Kherson State University

On August 26, 2025, Galatsan Halyna Yuriivna successfully defended her dissertation in psychology on the topic "Psychological determinants of the formation of creativity in adolescents with intellectual disabilities" for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the field of knowledge 05 Social and Behavioral Sciences in the specialty 053 Psychology and received the scientific degree of PhD (Scientific supervisor - Corresponding Member of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Doctor of Psychological Sciences, Professor, Professor of the Department of Psychology of Kherson State University - Ihor Popovych). We sincerely congratulate the candidate and the scientific supervisor and wish them new professional achievements!

On August 15, 2025, Candidate of Pedagogical Sciences, Associate Professor of the Department of Philosophy, Sociology and Social Work Shvets T.M. took part in the webinar “Psychology of Resilience: Practical Tools of Support in Wartime”, organized by the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine, the State Scientific Institution “Institute for Modernization of Educational Content and the National School of Managers - NGO “Agency for Sustainable Development and Educational Initiatives”.

The purpose of the webinar: development and improvement of professional competencies of pedagogical and scientific and pedagogical workers, in particular:

• updating knowledge about key aspects of psychological resilience;
• integration of psychological support practices into daily professional activities;
• development of emotional self-regulation skills and individual stress resistance;
• improvement of management skills in conditions of increased psycho-emotional stress;
• preservation of mental health in conditions of war and social instability.

During the webinar, special attention was paid to the use of knowledge in the daily work of leaders and teachers to support teams, students and parents, as well as to maintain their own mental health.

As a result of participating in the webinar, Shvets T.M. received a certificate of advanced training (6 hours / 0.2 ECTS) with a description of the acquired competencies.

On August 14, 2025, Candidate of Pedagogical Sciences, Associate Professor of the Department of Philosophy, Sociology and Social Work Shvets T.M. participated in the practical training "Psychological First Aid During and After War" as part of the advanced training course for educators "Psychological First Aid for Participants in the Educational Process During and After the End of Military Operations", organized by the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine, the State Scientific Institution "Institute for Modernization of Educational Content", the Ukrainian Institute for the Development of Education, the Association for Innovative and Digital Education with the participation of leading international experts in psychology - head of the psychological service of Ariel University (Israel) Olga Bass-Linchuk and consultant in mental health and psychosocial support, trainer of the international short-session program SETA (Johns Hopkins Institute, a leading US educational institution in the field of clinical psychology), expert of the program "Suicide Prevention in Communities" (a project in cooperation with the Government of Norway) Yulia Zagarnytska.

The advanced training course for educators “Psychological First Aid for Participants in the Educational Process During and After the End of Military Actions” was created to master the skills and techniques of psychological first aid and emotional support from international experts for use during the educational process.

This course was developed using the blended learning model, which includes 10 multimedia lessons in the international SCORM format, additional materials, practical training, during which Ukrainian educators learned about psychological states, learned to provide psychological first aid according to Save the Children’s methodological manuals, and also got acquainted with the recommendations for referral of the Interdepartmental Standing Committee.

The special course provided for solving the following tasks: determining the features of the educational process during military action; establishing the features of the regulatory and legal support of the educational process under martial law; understanding the etiology of stress and its impact on the educational process; the ability to identify manifestations of stress in a child; mastering the tools of psychological support for internally displaced students; development of skills of informal interaction with students; learning to use distance learning platforms; establishing cooperation between school and family during wartime.

Practical training "Psychological First Aid During and After War" on the technique of determining the psychological state of children according to the world-famous "Save the Children" methodology, which has been confirmed both in Ukraine and in the world, was conducted by Yulia Zagarnytska, a psychologist, a consultant in mental health and psychosocial support, a trainer of the international short-session program SETA (Johns Hopkins Institute, a leading US educational institution in the field of clinical psychology), an expert of the program "Suicide Prevention in Communities" (a project in cooperation with the Norwegian government).

As a result of participating in the webinar, Shvets T.M. received a certificate of advanced training (30 hours / 1 ECTS).

On August 4-8, 2025, Viktoria Dyatsenko, a 2nd year student of the second (master's) level of higher education in the specialty "Social Work", took part in a series of trainings within the framework of the educational international project "Traumapädagogik für ukrainische Schulen" ("Trauma pedagogy for Ukrainian schools"), which was implemented in cooperation with public organizations "Dialogue for Understanding e.V." (Germany), "Educational Policy Development Agency" (Ukraine) with the support of the German Foreign Ministry and the Department of Education of Warsaw (Poland). The trainings were held in Warsaw (Republic of Poland).

The purpose of the activities within the framework of the project was to train specialists of educational institutions and teachers in the forms and methods of trauma-informed pedagogy, to promote the implementation of interactive methodological developments in trauma-informed pedagogy to preserve mental health and form social, communicative competencies in students.

The result of Dyatsenko V.'s participation in the above-mentioned activities within the project was receiving a certificate of advanced training (1 ECTS credit).

Victoria Dyatsenko noted that the activities within the project were really interesting and useful. The participants received theoretical and practical knowledge about the importance of self-recovery and recovery resources (they considered a lot of situational cases of working with students and their parents during war and stress). The applicant confidently noted that the knowledge and practical skills she gained would be useful to her in her professional activities at an educational institution.

The staff of the Faculty of Psychology, History and Sociology sincerely congratulates the Deputy Dean for Organizational and Educational Work, Assistant Dean for Educational Quality, Associate Professor of the Department of Philosophy, Sociology and Social Work, Shvets Tetyana Mykhailivna, on being awarded the academic title of Associate Professor! We wish you further professional achievements and inspired work!

On June 16, 2025, a meeting of the Academic Council of the Faculty of Psychology, History and Sociology was held. One of the issues on the agenda was the spring certification of postgraduate students in the 2024/2025 academic year and reporting on the results of the implementation of the individual plan of postgraduate students of the 4th year of study. Members of the Academic Council listened to the speeches of the heads of departments, guarantors of the ONP and reports of postgraduate students of the specialty 053 Psychology (Galatsan G., Serget I., Ilnytska I., Nazarenko N.)

👥 The video manifesto "When You Can" clearly explains six main aspects of accessibility: physical, informational, digital, social and civil, educational and economic.

Accessibility is about accessibility, freedom of action and decent living conditions for everyone. And it is extremely important that each of us feels responsible for its creation.

Буклет права людини (Ukranian Booklet).pdf

❗❗❗CONGRATULATIONS! Vovkanych Andriy, a 1st year student at the Faculty of Psychology, History and Sociology, and his scientific supervisor Shvets Tetyana Mykhailivna with 2nd place in the nomination "Non-standard essay" of the All-Ukrainian essay competition "Integrity in education: adherence cannot be violated", which was held at the Sumy State Pedagogical University named after A.S. Makarenko. Another confirmation that "OURS ARE THE BEST!". CONGRATULATIONS AND WISH YOU NEW VICTORIES!!!💐💐💐

The video essay by Vovkanych A. can be viewed on the faculty YouTube channel.

The staff of the Faculty of Psychology, History and Sociology sincerely congratulates Professors Serhiy Hryhorovych Vodotyka and Serhiy Karpovich Kostyuchkov on the award of the Chairman of the Kherson Regional Council on the occasion of Science Day. We wish you further inspired work, interesting research and new achievements!

As part of the Days of Science at KhSU, the VIII All-Ukrainian Scientific and Practical Conference of Young Scientists, Postgraduate Students and Students took place today: “Current Problems of History and Archaeology: Regional and Global Dimensions”. The participants were welcomed by the Dean of the Faculty of Psychology, History and Sociology Iryna Shaposhnykova, who wished them fruitful work and interesting discussions. The event was moderated by the Head of the Department of History, Archeology and Teaching Methods Natalia Kuzovova.

Join the viewing on our YouTube channel

Professor of the Department of History, Archaeology and Teaching Methods of Kherson State University Serhiy Grigorovich Vodotyka joined the expert group on the issues of conducting state certification of scientific institutions and higher education institutions in terms of conducting scientific (scientific and technical) activities in scientific areas by such institutions.

Professor Serhiy Grigorovich Vodotyka joined the expert group in the area of "Humanities and Arts". The relevant information was published on the website of the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine in the order of Minister Oksen Lisovy dated May 13, 2025.

We sincerely congratulate Serhiy Grigorovich, because joining the expert group of the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine is a recognition of the professionalism and authority of scientists of Kherson State University.

On April 30, 2025, teachers and students of the Faculty of Psychology, History, and Sociology presented an information and educational project dedicated to the third anniversary of the relocation of the KhSU to the city of Ivano-Frankivsk. The video contains valuable photographs, videos, and memories of the first months of the full-scale invasion.

Infographic from the Dean of the Faculty of Psychology, History and Sociology Iryna Shaposhnikova about training under the voucher program from the State Employment Service for certain categories of citizens

The topic of the lecture: “Archaeological exposition of the Kherson State University History Museum as a guardian of the archaeological monuments of the Kherson region”. The event was joined in an online format by students and teachers of the faculty, as well as students of Kherson schools.

At the beginning, the dean of the faculty, Iryna Shaposhnykova, noted that the lecture is dedicated to the third anniversary of the relocation of Kherson State University to Ivano-Frankivsk.

“You will learn about what exhibits we managed to preserve and later take out of Kherson after the occupation, from under the shelling,” Iryna Shaposhnykova noted and introduced the speaker, Doctor of Historical Sciences, Professor of the Department of History, Archaeology and Teaching Methods of Kherson State University, Oleksandr Cheremisyn, to the audience.

“Today you will have the opportunity to get acquainted with the archaeological treasures of the Kherson region, which were preserved and moved to Ivano-Frankivsk. Of course, this path was quite long and went through several stages. "All these materials and artifacts were found by history students of Kherson State University who were undergoing archaeological practice," the professor said.

He emphasized that the process of professional training of a future historian is impossible without mastering the theoretical course “Archaeology” and students completing historical specialties of archaeological practice. Since 1997, annually under the guidance of university teachers, applicants have undergone practice, which acquired the official status of the archaeological expedition of KhSU in 2005. This expedition was engaged in the study of the Belozersk settlement (the village of Dniprovske, the Belozersk district of the Kherson region). In 2019, the KhSU archaeological expedition began its activities at the Skelka settlement near the village of Oleksandrivka near Stanislav.

The further process of processing and storing archaeological collections raised the question of the need to create a Research Archaeological Laboratory within the faculty. The laboratory has existed since 2001. Its functioning has created favorable conditions, primarily for ensuring the educational process.

Oleksandr Cheremisin said that in June 2024, the archaeological collection of KhSU was evacuated from Kherson to Ivano-Frankivsk. This process required significant efforts from scientists and the university administration, who ensured the safe transportation of the exhibits.

“On February 25, new auditoriums of KhSU were opened in Ivano-Frankivsk, where exhibitions of the evacuated archaeological and zoological collections were placed. These exhibitions became available to students and the public, ensuring the continuation of the educational process and scientific work. Seminars are held on the basis of the archaeological exhibition of the KhSU History Museum in Ivano-Frankivsk, which allows students to directly familiarize themselves with archaeological artifacts and deepen their knowledge of the history of Ukraine. The relocation of the KhSU Archaeological Museum to Ivano-Frankivsk allowed us to preserve unique collections and ensure the continuity of the educational process. "The university continues its activities in a new location, adapting to new conditions and providing quality education for students," concluded Oleksandr Cheremisin.

The lecture aroused considerable interest among the schoolchildren. After the speech, the young people asked the speaker questions related to history and archaeology.

The event was also attended by archaeologist-researcher, former head of the Museum of Archaeology Serhiy Nemtsev, who is currently fighting in the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

On March 12, the Faculty of Psychology, History and Sociology, together with the Admissions Committee of Kherson State University, held a workshop "Education Pro", which was attended by about 100 applicants for both bachelor's and master's degrees. Among the participants of the event were Ukrainian children who are currently teaching in one of the schools in Wroclaw.

The meeting was attended by: Dean of the Faculty of Psychology, History and Sociology Iryna Shaposhnykova, heads of departments, teachers and staff. Iryna Vasylivna sincerely greeted the participants of the meeting - Kherson youth and indomitable colleagues of educators and thanked them for their courage and hard work for the future of Ukraine and their native Kherson region.

The event was moderated by Natalia Kuzovova, Head of the Department of History, Archaeology and Teaching Methods. She spoke in detail about the advantages of studying at the faculty, the specialties in which training is provided, and the university's digital services, including KSUonline KSU24. She also told the applicants about the opportunity to undergo free preparation for the NMT at KhSU.

The executive secretary of the admissions committee, Yuriy Yurchuk, and the head of the admissions committee department, Nadiya Starodubets, told the applicants about the admission conditions and innovations of this year's 2025 admission campaign. Nadiya Starodubets emphasized the possibility of enrolling in a master's degree program using vouchers, which allows applicants of certain categories to obtain a second higher education.

We sincerely thank our colleagues, parents, and future applicants for participating in the workshop for entrants "OsvitaPRO" 2025. We were glad to see you all and are waiting for you at Kherson State University!

Social workers are doctors who don't wear white coats; healers who remain modestly in the shadows; crisis managers who experience the life stories of others and come to their aid in the most difficult moments.

There is a widespread stereotype in society that social workers work exclusively with children or the elderly. In fact, almost everyone needs the support of social workers:

• a war veteran undergoing rehabilitation;
• a couple experiencing difficulties in their relationship;
• people who have found themselves in difficult life circumstances;
• women or men who have been victims of human trafficking or anyone with a gambling addiction;
• internally displaced persons, etc.

Each of us at some point in our lives may need to turn to social workers who, with their words, actions, and faith, can dispel sadness and despair.

“Human” is precisely the highest value for which social workers and their difficult, but undoubtedly important work were created.

If you would like to learn more about the faculty and the new specialty, or about Kherson State University, please contact the admissions office:

Phone:

+38 (096) 613 05 16
+38 (068) 446 29 93 (viber, telegram)

E-mail:

Our specialists will provide detailed information regarding the 2025 entry.

We sincerely congratulate Professor of Kherson State University Popovych Igor Stepanovych on receiving the diploma of Corresponding Member of the National Academy of Pedagogical Sciences of Ukraine! We wish you new achievements, inspiration and further success for the benefit of Ukrainian education and science and our native Kherson State University!

On February 26, the International Scientific and Practical Conference “Southern Ukraine and the Full-Scale Military Invasion of Russia on February 24, 2022: Source Aspect, Directions of Historical Research, Memorialization” was held at Kherson State University.

The event was organized by the Faculty of Psychology, History and Sociology of Kherson State University together with the Pomeranian University (Poland) and the University of Kent (Great Britain), as well as the IIE Scholar Rescue Fund. Representatives of the Vasyl Stefanyk Precarpathian National University joined the event.

The meeting was moderated by the head of the Department of History, Archaeology and Teaching Methods of KhSU, Natalia Kuzovova.

The first vice-rector of KhSU, Serhiy Omelchuk, thanked the Polish partners for their support in the fight against the Russian invasion and cooperation with our university.

He also noted that the department’s staff is conducting powerful scientific work on documenting war crimes and testimonies about the occupation of Kherson. This work is headed by Professor Oleksandr Cheremisin.

“The preservation of historical memory for Kherson State University is an institutional topic: the multi-vector and multifaceted views on the modern history of the Russian-Ukrainian war are recorded in our chronicles. Many of our colleagues joined in writing personal essays. We remember how difficult this project was, because it is difficult to intellectually experience those emotions and then express them in the public space. But we understand how valuable it is for both research and memory,” Serhiy Omelchuk noted.

The representative of the Pomeranian University in Slupsk, Director of the Institute of History, Robert Kuśneż, welcomed the conference participants. He expressed his support for the Ukrainian people and the KhSU community, and also noted the long-term cooperation between our two universities.

We would like to remind you that the “Double Diplomas” program has been implemented between our universities for many years in a row.

The Director of the Center for Medieval and Early Modern Studies of the University of Kent, Susanna Ivanych, also joined the congratulations of our Ukrainian colleagues. KhSU established contacts with this university in 2022, and since then the institutions have been cooperating in various areas of work, in particular, British colleagues actively involve KhSU in English conversation clubs.

Dean of the Faculty of Psychology, History and Sociology of KhSU, Iryna Shaposhnykova, wished the conference participants success and interesting discussions. She also thanked her colleagues from PNU and invited them to cooperate, in particular within the framework of student internships.

During the conference, scientists from Kherson, Ivano-Frankivsk, Lviv, Kyiv, and Krakow (Poland), etc., presented their research on the Russian-Ukrainian war.

On February 21, the head of the social and psychological service of the KhSU, Darya Domanchuk, associate professor of the Department of Philosophy, Sociology and Social Work, Volodymyr Hurich, and master's students of specialties 053 Psychology and 231 Social Work visited the Caritas Ivano-Frankivsk Center for Sustainability.

    

As part of the weeks of full-time study at the Faculty of Psychology, History and Sociology of Kherson State University, psychology students attended a series of trainings "Psycho-emotional support during war: teaching healing techniques" from the head of the socio-psychological service of KhSU, Darya Domanchuk.

"Kherson State University has a project called "Psycho-emotional support during war: training in healing techniques," which has already been completed by teachers. Now such trainings have become mandatory for students. We are also developing a volunteer school where students will learn these techniques and apply them in everyday life," noted Darya Domanchuk.

This knowledge is especially useful for those who are in conditions of constant danger. For example, students and employees who remain in Kherson or other settlements in Ukraine that are under attack by the Russians. Participants learn to control their emotions during explosions or threatening situations. After completing the training, 80% of participants noted that their sleep and emotional state had significantly improved.

Currently, the social and psychological service is working to involve more students and teachers in psycho-emotional support programs. In war conditions, knowledge about mental health becomes no less important than academic education.

Structure, methods, features of interaction with participants, analysis of the topics of trainings conducted on the basis of the social and psychological service of the KhSU, selection of the training topic according to the needs of the target audience - psychologists worked on these areas within the weeks of full-time training together with the head of the social and psychological service of the KhSU, Darya Domanchuk.

"We considered the topics of various trainings depending on the target audience. For example, stress management, development of emotional intelligence, overcoming anxiety, psychological resilience... All these topics are very relevant in our time, we have our own developments in each of the areas and are happy to share our experience with applicants," noted Darya Domanchuk.

At the same time, future social workers worked on creating a client passport.

Weeks of full-time training take place on the basis of the Ivano-Frankivsk office of Kherson State University and the educational infrastructure of the Vasyl Stefanyk Precarpathian National University.

On February 19, 2025, master's students of specialty 231 Social Work had the opportunity to work on the basis of the Department of Social Policy of the Executive Committee of the Ivano-Frankivsk City Council.

The students learned that the Department of Social Policy of the Executive Committee of the Ivano-Frankivsk City Council constantly implements measures for social security and social protection of pensioners, persons with disabilities, single citizens unable to work, orphans, single mothers, mothers with many children, as well as low-income families with children, other socially unprotected citizens who need assistance and social support from the state.

Semanyuk V.M., Director of the Department of Social Policy of the Executive Committee of the Ivano-Frankivsk City Council, during his acquaintance with the students, outlined the main list of social services provided by the Department, namely: registration of state social benefits and benefits for citizens, registration of preferential statuses; assistance to the population in obtaining social guarantees; preparation of documents for sanatorium and resort treatment of the population; familiarization and registration of various types of assistance within the framework of existing city social programs.

Vasyl Mykolayovych introduced the undergraduates to the structure of the Department and the institutions of the social sphere subordinate to the Department: Ivano-Frankivsk Territorial Center for Social Services of the Population, Ivano-Frankivsk City Center for Social Services for Families, Children and Youth, Ivano-Frankivsk City Center for Social and Psychological Rehabilitation with Functional Limitations "Dyvosvit", a night shelter. A list of the population who can apply and receive appropriate assistance from the Department and the social institutions subordinate to it was also outlined: military personnel and members of their families; persons with disabilities; internally displaced persons; families with children, etc.

During a working meeting with Iryna Kunitsyna, Head of the Department for Ensuring the Implementation of Urban Social Programs of the Department of Social Policy, we learned about the procedure for submitting and considering social projects for the city community. During a lively, meaningful conversation, Roman Patrygura and Oleksandr Skorokhod discussed ways to implement them in the realities of a modern urban community using the examples of their qualification work topics. Based on the results of the work, additional consultation meetings were agreed upon.

On February 19, 2025, as part of the Workshop "Artificial Intelligence for the Scientific Work of Applicants", a meeting of 1st year applicants of the second (master's) level of higher education with the university leadership led by Rector Oleksandr Spivakovsky took place. The Workshop "Artificial Intelligence for the Scientific Work of Applicants" was dedicated to the analysis and practical use of various AI for writing master's theses, in particular, familiarization with the capabilities of artificial intelligence (AI) in scientific activity, practical skills in using AI tools for analyzing scientific data, automating routine processes, preparing texts and creating presentations; Development of critical thinking regarding the ethical use of AI in research work. The presenter, VOLODYMYR OLEKSIIOVYCH GURICH, provided all participants with the opportunity not only to familiarize themselves with the capabilities of AI tools, but also held a master class in which the applicants tried to use their knowledge in practice.

Within the weeks of full-time study at the Faculty of Psychology, History and Sociology of Kherson State University, history students got acquainted with the historical center of Ivano-Frankivsk, studied artifacts from the collection of the KhSU Archaeological Museum evacuated from Kherson.

During the tour of Ivano-Frankivsk, history students could learn about the city’s founding as a Stanislav fortress in the 17th century, its role in the struggle for Ukraine’s independence, and the architectural heritage, including the Town Hall, bastions, and the Church of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. They could also learn about the history of the local Jewish and Armenian population, the events of the liberation movement, the activities of the OUN-UPA, and the influence of the Soviet period on the city’s development. The tour provides an opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of the cultural and political context of the region, which during the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine became a refuge for many residents of the Kherson region and other regions of Ukraine. In particular, Kherson State University was relocated to the base of the Vasyl Stefanyk Precarpathian National University in April 2022 and continues to provide high-quality educational services.

The in-person practice of historians also continues. They create registers of rescued artifacts, the collection of the archaeological museum evacuated from Kherson, and systematize it. The heads of the practice are Associate Professor Halyna Mykhailenko and Professor Oleksandr Cheremisin.

The weeks of full-time study take place on the basis of the Ivano-Frankivsk office of Kherson State University and the educational infrastructure of the Vasyl Stefanyk Precarpathian National University.