On April 10, 2026, a landmark event for students, postgraduate students, and scientific and pedagogical workers took place at Ushynsky University - a guest lecture by international expert Olha Zbarska as part of the launch of the international advanced training (internship) "Critical Thinking in the Academic Sphere: From Theory to Practice".
The internship program was officially launched at the Institute of Creative Thinking "OZ CREDO" with the support of the South Ukrainian Center for Professional Development of Managers and Specialists in the Socioeconomic Sphere within the framework of the signed agreement on cooperation and implementation of the international educational project "ThinkEDU: Development of Critical Thinking in the Personnel Training System". The representatives of 41 higher education institutions from 22 regions of Ukraine participated, which indicates a high level of interest among educators in the development of critical thinking as a key competence of modern times.
During the guest lecture, Olha Zbarska shared her own experience in developing the creative potential of the individual, presented her own approaches to the formation of critical thinking in the academic environment and outlined practical tools for their implementation in the educational process. The lecturer is a Doctor of Philosophy in Psychology and Administration of the Socioeconomic Sphere, the founder and president of the company "OZCREDO", a member of leading international academic communities, the author of numerous training courses and textbooks, as well as an expert in the accreditation of educational programs.
The special value of the event was enhanced by the participation of an invited international guest - Uchenna A. Ekvo, Doctor of Science in Public Policy and Administration, who represents the research faculty of the Department of Mass Communications of the Medgar Evers College of the City University of New York and teaches at Rutgers University. His participation gave the event an additional international dimension and contributed to the expansion of academic dialogue.
The students majoring in A1 "Educational Sciences", EPP "Pedagogy. Management of an Educational Institution", EPP Secondary Education (Informatics) actively participated in the discussion and received answers to the questions posed.
Holding such events confirms the desire of Ushynsky University to integrate into the global educational space, develop international partnerships and improve the quality of training of future specialists.
