The Department of International Economics trains specialists under the educational program “International Economics” in the specialty 051 “Economics” at the educational levels of Bachelor, Master, and Doctor of Philosophy.

The training of bachelor’s and master’s students under the educational program “International Economics” has a long history of development and improvement, ensuring the provision of high-quality educational services.

The educational and professional program “International Economics” (guarantor: O. Kuzyoma, PhD in Economics, Associate Professor) is aimed at training Bachelor’s degree candidates who possess modern economic thinking, can identify trends and analyze patterns in the international economic system, generate and test hypotheses, and develop strategies for making proactive management decisions for international business entities. The advantages of this program include: acquiring practical skills in identifying problems in international business and making management decisions to solve them at various levels of the international economic system; mastering modern methods of researching international markets; developing professional competencies for the design of state regulation measures in various areas of the international economy; the use of interactive and innovative teaching methods — case studies, trainings, role-playing games, business simulations, group projects, and real market research; the opportunity to study English-language courses and continuously improve proficiency in the main language of international business communication. A unique feature of the program is the training of specialists based on fundamental interdisciplinary education, accompanied by the mastery of original methods of analysis and practical economic decision-making for international business entities.

The training of Master’s degree candidates is conducted under the educational and scientific program “International Economics” (guarantor: T. Nagachevska, PhD in Economics, Associate Professor) for full-time students, and under the educational and professional program “International Economics” (guarantor: I. Sofishchenko, PhD in Economics, Associate Professor) for part-time students.

The Master’s programs are interdisciplinary and aimed at training highly qualified professionals in international economics who possess modern economic thinking, theoretical knowledge, and applied skills, and are capable of solving research and management problems in the functioning of the international economic system, which provides a wide range of career paths. The knowledge and competencies acquired during master’s programs enable students to carry out effective international economic activities, attract international investment, generate innovation, promote Ukraine’s European integration, and achieve sustainable international competitiveness.

The advantages of master’s degree programs include: acquiring professional competencies in the field of strategic management of international business, analysis of global trends and international markets, development of international strategies and assessment of their effectiveness based on proprietary methodologies; mastery of modern business analytics and consulting tools; applying a project-based learning approach; implementing research and practice-oriented international projects by students; teaching one-third of disciplines in English and developing communication skills in an international business environment; involving professional practitioners in teaching disciplines to develop students’ practical competencies; applying interactive teaching methods focused on the requirements of modern domestic and international labor markets; wide opportunities for participation in international academic mobility programs.

A distinctive feature of master’s level educational programs is the development of competencies in the field of analyzing the global economic business environment in the context of the impact of globalization, integration, competition, cross-border movement of capital and technologies; the use of innovative proprietary methods for diagnosing the state of international economic entities and researching international markets; planning and evaluating the effectiveness of strategic development of international business based on the collection of primary information and the widespread use of digital tools.

The Department of International Economics also offers part-time Master’s programs, allowing students to develop analytical skills, combine study with employment, and immediately apply acquired knowledge in practice. For students with prior professional experience, the educational and professional program “International Economics” provides opportunities to create individual learning paths tailored to personal career goals and preferences. The department’s bachelor’s and master’s training structure includes elective course blocks in the specializations “International Investment Activity” and “International Trade” (for full-time students) and “Commercial Activity in International Markets” (for part-time students).

The strategic priority of the department is to combine fundamental theoretical training with the formation of a wide range of modern applied skills and analytical competencies. To achieve this, the department involves professional practitioners and employer representatives in the educational process, organizes study visits, conducts Master’s thesis defenses with the participation of employer organizations, and holds internship report defenses.

Leaders of international business, top managers of multinational companies, and specialists from state regulatory bodies are engaged in delivering lectures and seminars, participating in conferences, forums, and career days, and sharing their successful experiences in organizing and managing international economic activities. They contribute to students’ understanding of international business models, strategies, and projects, share best management practices for decision-making in a highly competitive global environment, and advise future professionals on current labor market trends and employer expectations regarding knowledge and competencies.

The department trains specialists at the third educational level — Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) — in the specialty 051 “Economics” under the educational and scientific program “International Economics.” The program provides training for highly qualified, competitive specialists who are integrated into the European and global scientific and educational space and capable of independent scientific research, scientific and organizational, pedagogical and organizational, and practical activities in the field of economic science, management of multilevel economic systems, as well as teaching in higher education institutions. A unique feature of the program is its synergistic combination of fundamental theoretical, methodological, and practical training within the research environment of a classical university, under the guidance of highly professional scholars — founders of scientific schools and research directions.

The teaching staff continuously work to improve the methodological and teaching support of the courses. The department teaches over 60 courses, and new ones are developed annually, reflecting current trends in the global economy and the political and economic factors shaping them. For each discipline, comprehensive methodological materials are prepared for seminars (discussion questions, assignments, tests, case studies, and research tasks), as well as lecture presentations.

Practical training — provided through industrial and research internships — is an essential part of students’ professional development, helping them acquire relevant competencies and achieve program learning outcomes. These internships are mandatory components of both the educational and professional and the educational and scientific programs of the Department of International Economics.

Practical training is conducted at enterprises and institutions in various sectors of the economy and ownership forms — national and joint ventures, corporations, branches of transnational companies, banks and financial institutions with national and foreign capital, ministries, government agencies, and representative offices of international organizations in Ukraine, as well as public associations such as: Ukrnafta, Novoselivsky Mining and Processing Plant, Interpipe, Ernst & Young, KPMG, Nestlé, Modern Information Systems, Philip Morris International, Unilever, L’Oréal, Myronivsky Hliboproduct, Credit Agricole Bank, Alfa-Bank, Raiffeisen Bank Aval, the Ministry of Economy of Ukraine, the National Bank of Ukraine, the Ukrainian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Ukrainian Association of Light Industry Enterprises, the Institute for Strategic Assessments, the International Labour Organization in Ukraine, and the United Nations Development Programme in Ukraine.

 The purpose of the internship is to consolidate and deepen the knowledge acquired during theoretical training and to acquire practical skills and abilities in the field of international business and international economic relations in the process of performing individual tasks and providing practical recommendations to the internship site.

The purpose of research internships is to gain experience in independent research work and process factual materials for the preparation of a Master’s thesis. Among the key research internship tasks are the analysis of specific international markets or areas of international economic relations and the testing of main theoretical and practical research recommendations.

The tasks for practical training are developed in collaboration with employers, including alumni of the department’s programs, through participation in business forums, surveys, and the faculty’s career and employment center.

Graduates of the International Economics educational programs work as directors, managers, and analysts in international and domestic companies across various industries, as well as in government institutions. Many are founders of startups and entrepreneurs. Among the department’s distinguished alumni are: O. Khoroshun, Professor at Fresenius University of Applied Sciences (Germany); O. Stupak, PhD, University of Oxford (UK); V. Lishchuk, Head of Department at NEC Ukrenergo; Ye. Kudryavets, Deputy Minister of Education and Science of Ukraine and Vice President of the International Movement for Scientific and Technological Leisure; O. Kravchenko, Senior Data Analyst at Logica/Capgemini (international IT company); O. Gvozdeva, Advisor to the Director of the State Institution “Office for Entrepreneurship and Export Development”; M. Oproschenko, Analyst at the Sustainable Infrastructure Group of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, PhD student at the University of Oxford; Yao Feng, CEO of Suzhou Phoenix Media Company (China); N. Plastovets, Head of the Commercial Systems Group at Philip Morris International; I. Padalka, Head of the Kyiv Regional Center at PUMB; V. Varskyi, Senior Consultant at Simon-Kucher & Partners (Luxembourg).

 

The high quality of bachelor’s and master’s training in international economics is ensured by the department’s professional staff, which includes experienced academic and teaching personnel with specialized economic education, high publication activity, practical experience in international companies, and management consulting expertise in both domestic and international business. The department’s lecturers are the authors and developers of original courses, textbooks, teaching manuals, terminological dictionaries, monographs, and scientific papers published in journals indexed in international scientometric databases. The department staff are fluent in English, regularly participate in international internships, and apply modern interactive teaching methods. Importantly, the head of the department, Professor V. V. Virchenko, along with several senior faculty members, serve as experts of the National Agency for Higher Education Quality Assurance, participating in accreditation reviews of educational programs in specialty 051 “Economics.”