From June 13 to 23, 2025, Nataliia Nepyyipa, Senior Lecturer at the Department of English Language of the State University of Information Communication Technologies, participated in the international seminar Institute of Civic Studies and Learning for Democracy (ICSLD), which took place in Augsburg, Germany.

The seminar was an intensive 10-day residential program that gathered educators, researchers, doctoral students, and civic practitioners from around the world to engage in collaborative learning and dialogue on democracy and civic engagement. The event was co-directed by Dr. Chad Hoggan, Ed.D., Professor of Adult and Lifelong Education at North Carolina State University (USA), and Dr. habil. Tetyana Hoggan-Kloubert, Akademische Rätin in Adult and Continuing Education at the University of Augsburg (Germany), in cooperation with the Madison Center for Civic Engagement at James Madison University (USA).

The ICSLD seminar included an intensive academic curriculum focused on key topics such as pluralism and polycentricity, deliberation and discourse, the intersection of conservatism, liberalism, and socialism, the role of universities in democratic societies, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights,  the development of social capital and civic literacy.

Sessions were structured as roundtable discussions, group projects, and participant-led presentations, fostering an environment of mutual learning, critical inquiry, and international collaboration.

As part of the seminar, Mrs. Nataliia presented the concept for her original educational course titled "Developing Tutor Competencies through Democratic Principles." The course is aimed at enhancing democratic literacy and active citizenship among both students and academic staff in Ukrainian universities. It is designed to help university teachers fulfill the role of tutors and facilitators of democratic, inclusive, and dialogical learning environments.

This international professional experience significantly contributed to Nataliia Nepyyipa’s growth as an educator and curriculum developer, enriching her ability to introduce innovative teaching strategies at the Department of English Language. Her engagement in the ICSLD seminar supports the department’s commitment to integrating democratic values, critical thinking, and civic education into English language instruction and interdisciplinary learning at the university.

In preparation for the seminar, Nataliia authored a scholarly article entitled "Tutoring in Open Education in Ukraine as a Factor of Democratization," which was submitted to an international peer-reviewed academic journal and accepted for publication. The article explores the intersection of open education and democracy in Ukrainian higher education and serves as a theoretical foundation for her course design.

The seminar’s academic activities were complemented by educational excursions to historically significant sites, including the Dachau Concentration Camp, the unfinished Nazi Congress Hall, and the courtroom of the Nuremberg Trials, as well as cultural visits to Augsburg and Munich. These experiences deepened participants’ understanding of the historical challenges to democracy and emphasized the importance of civic responsibility and remembrance in today’s world. 

Official website: https://sites.google.com/ncsu.edu/icsld2/home