A new module of the two-year Master of Public Administration (MPA) program has been launched in Mariupol, which is being implemented with the support of Metinvest Group. Among the participants there are representatives of municipalities and public organizations from five cities of Ukraine. Mayor Vadym Boichenko congratulated everybody who was present on the beginning of the training.
The Mayor began by identifying the components of Mariupol's success in attracting international investment. According to him, it became possible due to three components: a clear development strategy, a balanced budget and transparency of all processes. This was the beginning of large-scale projects that are changing the face of the city today.
‘It is important for us to transfer our knowledge and experience. After all, we are helping other cities to change, and therefore developing Ukraine by scaling the “Mariupol effect”. Mariupol is already shaping a new vision - until 2030. The key is opening up new opportunities for young people. The conditions should be created for our children to stay in their hometown. We realized ourselves and developed it,’ Vadym Boichenko said.
According to the Mayor, the IT sphere is developing for this. There are already two specialized hubs. School No.7 will become the first IT school in Ukraine. A private educational academy in the field of information technologies will open in "Gipromez".
Other projects, designed to turn the city into a real educational cluster, are the construction of a medical center with a university and the opening of Metinvest Polytechnic.
‘This will allow both Mariupol children to receive quality education and attract young people from all over the country. But it is also important to create a modern infrastructure for quality leisure activities. The plans are to update the embankments. An international competition for a project to renovate the Central Beach Zone has already started,’ Vadym Boichenko stressed.
The representative of the public organization "Platform for Joint Action" Iraisat Magomedalieva was inspired by the lecture of the Mayor of Mariupol. After all, she wants to implement a project just in the field of education. The girl came from Zaporizhzhia. According to her, the program is of interest because it offers lectures from the best specialists and is focused on the practical application of knowledge and skills.
‘I realized that any work without a clear plan is chaos. A clear development strategy is needed. It is symbolic that the module is being held in Mariupol, where the strategy has been successfully implemented for five years and there is already a view on the development of the city until 2030. This is an opportunity not only to gain knowledge from cool lecturers, but also to see how it works in practice. I am sure that all the knowledge we have gained will allow us to change our communities,’ she said.
It is worth noting that the MPA program received support from Metinvest Group and USAID. In 2020 it took first place in the competition of the UN Global Compact "Partnership for Sustainable Development".
