The project on academic writing, initiated within the framework of the joint project with the Czech UPN project “AgriSciences Platform for the Development of Science in Ukrainian Higher Education Institutions”, has been completed!
Within this project, postgraduate students of the FPSC faculty at Sumy State University (SumDU) were able to take a free English academic writing course. This initiative, led by a consortium of five Ukrainian universities, aimed to strengthen the capacity and collaboration among young teachers, researchers, and master’s and doctoral students. Originally, this course was designed for novice researchers or scholars who want to improve their proficiency in academic English and yet it turned into a thought-provoking and engaging experience even for the most senior of scientists. Both young and experienced researchers from five Ukrainian universities participated in the course as well as young researchers from the Czech University of Life Sciences in Prague (CZU) – postgraduate students of the Faculty of Tropical AgriSciences (FTA).
The course ran for six weeks from March 2024 to the end of April and was conducted on the Canvas learning management system in an asynchronous mode focusing on honing academic writing skills and preparing scientific articles in English for publication in indexed journals. This course consisted of 7 modules fostering the development of skills in writing key parts of a research article – Introduction, Methods, Results and Discussion and aimed at collaboration, engagement and community building, such as group work, peer review, peer evaluation and discussions. Each module built on the previous one, ensuring a cohesive and integrated learning experience. The course was designed to provide young scientists and beyond with a solid foundation in writing academic research articles, preparing them for success in their academic and professional endeavors.
The developer and course leader, Associate Professor of the Department of Foreign Languages and Linguodidactics at Sumy State University, Iryna Liashenko, has gained a special background in designing and facilitating online courses within projects from the US Department of State. This experience along with the clear vision of the current gap in academic writing, allowed her to meet the researchers’ demand for writing and publishing.
Overall, the course has been highly beneficial in improving academic writing skills, providing valuable knowledge, and offering practical tools and techniques for effective research writing. Participants appreciated the self-paced nature of the course, the comprehensive materials provided, and the structured approach to learning. These benefits are expected to significantly contribute to their academic and professional growth!
Here are a few examples of reviews from the student participants:
Anastasiia Matviienko:
“…The most useful aspect of the course was its practical approach, with hands-on exercises and examples that allowed me to apply the concepts learned directly. However, I found the challenge of synthesizing complex research findings into concise and coherent prose to be quite demanding. Nonetheless, the feedback and guidance provided throughout the course were instrumental in overcoming these challenges and improving my writing skills.
Overall, I’m incredibly grateful for the opportunity to undertake this course, as it has equipped me with invaluable skills and knowledge that will undoubtedly enhance my academic writing endeavors. I look forward to applying what I’ve learned in my future research projects and continuing to grow as a researcher and writer.”
Inna Chorna:
“…I look forward to applying the knowledge gained from this course to my future research endeavors with renewed confidence in my academic writing abilities.”
Mariia Panko:
“… As a person who is new to writing an article, let alone in English, this course was extremely useful. I would like to note that all the material is presented in a very structured, clear and precise way. Another great advantage is the opportunity to receive feedback.
I am very happy that I had the opportunity to get new knowledge and put it into practice.
I am grateful to everyone who was involved in the creation of this course!”
