Diia.City United

Save this and discuss with others! What does the Ukrainian tech industry expect from quality tech education in Ukraine? What is the ideal path for future specialists, according to founders and C-level? Get the key takeaways in this sketch based on our tech business panel from the "FutureTech: New Education Dimensions" meetup, held on September 10 in partnership with Kyiv School of Economics. 🟣Oleksandr Kosovan, Founder and CEO MacPaw 🇺🇦, President of Diia.City United 🟣Artem Borodatiuk, Founder and CEO Netpeak Group, Diia.City United Strategic Board Member   🟣Anna Adom, HR Director Datagroup/Volia 🟣Oleksii Nishchyk, Education Operations Director Genesis Tech

Curious about what Diia.City United is and how joining us can benefit you? Got questions about our focus areas or how you can contribute to the growth of Ukraine's tech industry? Come meet us today and tomorrow at the Startup&Product Track during the IT Arena in Lviv! We'll treat you to a great cup of coffee and answer all your questions so you can bring valuable insights back to your colleagues. 📍Location: Maria Zankovetska National Drama Theatre See you there! #itarena #ITArena #ITArena2024

How does EdTech compete with universities, and how can they help each other? What are the prospects for upskilling and reskilling veterans? Which programs are investment funds ready to back? These were key points discussed at our "FutureTech: New Education Dimensions” EdTech startups panel. ⠀ Here's what industry leaders shared: ⠀ 🟣 Roman Cherepakha, Investment Director at Horizon Capital: "Horizon Capital, as a commercial entity, is interested in the development of Ukrainian business and the economy, including its social structure. We prioritize businesses that actively integrate veterans when making investment decisions." ⠀ 🟣 Vadym Drumov, CEO & Co-Founder of Комп'ютерна школа Hillel IT School: "The number of active military personnel taking courses has significantly increased. We can receive requests for 40 people for specific tasks in just one day, and this happens systematically." ⠀ 🟣 Roman Apostol, CEO of Mate academy: "We are eager to partner with universities and help them improve their teaching methods. There is always room for improvement, and in partnership, we can educate people better. I want to see more financially independent people in Ukraine, creating their own product companies. That’s why I believe in tech." ⠀ 🟣 Evgeniya Glizer, CEO of Choice31 : "We do not compete with universities. Traditional professions should be taught by universities, providing the foundational knowledge for quality adult development. We teach skills that can be marketed today. By collaborating, we can offer top-notch skills, while universities can focus on cultivating well-rounded Ukrainian graduates." ⠀ Watch the full EdTech panel in the comments, take notes, and share with your colleagues and partners!

🛡 Join The First International Defense Tech Investment Summit in Ukraine by BRAVE1 on October 3-4! We are proud to be an information partner for this event. ⠀ Discover how Ukraine's defense tech industry has become a global innovation hub at #DefenseTechValley! Network with 100 investors, manufacturers, military personnel, and key government stakeholders from Ukraine and abroad. ⠀ Speakers include: ⠀ 🟣 Alex Bornyakov, Deputy Minister of Digital Transformation 🟣 Hanna Hvozdyr, Deputy Minister for Strategic Industries 🟣 Dmytro Klimenkov, Deputy Minister of Defense ⠀ 🟣...and representatives from Roboneers, D3, Darkstar Coalition, Swarmer, TAF Drones, MITS Capital, MyDefense, Quantum Systems, and the EU Defence Innovation Office. ⠀ Free entry for developers from Brave1 portfolio companies, state representatives, and Ukrainian military. Details and registration by the link https://lnkd.in/djeG9PTZ

Mark your calendars and get ready for an inspiring final day at IT Arena! Join us on September 29 for our joint business breakfast and panel discussion, "SheTech: Empowering Women and Driving Ukraine’s Victory," co-hosted with Ukraine-Moldova American Enterprise Fund . ⠀ Join us as we explore: ⠀ 🟣 Does leadership have a gender? 🟣 How does the war accelerate or slow gender progress? 🟣 How can individuals and companies advance gender equality? ⠀ Panelists will share case studies from companies implementing gender initiatives. ⠀ Discussion participants include: ⠀ 🎤Anton Waschuk, Ukraine-Moldova American Enterprise Fund 🎤Iryna Rubis, CSO at Biasless. DEI and human rights promoters 🎤Hanna Shuvalova Horizon Capital 🎤Віра Щербакова, Ajax Systems 🎤Kateryna Protsenko, Promova 🎤Yulia Nefiodova, Affemity 🎤 Inna Maksymenko, Keiki founder and CEO 🎤Nadiya Hladkevych, RENOME SMART 🎤Sophia Opatska, Ukrainian Catholic University 🎤Ulyana Khromyak, Ukraine House Davos ⠀ ...Plus many more tech leaders. ⠀ Moderator: Nataliya Mykolska, Executive Director of Diia.City United. ⠀ Ready to make a difference? Register and witness leaders pledge their support for gender equality in tech! Registration opens on September 27 at 8:00 AM. ⠀ Stay tuned for updates and registration details on IT Arena.

🧑💻If you're ready to contribute to the development of Ukrainian education, particularly higher education, take a look at the recording of our meetup, "FutureTech: New Education Dimensions." It covers all the key questions about the current state of education for the tech sector. ⠀ You'll also find insights on how both public and private universities in Ukraine can benefit from support, what skills edtech startups are focusing on, how the Ministry of Economy is addressing reskilling and upskilling to enhance human capital during the war, what programs the Ministry of Education plans to launch, and most importantly, Vice Prime Minister Mykhailo Fedorov’s vision for the transformation of the education system. ⠀ ‼️ This is a must-watch for international partners, donors, and organizations willing to contribute through knowledge, grants, expertise, or other resources to improve education and foster the growth of the tech sector in Ukraine. ⠀ The video is in English. Catch the highlights by the link https://lnkd.in/e-aRMwrZ

Here are the insights from the second panel discussion at the "FutureTech: New Dimensions of Education" meetup organized by us and Kyiv School of Economics! ⠀ University leaders from both public and private institutions took part in the discussion. Tech businesses, these insights are for you👇 ⠀ Iryna Volnytska, President of SET University: ⠀ 🟣 "We are trying to integrate new models of collaboration with businesses, drawing inspiration from what is done in the West and other Ukrainian universities. This has to become a practice. You can't teach a student to build a startup if the atmosphere and interaction models within the university don't operate like a startup. Businesses, I know you've had challenges working with universities. Let's give it another shot. We really need your expertise now, both in assessing educational programs and evaluating faculty." ⠀ Tymofii Brik, Rector of Kyiv School of Economics: ⠀ 🟣 "Globally, especially in the U.S., universities are evaluated on three parameters: students, faculty, and research. Are the students good? Are the professors good? Is there solid research? You should assess these aspects without getting caught up in specific educational programs. My task for businesses is to look at university performance holistically and avoid dividing them based on individual criteria." ⠀ Yaroslav Prytula, First Vice-Rector of Ukrainian Catholic University: ⠀ 🟣 "We realized we want to aim higher, to tackle questions that don't even exist yet. Our goal is for our graduates to create jobs. Whether it's launching startups, joining companies and transforming them, or coming back to universities to teach the next generation." ⠀ Anatolii Melnychenko, Rector of Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute : ⠀ 🟣 "We understand that we need to prepare for the demands of the next five years. It's crucial to try and create, or at least forecast, different scenarios. This matters." ⠀ Oleksandr Azyukovsky, Rector of NTU "Dnipro Polytechnic," Professor, Ph.D. in Engineering: ⠀ 🟣 "We teach both technology and how to turn it into a business. We instill a product mindset and how to create added value in Ukraine. Each of our tech programs includes an entrepreneurial track, which holds as much weight as the other tracks. The market of the future is here. Today, the shelf life of a skill is 5 years—simply learning to code isn't enough anymore. And it's not just about universities. We must teach people to learn continuously and shape the future of technology. This philosophy is embedded in every program we offer."

Weʼre thrilled to share key insights from the speakers of the “FutureTech: New Education Dimensions" meet-up! ⠀ 🦾 Before launching Diia.City United, we found out that one of its members' priorities is the development of educational programs to benefit the tech business. So the first discussion panel of our meet-up involved C-level executives from tech businesses, including members of Diia.City United. Here are the key insights from our speakers: ⠀ 1️⃣ Oleksandr Kosovan, Founder and CEO of MacPaw, President of Diia.City United: "Every educational institution needs to ask one critical question: Who is your customer? The answer will significantly impact the quality of graduates and student preparation. We must also focus on future trends because the world is changing at an exponential pace." ⠀ 2️⃣ Artem Borodatiuk, Founder and CEO of NetPeak Group, member of Diia.City United’s Strategic Board: "Universities should receive funding not for the students they attract, but for the employees they produce according to a specific track. This will change everything. Universities’ motivation must be tied to employment outcomes." ⠀ 3️⃣ Anna Adom, HR Director at Datagroup/Volia: "Educational institutions prepare specialists, but we hire employees—those who will collaborate on goals or tasks. And the role is not a specialization anymore. We focus a lot on students and very little on those who prepare them. For businesses, the most important thing is to invest in the core—our educators, the methodology, and the programs, ensuring they align with the current market demands." ⠀ 4️⃣ Oleksii Nishchyk, Education Operations Director at Genesis: "Vocational schools do an excellent job of contributing to businesses by producing specialists in narrow fields. Universities, however, do not produce top managers; they provide the foundation that allows someone to become one. I believe education will evolve, but we need to work hard on this. Each of us must invest our resources in education." ⠀ 5️⃣ Nataliia Kryvda, Doctor of Philosophy, Professor at Taras Shevchenko National University, Chair of the Supervisory Board of the Ukrainian Cultural Foundation, and discussion moderator: "From my professional perspective, the customer of education is society. And society’s needs, demands, and tasks can be very diverse. The universality of the university lies in cultivating a way of thinking, multiple problem-solving approaches, and providing a helicopter view of the world." ⠀ #education #tech #futureofeducation #leadership #Ukraine

IT Arena in Lviv is Ukraine’s largest tech conference, bringing together thousands of innovators, entrepreneurs, and industry leaders from around the world to shape the future of tech. ⠀ We’re arriving there in just 8 days! Here’s our schedule, along with partner activities. Let’s sync up ours with yours 👇🏻 ⠀ 📆September 26 ⏳16:30 - 18:30 Open discussion by Diia.City United and UCU Business School: “The Power of Community. How to Find Your Own.” ⠀ 📆September 27-28 ⏳9:00 – 18:30 Diia.City United booth at the Product track. Delicious coffee and an opportunity to get to know us better. ⠀ 📆September 27 ⏳Time to be confirmed The Bridge of Trust Pitch Competition. Ukrainian startups seeking over 1 million euros and defense tech will compete for funding from investors from Northern Europe, the Baltics, and Poland. The Union is a Guardian partner of the project. ⠀ 📆September 28 ⏳11:00 - 12:00 “Fueling Tech Future: Startup Growth and Investment Strategies in Ukraine” panel discussion with representatives of the Ministry of Digital Transformation of Ukraine, Horizon Capital, the UK government, and the startup ecosystem on attracting investments. Moderator - Nataliya Mykolska, CEO of Diia.City United. ⠀ 📆September 29 ⏳Time to be confirmed Joint business breakfast by Diia.City United and Ukraine-Moldova American Enterprise Fund on the power of female leadership in technology. ⠀ 📆September 29 ⏳Time to be confirmed Diia.City Meet up. A must-attend event for those interested in the future of tech in Ukraine. ⠀ See you soon 😌

How can businesses contribute to the development of tech education in Ukraine? Key takeaways from Mykhailo Fedorov, Vice Prime Minister of Ukraine and Minister of Digital Transformation, shared during the Union's meetup "FutureTech: New Education Dimensions": ⠀ "We need to rethink the values we embed in education and the skills we develop, especially in light of the rapid progress of other countries, despite the war." ⠀ 🟣 Collaborating on Educational Materials “Business collaboration in schools can help create high-quality learning materials such as books and applications. Entrepreneurs can also participate in career guidance events, mentor students, or even teach specialized subjects”. ⠀ 🟣 Business Involvement in Standards Development "We need educational specialists from your companies to join our group in developing new standards and thoroughly testing what’s embedded in these new standards and programs — from content to structure." ⠀ 🟣 AI Integration in Education "An important track is the integration of AI. The level of teachers and educators is not always the same across the country. And AI could allow us to overcome these gaps. Our request to business is to consider various opportunities to integrate AI into education." ⠀ 🟣 Joining Vocational School Advisory Boards "Our goal is to give businesses the freedom to join vocational school advisory boards, invest, and engage in learning at these institutions. I invite businesses to join the oversight boards of vocational institutions. We want to reset university leadership and provide them with financial freedom, which will build trust from businesses since they will enter oversight boards with real power." ⠀ 🟣 Giving Educational Institutions Freedom "We want the leaders of state educational institutions to be accountable for their programs and ensure that funding follows the student, not the rector. This is key. Next comes freedom — if an institution wishes, it won’t have to be tied to mandatory programs and standards, similar to private universities. We modeled this after Western universities like Kyiv School of Economics (KSE) and the Ukrainian Catholic University (UCU). We started working with businesses to understand their needs — and this is where we’ve arrived." ⠀ If your tech business is ready to participate in the initiatives presented by Mykhailo Fedorov, please reach out at [email protected].