Participation of Yuliia Fernos in the Workshop Series “Professional Development for Researchers”

During June-July 2025, Associate Professor of the Department of Ukrainian and Foreign Languages at Uman National University, Yuliia Fernos, had the unique opportunity to participate in a series of online workshops titled “Professional Development for Researchers,” organized with the support of the Science at Risk Emergency Office initiative.

Science at Risk is a project by the Academic Network Eastern Europe Foundation (akno e.V.) created to support scholars and students affected by the war in Ukraine or facing political repression in Belarus and Russia. The initiative offers practical assistance, mentorship, and educational opportunities to the academic community in crisis situations.

The weekly online sessions focused on various aspects of career development, communication, intercultural adaptation, and project management. Each module was a kind of journey into the world of knowledge and practice - combining self-reflection, practical tools, and a warm, supportive atmosphere.

Module 1: Individual Career Trajectories

• Academia vs. Alternatives: Career opportunities beyond the university setting (consulting, research, fellowships, policy, EdTech, international projects, public service).

• Adapting academic skills to new contexts.

• Practice: Mapping skills and opportunities, academic portfolio, SWOT analysis, career goal planning.

Module 2: Project Communication and Science Popularization

• How to effectively present scientific work to non-specialist audiences.

• Use of social media, science diplomacy, participation in public events.

• AI tools for creating texts, visuals, audio, and video content—with special emphasis on the importance of formulating quality prompts for accurate and valuable outputs.

• Practice: Preparing a 3-minute science pitch, writing a post “What I do and why it matters,” creating a podcast.

Module 3: Professional Adaptation Strategies

• Recognition of Ukrainian diplomas in Germany (Anabin and ZAB systems).

• Writing a European-style CV and cover letter.

• Networking and academic platforms for international cooperation.

• Practice: Creating a ZAB profile, updating CV, writing a cover letter, mapping professional contacts.

Module 4: Intercultural Adaptation and the Psychology of Change

• Differences in academic cultures between the EU and Ukraine: expectations, communication styles, academic ethics.

• How to overcome identity crises and start from scratch.

• Tools for self-reflection and burnout prevention.

• Practice: Group reflection, individual work on “growth points,” creating a career plan, participating in a mentoring session.

Module 5: Fundamentals of Project Management for Researchers

• What constitutes a project in science and how it differs from a grant or research.

• Key roles: coordinator, applicant, executor, grant manager.

• Main stages of the project cycle: initiation, planning, implementation, evaluation.

• Practice: Describing and structuring one’s scientific initiative as a project.

Each session was held in an exceptionally warm and welcoming atmosphere. Participants gained both theoretical knowledge and practical assignments that allowed them to immediately apply what they learned. The workshops included moments of reflection, discussion, feedback, and mentoring - all of which made the learning experience deep and inspiring.

“This course was not only a professional challenge but also a powerful source of inspiration for me. I look forward to the next part -Block Two, which will focus on project implementation.”