The third group of Ukrainian civil servants completed professional training at the College of Europe in Natolin

On 6 May 2023, the third group of Ukrainian civil servants of 5 people completed a special 2-month educational programme at the College of Europe in Natolin, gaining new valuable knowledge and experience.

The training is a part of the Natolin4CapacityBuilding initiative – an EU-funded project jointly implemented by the College of Europe in Natolin in cooperation with its key partners – the Government Office for Coordination of European and Euro-Atlantic Integration of Ukraine and the National Agency of Ukraine for Civil Service.

During the training, I found myself thinking that it was probably the first time I was so impressed by the level and practical experience of the experts. It was impressive to have the opportunity to learn first-hand about the path that these people and their countries have gone before joining the EU and to get useful advice and warnings against mistakes. And it is especially valuable that this kind of knowledge is often not covered in conventional textbooks, commented Svitlana Kuspliak, Chief Specialist of the European Integration Unit at the Ministry of Finance of Ukraine, at the end of this round of training.

Indeed, a tailor-made educational programme offers Ukrainian civil servants responsible for European integration policy a unique opportunity to learn from the leading experts on EU matters. Carefully selected lectures and workshops in the field of European affairs, including legal approximation issues, are meant to accompany Ukrainian civil servants in developing relevant capacities and applying theoretical knowledge into practice. Writing analytical papers, participating in simulation games, individual meetings with representatives of local institutions and authorities, as well as a study visit to Brussels are also important elements of the programme.

As of today, 16 civil servants from central public administration already participated in the training programme. Throughout the duration of the project, up to 50 Ukrainian civil servants will take part in the onsite training programmes at the College of Europe in Natolin. Up to 20 of them, specialising in energy-related matters will also have a possibility to extend their training at the Energy Community Secretariat in Vienna. 

The N4CB training course is unique in its nature, as it allows participants to delve deeper into theoretical issues of European integration and improve their practical skills in negotiation with the support of professional mentors and experts for 2 months. The project team is very focused on the professional needs of the participants, which makes the learning process highly personalised and increases its effectiveness, stated Petro Prokopenko, Principal Expert in the Office for European Integration and International Programs of the National Bank of Ukraine.

Another participant Daria Andriunina, Head of the Labour Migration Division of the Department of Labour and Employment at the Ministry of Economy of Ukraine, emphasised the openness of the experts towards the participants: This training is certainly valuable for the comprehensive and unique knowledge that the leading experts gladly shared with us. It has been also extremely valuable that all experts were very open, we had the opportunity to ask our questions and actively discuss them. And for me personally, this training was valuable because every second, I felt the strong support of our European friends on the way to victory. It was very important to me.

Ukrainian civil servants from central executive bodies dealing with European integration are advised to contact the head of civil service in their respective institutions to join further selection process led by the Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration of Ukraine.