International Carpathian School

The International Carpathian School is a volunteer educational project aimed at disseminating the sustainable development concept among local communities in Ukrainian Carpathians. It achieves this by strengthening the role of the scientific community, civil society, local communities, entrepreneurs and authorities.

The International Carpathian School brings together representatives of educational institutions in the educational and artistic spheres, masters, scientists and scholars, public figures, proactive, creative people for sustainably developing the Carpathian region. It combines scientific readings, ethnographic studies, master classes and educational trips, showing ways of establishing cooperation between local authorities, businesses and public organizations.

Its thematic directions are determined by Ukraine’s strategic documents, in particular, the achievement of the goals of the UN-2030 Sustainable Development Goals in Ukraine, the Framework Convention on the Protection and Sustainable Development of the Carpathians, the State Strategy for Regional Development and the and 2021-2027, and the Strategy for the Implementation of the Framework Convention on Protection sustainable development of Karpatii. 

The Carpathian School demonstrates the new role of universities in the conditions of a globalized world and a deeper understanding of the role of science in the spheres of activity outlined by the UN Framework Environmental Agreements.

The school unites a wide range of interested parties: non-governmental organizations, educational institutions, students and student youth, local communities, small and medium-sized businesses. It is expected that the efforts of all target groups will be combined and focused on improving the quality of the environment, taking into account the relevant goals in future strategies, plans and programs for the recovery of communities in the Carpathian region of Ukraine, in particular the Science for the Carpathians (S4C) network.

The International Carpathian School-2024 took place within the framework of the project “Education for sustainable development: transfer of experience of V4 countries for the restoration of Ukraine” (“Education for sustainable development: transferring V4 countries’ experience for Ukraine’s recovery”).

The project is co-financed by the governments of the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia through the Visegrad Grants of the International Visegrad Foundation. The foundation’s mission is to promote the ideas of sustainable regional cooperation in Central Europe sustainable regional cooperation in Central Europe.