On August 12-16, 2024, a UniCities project consortium coordination meeting was held in a hybrid format in Stockholm, Sweden. During the meeting, the participants discussed their achievements. They completed tasks within the project, further plans for the development and implementation of the project, and the preparation of an interim project Periodic Report for the European Commission.

Representatives of the consortium’s partner institutions presented progress in the development of the courses. They will start in September 2024 for Master’s Degree students and aim to equip them with key knowledge and competencies in the areas of “smart and sustainable cities” and “climate change adaptation and mitigation strategies”. Particular attention was paid to issues related to the integration of these courses into curricula and ensuring their compliance with European educational standards and gender policies.

An important role was devoted to planning the next summer school. Feedback from students, organizers, and lecturers helped to discuss the advantages and disadvantages of the hybrid format of the event. The partners noted that it is extremely significant to facilitate active communication between all school participants, so it is planned to hold the next school in an offline format. It is worth reminding that this year’s summer school “Shaping urban environments for tomorrow” was held in a hybrid format from July 1 to 5, 2024. 

In addition, the universities reported on the development of city-university cooperation centers. It is worth reminding that they were officially opened on July 4, 2024. In the context of this issue, it was especially significant to join the Municipal Research Institute Institution City Development Institute of Kyiv as a partner of the UniCities project. This partnership will help bring Ukrainian cities closer to a sustainable future. As part of the cooperation, it is planned to develop recommendations for the updated Kyiv City Development Strategy 2027.

The meeting became an important platform for sharing experiences, discussing current issues, and planning future steps to achieve the project’s goals.