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Mariupol, Ukraine

Mariupol is one of the biggest cities in the Donetsk region, which was founded in 1778. It was named Mariupol in 1779 in honor of Maria Fedorovna, the second wife of Crown Prince Paul. In 1780, the city's population grew rapidly after the displacement of many Greeks from the Crimean Peninsula. In 1882 it was connected by rail with the Donetsk basin and developed as the main port of the region. Mariupol is located in southeastern Ukraine, on the northern coast of the Azov Sea and at the mouth of Kalmius and Kalchik rivers. The surrounding area of the Azov sea coast is  well known for its  sanatoriums and health resorts

The city’s population is more than 475,000 and there are around 120 nationalities. The ethnic communities are  as follows : Ukrainians - 48,7%;  Russians - 44,4%;e Greeks - 4,3%; Belarusians - 0,76%;  Armenians - 0,24%; the Jews - 0,23%; Bulgarians - 0,22%; Tatars 0,13%;  Moldavians - 0,13%;  Georgians - 0,12%; Gypsies - 0,12%; Azerbaijanians - 0,11%;Germans and Poles - 0,10%. Around 200,000 (40% of total amount) are engaged in various economic activities with industry accounting for around 26% of all employees.

The largest enterprises in the city are: Mariupol Sea Commercial Port, Ilyich Iron and Steel Works, Azov Ship Repair Company, Magma, Azovstal, Azovintex, Azovmash, Metinvest-Promservice and Satellite. A key branch of industry is metallurgy, which accounts for 70% of the foreign trade turnover. More than 50 countries of the world buy products from the Mariupol metallurgical complex.

The scientific and technical potential of the city is represented by 21 research, development and geological exploration organizations. Scientific research and development is performed also by higher educational institutions and industrial companies’ subdivisions.

There are 67 secondary schools, 2 gymnasiums, 3 lyceums, 11 vocational schools, 6 training colleges and 6 higher educational institutions (two of them are universities) in the city.

Mariupol and its Displaced People

In 2014 when a military conflict brook out several higher education establishments were evacuated from Donetsk to Mariupol due to the outburst of military conflict. They are: Donetsk Law Institute for the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine, Donetsk National Medical University and Donetsk State University of Management. Thanks to the support of Mariupol City Council and the local community these institutions managed to relocate and functioning again despite all the problems which arose.

During the last five-year period Mariupol has provided a home for 96,098 internally displaced persons who have had to flee their homes due to the military conflict in their native to

Mariupol administration and local community strive to assist people affected by the conflict providing an opportunity to restore and stabilise a source of livelihood through the provision of various assistance to develop new employment possibilities. Support for temporarily displaced persons is one of the priorities of the Mariupol City Councils' social programmes. Assistance is provided in many areas including health care, education, social protection, finding employment.  In the local district departments for social protection recently a total of 93,452 internally displaced persons (IDP’s) were registered. A further total of 30,259 displaced people is registered with social services supporting families, children, and youth of the Mariupol City Council.

Building the City as a Learning City

Mariupol is quite unique in that it is a port and industrial center for the region and for   Ukraine. It is an important port for the whole country and is made up of different ethnic groups and cultural traditions. Located on the Sea of Azov, it has much potential for tourism. In addition to the traditional vacation on the seacoast, there are several places attractive to tourists such as: Public Garden, Seaside Park, Extreme Park, City Shopping Center and others. There are large sports and leisure complexes in the city:  these include a roofed stadium (the only one in Ukraine in terms of size and equipment), swimming pools, exhibition halls and leisure centers for young people and children.

Since 2017,  the Mariupol City Council has been under the leadership of the Mayor Vadim Boychenko who has worked towards the stabilisation of socio-economic development indicators for the city, empowering business and community development as well as the development of new directions for city development which include the promotion of areas such as  Education and Lifelong Learning,  a Smart City culture,  Tourist potential,  Culture, and the City. The Mayor also initiated the ‘Mariupol Strategy 2021’ which is a consolidated development programme focussed on solving social and economic problems and improving the quality of life.  A key trend under ‘Strategy 2021’ is investments in programmes for human capital development

Donetsk State University of Management (DSUM)

Donetsk State University of Management (DSUM) is a key player in the delivery of higher education and community engagement in Mariupol and the surrounding region.

The university is a state-run higher education establishment founded in 1992 offering the highest level of national accreditation. Its mission is defined as training high-qualified specialists in the field of Economics, Banking and Finance, Public Administration, Sociology, Law, who will be capable to meet the demands of national and international labor markets. Currently the University enrolls 1,500 students at 19 Bachelor and 24 Master programmes. There are also PhD and Dr. Hab. Studies in Public Administration, Economics and Management. The training is provided by around 250 staff who are well qualified scholars and practitioners.

In November 2014,  due to the military conflict in the east of Ukraine,  the University was forced to leave Donetsk, and since then has been functioning in the City Mariupol. Despite all the difficulties and hardships the leadership and academic staff managed to restore and maintain the education process and to do the utmost for sustaining the quality assurance in teaching, learning and research.

The university cooperates with universities in Germany, France, UK, Italy, Czech Republic, Lithuania, Romania, Estonia, Poland   under various framework agreements and joint international projects. During the last decade DSUM has been implemented sixteen projects under Visegrad Fund, TEMPUS, Erasmus Mundus, Erasmus+KA1, KA2, Erasmus+Jean Monnet, DAAD, USAID and other granted funds and programs.

The University is a member of the Network of Institutes and Schools of Public Administration in Central and Eastern Europe, Ukrainian Association of European Studies.

DSUM has initiated cooperation with local industries like Mariupol Metallurgical Plant, Mariupol Sea Port, Accord Tour, local NGOs, and small businesses in order to prepare the graduates with employability skills. The representatives of these enterprises are engaged in training activities of the business incubators as well as on provision the places for DSUM students’ internships.

Within its third mission the university seeks to generate knowledge outside the academic environment to benefit to the social, cultural and economic development of the region, for example providing education services to local community at the Centre for Third Age Education ( 55+),  and training for public servants at the Centre for Leadership.

The university is providing leadership through working in collaboration with local partners. It is providing a beacon of light and hope for many who want to get involved in learning and is creating a healthy and entrepreneurial city at peace with itself and all its citizens.

It could be said to be a rapidly expanding city with a huge influx of people in recent years.  Together it might be said that the University and City are working towards developing a city that is highly skilled and dynamic and which puts great emphasis on the educational needs of all its citizens as it seeks to become a learning city that provides a model within Ukraine and in the international arena.  

Further information about the university can be found at: http://www.dsum.edu.ua