Students demand their own campus!

The round table itself was dedicated primarily to summarizing the results of the City Forum of Student Self-Government Bodies "Student Spring - 2008," which took place in Lutsk two days earlier, and to presenting its resolution. It gathered initiatives and proposals identified by student leaders as the most urgent and whose resolution should improve the situation of active student youth. Representatives of regional and city authorities, heads of higher educational institutions of Lutsk, and, of course, the students themselves were invited to participate in the round table. Incidentally, it was the latter who made up the majority of those present. Instead, most heads of higher educational institutions ignored this event. Only Lutsk National Technical University, Lutsk Pedagogical College, and the Volyn Technical College of the National University of Food Technologies were represented by deputy heads. From the regional and city authorities, Ihor Dmytryshyn, deputy head of the Department for Youth and Sports of the Volyn Regional State Administration, and Ihor Huz, head of the Family and Youth Department of the Lutsk City Council, were present. Instead, the youth were represented by: the initiator of the event – Mykhailo Shelep, head of the VO NGO "Association of Young Reformers (AMoRe)," Maiia Marchenko, head of the Student Council of Lesya Ukrainka Volyn National University, Vitalii Polishchuk, head of the Student Council of Lutsk National Technical University, and representatives of student self-government bodies of other Lutsk higher educational institutions. Serhii Adamchuk, head of the Volyn Regional Organization "Youth Union Our Ukraine," also took part in the event.

The main issue discussed at the round table was the request to the Lutsk City Council "to consider proposals regarding the allocation and securing in joint ownership of higher educational institutions of Lutsk of land within the city for the construction of a student campus, which would partially resolve the issue of temporary accommodation for young people during their studies." That is, the students spoke in favor of building a student campus in Lutsk. As is known, the city authorities did not take into account the appeal of the rectors of 8 higher educational institutions who approached with a similar proposal, refusing the petitioners, and instead decided to sell the relevant land plot for the construction of a new residential area. This decision outraged the student community, because at present about 35 thousand young people study in Lutsk, and many of them have to rent apartments, which is a very expensive pleasure. And over 17 years of independence, not a single student dormitory has been built in our city. As a result, young people, who according to many officials are "our future," do not have proper conditions for study and life. Students are also members of the Lutsk community and therefore they have the right to have their interests taken into account when the authorities adopt such decisions. The participants of the round table agreed that it is necessary to continue defending this initiative, and to begin with, a constructive dialogue between the leadership and students of higher educational institutions and the city authorities should be established. Also at the round table, an interesting proposal was put forward regarding the planning and construction of the campus. It was proposed that the project plan be created by the students themselves. This will give them an opportunity to gain practice in their chosen specialty and will reduce costs.

During the event, other initiatives adopted at the Forum were also discussed. In particular, proposals to the city and regional authorities regarding the establishment of reduced fares in city public transport (minibuses) for students, regarding the financing of projects and events of student self-government bodies and student trade unions at the expense of the city and regional budgets, and the involvement of student leaders in the work of deputy commissions on youth affairs when developing programs related to student youth. From the administrations of higher educational institutions, students want first of all a quality and properly equipped premises and office equipment for use by student self-government bodies, and a clearly established size of the student fund that will be allocated to these student organizations for carrying out their statutory activities. In addition, it is necessary to provide students during their studies with free medical services and legal consultation, as well as constant renewal of the library collection. Also at the round table, the idea of creating an inter-university student platform was supported. In conclusion, the organizers committed to sending the relevant initiatives to local government bodies and the leadership of educational institutions in order to convey the students' position and achieve a real resolution of the raised issues.