Given the department’s activity profile, international cooperation in the scientific and educational spheres is one of its strategic development priorities. Educational and scientific collaboration is an important factor in the continuous improvement of training programs for specialists in accordance with modern international standards.

The department’s staff maintains close scientific cooperation with both national and foreign institutions. Faculty members have completed internships, delivered lectures, and participated in scientific conferences at universities in the United States, Germany, Canada, Italy, the Czech Republic, China, Austria, and Finland — including the University of Toronto, the University of Birmingham, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, the University of California San Diego, the University of South Florida in Tampa, the University of Dallas, the Vienna University of Economics and Business, the University of Helsinki, the New University of Lisbon, and Tomas Bata University in Zlín, among others.

Over the past five years alone, the department’s faculty members have completed more than 25 international internships and received corresponding professional development certificates. For instance, the head of the department, Professor V. V. Virchenko, studied modern practices of organizing educational and research processes at European universities during internships at the University of Bialystok (Poland, 2021), Krakow University of Economics (Poland, 2022), and Collegium Civitas University (Poland, 2023); O. Bulkot completed an internship at the University of Salzburg (Austria, 2023); T. Nagachevska and O. Kuzyoma — at the Baltic Research Institute for Economic Transformation (Latvia, 2023); V. Sereda — at the University of Bialystok (2023).

The department’s active participation in international conferences and round tables contributes to the establishment of long-term partnerships with foreign researchers and members of the academic community. As part of the EFBM 2019 International Forum, the department organized a round table with participants from the business, academic, and educational communities of Italy, China, Kazakhstan, and Ukraine. Participants discussed the challenges of international business development in the context of digital transformation. During the II International Forum EFBM 2021, the department hosted the international scientific and practical conference “Modern Trends and Contradictions in the Development of the World Economy and International Business,” which was attended by representatives from Italy, Poland, Georgia, and other countries. Representatives of international companies such as Logica / Capgemini, IMREV, Joy Comm S.R.L., and others also took part.

 

The department’s faculty members maintain partnerships with international public foundations such as Fulbright (Kyiv office), Volkswagen (Germany), Friedrich Ebert (Kyiv office), Renaissance, Eurasia, the European Foundation for South -Eastern Europe (EFSE), as well as the International Research and Exchanges Board (IREX), the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), the International American-Polish-Ukrainian Consortium for the Improvement of Business Education (CEUME) – the US Agency for International Development (USAID). These collaborations enable the department to attract international grants for research development. In particular, Professor V. V. Virchenko heads four grant projects of the International Renaissance Foundation with financial support from the Embassy of Sweden in Ukraine:

• “Institutional Development of University Think Tanks” (2020);
• “Analysis of Media Discourse on the Prevention of Violence against Women in the Context of Ukraine’s Ratification of the Istanbul Convention” (2021);
• “Research on the Needs and Service Provision for Long-Term Residents of Psychiatric Care Facilities in the Context of the Transformation of Ukraine’s Healthcare System” (2021);
• “Ensuring the Strategic Sustainability and Development of the Interdisciplinary Analytical Center for Socio-Economic Well-being and Mental Health under Conditions of Uncertainty” (2022).

An important aspect of the department’s cooperation with foreign partners is participation in a wide range of international programs, including:

• exchange of scientists (University of Toronto, Faculty of Management);
• Center for Entrepreneurship for Technology Startups at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute;
• international training for Central and Eastern European countries in quality management by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida);
• exchange of scientists and teachers (Warwick Business School, United Kingdom).

In developing international cooperation and seeking new sources of funding for applied research, the department is actively involved in preparing and submitting grant applications within international consortia. In particular, in 2022, V. Virchenko participated in the Resilience-Ukraine project to prepare an application for the Horizon Europe funding program as part of an international consortium led by Sorbonne University (France).

The development of the department’s international relations system creates conditions for the professional development and internships of teachers, participation in international conferences, joint scientific research, international programs and projects, preparation of joint scientific and educational-methodological works, and involvement of students in academic mobility programs.

The department is actively implementing the “Visiting Professor” program, which involves the preparation of short lecture courses and teaching at foreign universities, as well as invitations to leading practitioners in the field of international economics to give lectures. In particular, over the years, the department has hosted lectures by foreign practitioners such as Yao Feng, CEO of Suzhou Phoenix Media Company (China).

The Department of International Economics also actively cooperates with leading business structures, government organizations, and international institutions, which contributes to improving the quality of education, research, and professional student training. Thanks to such partnerships, students can apply their knowledge in practice, participate in internships, research projects, and academic events, thereby broadening their professional horizons and enhancing their competitiveness in the modern labor market. Cooperation with business and government partners includes long-term collaborations, in particular with the Ministry of Economy of Ukraine (since 2015), Investment Venture Group LLC (since 2015), the State Institution “Office for Entrepreneurship and Export Development” (since 2023), and the State Institution “Office for Investment Attraction and Support” (since 2024). Within this cooperation framework, students undertake industrial and research internships, while representatives of these organizations actively participate in departmental events.

The department’s diverse partnerships with business and government bodies create unique opportunities for professional development, practical skills enhancement, and engagement in scientific and practical activities for both students and faculty.

One of the key areas of the department’s international activity is the publication of research papers in foreign journals. Professors and associate professors of the department have produced over 100 publications in international peer-reviewed journals indexed in the Scopus and Web of Science databases, and regularly present their research at international conferences in the United States, the United Kingdom, Italy, the Czech Republic, and other countries.

In 2023, Professor V. V. Virchenko, an expert in socio-economic well-being and human capital development, was appointed a member of the Commission on Mental Health in Ukraine — an initiative of The Lancet, one of the world’s most respected medical journals. The commission united leading experts from many countries to study the key challenges in developing Ukraine’s mental health system during the war and in the post-war reconstruction period.

Currently, V. Virchenko serves as an official reviewer for leading international economic journals, including: Regional Science, Policy and Practice (USA, Scopus, Q2); IEEE Transactions on Engineering Management (USA, Scopus, Q1); Technology Analysis & Strategic Management (UK, Scopus, Q2); Journal of Economic Issues (UK, Scopus, Q2).

Students who write coursework and theses in English and participate in international student conferences and academic mobility programs are actively involved in international cooperation. The department’s faculty provide students with information about international academic opportunities and assist in preparing application materials for participation in educational and research events abroad.

Among the department’s students and alumni are foreign citizens from countries such as Georgia, Nigeria, and China. The department also offers a wide range of English-taught courses for international students studying at the Faculty of Economics of Kyiv University within academic mobility programs, particularly Erasmus+. The department’s partners under the Erasmus+ and Tempus projects include universities in the United Kingdom, the Czech Republic, Greece, Romania, and other European countries

International cooperation is further enhanced by the department’s participation in the interdepartmental English-language Master’s program “Economics and Politics” (guarantor: Professor V. V. Virchenko). Twenty-two foreign students have successfully completed their studies and obtained Master’s degrees under this program.