Bogdan Khmelnitsky Melitopol State Pedagogical University is an educational, scientific, social and cultural centre of south-eastern Ukraine. During its century-long history, the university played an important role in the development and formation of civil society, and actively cooperated with the city authorities, public organizations, and business structures. The full-scale war of the Russian Federation against Ukraine, the occupation of the city of Melitopol fundamentally changed the life of the city, about 70 percent of the residents left and are currently in the territory controlled by Ukraine and abroad. The consolidation of the community became an important task of the city government, the public, and the university, with the main message for community consolidation - "Melitopol is there, where its residents are!".
The university was temporarily relocated to the city of Zaporizhzhia. Due to the active civic stance of teachers and students, the availability of experience in online education and an effective communication system, the preservation of stable strategic partners, the activities of the higher education institution continued successfully. In 2023, the University’s Strategy of Development was adopted, in there appeared the important functional direction - the fulfillment of the third mission.
Despite functioning in the conditions of the war and relocation, the university organizes meetings with representatives of city authorities, public organizations and social institutions, participates in and provides scientific support for joint projects aimed at engaging youth, educational initiatives, national and cultural societies, integration of displaced persons into local territorial communities, support of mental and physical health. Its systemic and multi-vector action allows to create strong social ties, raise awareness, promote social cohesion and public activism.
