Destin – is an international project, which the Department of Journalism and Philology (Sumy State University) has started to work on. The goal is to develop journalism education, standards, integrity, and professionalism for democracy in Ukraine. The project will take place by 2021 and is financed by EU program Erasmus+. Taking part in the project allows the University to upgrade the quality of journalism education

In February, the Head of the Department of Journalism and Philology Olena Tkachenko and the Head of the International Affairs office Kostiantyn Kyrychenko took part at the first meetings of the Destin project workgroup in the city of Bath (UK).

Sumy State University works on the project with nine Ukrainian and five foreign universities (from Austria, Ireland, Poland, and Sweden), as well as media and non-governmental organizations Ukrainian Students Association, Hromadske Radio (Ukraine), Ethic Journalism Network (UK), European Journalism Training Association (Belgium), World University Service (Austria). Bath Spa University (UK) coordinates the whole project.

The participants have to review and renew Bachelor and Master programs in Journalism to bring them into sync with European Qualifications Framework (EQF), European integrity and professionalism standards, and to establish better contacts between students and media industry.

Simultaneously, participants will join forces to develop media literacy in society where newly trained graduates will work.

The universities allocated workpackages. Department of Journalism and Philology will coordinate the development of university outreach online “Media Literacy” courses. Olena Tkachenko says our university has got the best workpackage. Firstly, it is one of the two most important in the Destin project (another one – study programs – is within the responsibility of Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv). Secondly, this activity is in line with recent Department’s priorities.

In her Bath conference report, Olena Tkachenko said that online courses would teach students, schoolchildren, teachers, headmasters, and other categories of people to notice differences between quality and pure journalism, to understand the means of expression of reality by journalists, the aesthetic and moral potential of newspaper, radio and TV products.

On February, the 14th, the Department´s staff had a meeting with Volodymyr Rizun, the Director of Institute of Journalism (Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv), who coordinates the Destin project in Ukraine.

All the participants will come to Kyiv for the next meeting in May to work on the criteria for curricula evaluation and to begin their audit.

The universities, which participate in Destin, are going to implement new journalism programs and online courses in media literacy in 2020.

Yulia Kozyr, lecturer