German education minister announces cooperation with Ukraine

Germany has promised to reinforce cooperation with Ukraine on education, research and vocational training, Education and Research Minister Bettina Stark-Watzinger promised during a visit to Kyiv on Monday.

Stark-Watzinger of the liberal FDP held talks on strengthening research cooperation between the two countries with her Ukrainian counterpart Serhiy Shkarlet with the aim of getting “a first-hand impression of the terrible impact of the Russian war of aggression, especially on the Ukrainian education and research sector,” according to her ministry. She later visited a vocational college.

“It is depressing to see how caring young people here are – but they are the future of Ukraine!” the German minister wrote on Twitter alongside pictures of the school visit.

“We will strengthen bilateral cooperation when it comes to vocational training,” she promised.

In a statement, she also stressed that Germany will support the war-torn country in the area of education and research “today in the face of the ongoing war, but also with a view to reconstruction.”

Several German regions have previously shipped school supplies to Ukraine as part of the civilian aid sent to the country. However, like for most of the education and research policy in Germany, it is the federal regions, rather than the national government in Berlin, who are in charge of the matter.

To put into practice the promises she made during her trip, Stark-Watzinger will thus have to rely on cooperation with her regional counterparts.

(Julia Dahm | EURACTIV.de)

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