Our university is successfully advancing the internationalization of education and professional training through international cooperation with Israel. As a result of one of the foreign business trips by the Vice-Rector for International Relations Assoc. Prof. Martina Pavlíková, PhD., MBA, a continuously and progressively developing partnership has been established with Kibbutzim College of Education, Israel. 

During an institutional visit to this foreign partner institution, discussions with the leadership led to the declaration that international cooperation should not only focus on foreign languages but also on the fields of ecology, environmental studies, theology, and Judaic studies.

In the academic year 2023/2024, the Vice-Rector for International Relations hosted a delegation from Kibbutzim College of Education (KCE), Tel Aviv, Israel, under the Erasmus+ KA171 grant scheme. During the working meetings was also Dean of the Faculty of Natural Sciences and Informatics UKF  in Nitra, Prof. RNDr. František Petrovič, PhD., MBA, and Prof. Adiv Gal, Dean of the Faculty of Natural Sciences, who specializes in environmental studies, Dr. Miri Yochanna, Head of the Department of English Studies, and Dr. Rinat Arviv, Head of the International Relations Department. During the visit, international cooperation was discussed not only in the form of joint publications in databases like WOS and Scopus but also through the establishment of a summer school/short-term Erasmus+ internship in the fields of ecology and environmental studies.

One wonderful example of the deepening collaboration between KCE in Tel Aviv and Faculty of Arts UKF in Nitra is a joint article between Dr. Andrea Leskova and Dr. Miri Yochanna, Values and Education for Values of Today’s Youth. This study was published in a journal indexed in Scopus and WOS databases and is available at JECS. We look forward to more collaboration in research between our academic institutions.

An additionally execllent example of our collaboration comes in the form of a summer school. From September 24th – 30th, 2024, as part of the Erasmus+ KA171 program, four students participated in a summer school which took place at UKF. The academic coordinators who participated in the mobility were Dr. Gili Joseph, Ph.D., Head of the Department of Science and the M.Ed. Program in Physical Activity and Wellness at the Faculty of Natural Sciences at Kibbutzim College of Education, and Dr. Nirit Assaf-Reizel, Ph.D., from the same department. The academic coordinators of the summer school were Prof. RNDr. Juraj Hreško, CSc., and Mgr. Veronika Piscová, PhD., from the Department of Ecology and Environmental Science, who developed the educational and research program for the summer school.

UKF in Nitra organized this type of international mobility for the first time. The goal was the internationalization of the educational process and research at the Faculty of Natural Sciences (FPVaI). The lecturers and students had the opportunity to visit the classrooms of the Faculty of Natural Sciences at Constantine the Philosopher University in Nitra, High Tatra National Park, Bachledova Valley, the mining village of Špania Dolina, and UNESCO World Heritage Sites – the village of Vlkolínec and Spiš Castle.

The Erasmus+ Mobility Program Highlights
The program began with a welcome to the lecturers and students by the Dean of the Faculty of natural Sciences, Prof. RNDr. František Petrovič, PhD., MBA, followed by a tour of the classrooms.

The next day, the lecturers and students visited the Heritage Reservation of Folk Architecture in the central Slovak village of Špania Dolina, where they learned about copper ore mining and the life of the village in the past. This was followed by a working meeting with the Vice-Rector for International Relations, Assoc. Prof. PhDr. Martina Pavlíková, PhD., MBA, and Prof. ThDr. PaedDr. Roman Králik, Th.D., MBA from the Department of Romance and German studies at UKF in Nitra. Then, they visited the medieval village of Vlkolínec, composed of typical wooden buildings characteristic of Central European architecture, which is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

On the third day, the delegation from Israel went on a hike from Štrbské Pleso to Popradské Pleso. They were particularly interested in the method of teaching students in the national park, the research conducted in the area, and the topics of students' thesis projects. They were also intrigued by the issue of biosphere reserves, including the fact that the High Tatras are part of this network.

On the fourth day, the delegation visited the Tree Top Walkway in Bachledova Valley on the ridge of Spišská Magura, at the boundary of the Pieniny and High Tatra National Park. In addition to the walkway, the delegation also visited the observation tower, from which the views of the peaks of the Belianske Tatras and Zamagurie could be seen. In this high-altitude environment, a discussion took place about research in the area and the topics that students from the Department of Ecology and Environmental Science are working on. At the end of the day, the group visited one of the largest castle complexes from the 12th century in Europe, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site - Spiš Castle, where, in addition to the history, they were fascinated by the travertine hill on which the castle stands.

On the last day before returning to Nitra, the delegation visited the Liptovská Mara reservoir, which was created by the flooding of 13 villages in the 1970s.  Flood protection in Slovakia was discusssed, the use of electricity, and climate change, because the water level was low. Valuable information about Israel and a good discussion of  opportunities for further cooperation took place.

Dr. Gili Joseph, upon arriving in Tel Aviv, evaluated the visit to Slovakia as follows: “We would like to sincerely thank you for the wonderful stay we had in Slovakia, thanks to your special and unique hospitality. The hospitality was perfect down to the smallest details. Veronika and Juraj accompanied us on a trip to the High Tatras, where they introduced and explained all the interesting natural phenomena that have occurred and are occurring in the area. We all learned a lot, and it was all with the best people and the best hospitality. We will always appreciate the collaboration and remember this cooperation with UKF  in Nitra, and we look forward to future collaboration with you. Thank you.“

The Erasmus mobility was a valuable contribution to the internationalization of the Faculty of Natural Sciences (FPVaI) and was carried out in accordance with the Internationalization Strategy of UKF. Our thanks go to the Vice-Rector for International Relations, Assoc. Prof. PhDr. Martina Pavlíková, PhD., MBA, the institutional Erasmus+ coordinator, for her inspiration to implement student mobility in this format and scope. We also thank our colleagues from the Department of International Relations, Ing. Katarína Bútorová, PhD., and Mgr. Michaela Ivaničová, for their administrative support.

After such a successful delegation, Kibbutzim College of Education, particularly the Faculty of Sciences, is eagerly looking forward to continued collaboration between Nitra University in Slovakia and Kibbutzim College in Israel. This partnership aims to enable students from both countries to meet, learn, and jointly explore topics related to ecological issues that are both shared and distinct in the two regions. We hope that with the support of Erasmus 2025 research funding, we can expand this collaboration further, including conducting joint research projects involving both faculty researchers and students.

 

Text: Assoc. Prof. PhDr. Martina Pavlíková, PhD., MBA., R – Vice-rector for International Relations, Prof. PaedDr. ThDr. Roman Králik, PhD., MBA, FF – Department of Romance and German studies, Prof. RNDr. Juraj Hreško, PhD., Mgr. Veronika Piscova, PhD., FPVaI – Department of Ecology and Environmental Science, Prof. Miri Yochanna – Kibbutzim College, Tel Aviv, Israel
Photo: Lubo Balko, R – Media Department, Kibbutzim College, Tel Aviv, Israel

 

Published: November 25, 2024