakia and 3 from outside the V4 countries.

The training was prepared by experts from the Czech IURS, Polish IETU and Slovak SPECTRA. The recruitment of participants from Ukraine was perfectly organised by the Network of Local Economic Development Agencies.

The lectures focused on problems connected with the redevelopment and reconstruction of mining regions undergoing the transition process, resulting from climate change and social changes. Innovative solutions in the development of infrastructure in post-mining regions and the impact of (post-industrial) tourism on the development of post-mining regions were presented by experts from IURS in Ostrava, Prof. Barbara Vojvodíková and Dr. Blanka Marková. PEDs (Positive Energy Districts) as elements of related territorial resilience strategies were the topics discussed by Dr. Vladimír Ondrejička, SPECTRA Centre of Excellence EU UM STU. IETU experts - Dr. Karolina Szaton-Orlińska and Dr. Anna Starzewska-Sikorska focused on two issues: strengthening the adaptation to climate change by creating blue-green infrastructure and its selection based on spatial analysis, and methods of managing and revitalising degraded post-mining areas.

I think I will express the opinion of all V4RIT-SUARR project implementers that we are very satisfied with the great interest these lectures evoked. The next step is a study visit, which will allow participants from Ukraine to become acquainted with both positive and negative actions related to development management in post-mining areas - says Piotr Cofałka, Deputy Director for Research and Development.

Strengthening the functioning of Ukrainian local governments as key entities in the processes of reconstruction of Ukraine and preparing its accession to the European Union is the most important goal of the V4RIT-SUARR project, financed by the Visegrad Fund.

More information about the V4RIT-SUARR project is available - https://ietu.pl/en/rit-surr-v4/