The team from Uzhgorod became a participant of the innovative educational program “School of Mayors”

In Uzhgorod Press Club, there was a presentation of innovative educational program "School of Mayors" which for the first time was attended by a team from Uzhgorod.

The founder and director of the program Ruslan Rokhov told about its features: "I am delighted to visit the Uzhgorod at the invitation of our participants from your city. They had a serious competition – in 2016, the program was attended by 34 teams from 17 regions of Ukraine, including 6 regional centers: Kherson, Kharkiv, Poltava, Kyiv, Uzhgorod, Ivano-Frankivsk.   Teams of 11 mayors were competing for a seat in the School of Mayors, but only 6 were selected. Our program is designed to prepare mayors and candidates for the post to the quality city management in the conditions of decentralization. Along with the powers, city mayers will receive new challenges – now they can not put the blame on Kyiv, the responsibilily for city development will be entirely on the bodies of self-government."

Uzhgorod team was headed by Nadia Popadyuk, PhD in Public Administration, Associate Professor of UzhNU, social activist. "We are not satisfied with the situation in the cuty, the conditions the inhabitants have to live in, so we decided to acquire the knowledge and skills necessary for successful managers who will develop the city", – N. Popadyuk said and declared her intention to eventually run for the mayor of Uzhgorod.

The "School of Mayors" teaches current mayors and candidates for mayor, along with their teams, how to manage cities in the modern world and make urban space comfortable for its inhabitants. Participants will have a chance to take training in the municipalities of Poland and to take part in strategic sessions on urban development.  

Civic activist Igor Klyuchevskiy added: "I am happy to be in the team of the contender for the mayor of Uzhgorod, who is seriously preparing the city development strategy. The School of Mayors for us is a tool and training ground for future effective work for the benefit of the local community. It is a pity that the current mayor has not taken part in the competition."

Certificates of training at the School of Mayors will be issued only to those teams that will not only pass all the training modules, but also successfully protect their own strategy of city development by creating projects to overcome its problems. 

"Our goal is not the victory of participants at the election, but changes in the future. Changes for the better are the task of local elites" – Ruslan Rokhov said.