The Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine plans to introduce a new initiative — the patronage of military brigades over universities, which will become part of the “Fundamentals of National Resistance” course. In addition to theoretical classes and practical training on training grounds, the course will involve close interaction between educational institutions and military units. Radio Charter broadcasts about it told Minister of Education and Science Oksen Lisovyi.
Such a model will help students better acquire skills and knowledge related to national resistance, and will also contribute to the formation of their worldview. As the minister noted, the legislation currently provides for basic general military training (BZVP), which starts in universities on September 1 and has a different character than military service.
“When a person is mobilized to the ranks of the army and prepares to participate in combat operations, he will undergo a full-fledged, powerful BZVP right before his integration into military units.”, – emphasized Lisovyi.
He specified that cooperation is planned to be established primarily with military units stationed in the same region where the universities are located, or in the format of interregional partnership.
“Not every brigade has such a level of culture that it can work with the university within the framework of our requirements. At the same time, the issue is also in ideology, in the formation of value guidelines and in ensuring that we all work in the same direction, hit on the same goal.” – explained the minister.
He also emphasized the importance of access to the resources of military units:
“The second is, of course, the use of the material and technical base of military units. These are training grounds, weapons, ammunition, instructors. This is the most important thing – people with combat experience.”
In his opinion, such a model will make it possible to build a stable tradition, according to which one or more military units will take care of a certain university, which, in turn, will contribute to the strengthening of ties and the formation of common values.
“The military also honors their dead. They treat their wounded, people who lost their health in the war, in a completely different way. And this is about the involvement of students in these processes, including commemoration, memorialization on the example of a specific brigade“, the minister added.
The idea of patronage was suggested by the existing practice of some universities, which already maintain contact with military units where their graduates or students serve, in particular through the holding of meetings.
