Partnerships

The premise behind launching the Academic Hub Pivdenny educational project was our desire to support young people and promote their professional growth in Ukraine. We are convinced that by investing in education we are investing in the future of the country.

Pyvdenny Bank is aware of its responsibility as a socially active business. We believe that modern economic education must combine academic knowledge and practical application and it is the same synergy that we have created in collaboration with the Faculty of Economics of Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv. 

In 2023, we decided to lend a helping hand to the public economic education in order to enable students simultaneously to learn from the best teachers, study bona fide business practices, and analyse real-world cases, instruments, and challenges faced by the national economy. 

Our goal is to demonstrate the career growth prospects in the Ukrainian business to the youth and create favourable conditions for them, so that youth could see their future here, in their homeland. We would love to see young professionals staying, growing, implementing their ideas, and developing Ukrainian economy shoulder to shoulder with responsible employers. 

Project goals: 

1. Support and recognition of young talents 
2. Elevating students’ practical skills 
3. Development of corporate social responsibility within the Bank itself. 

Implementation stages: 

1. A survey of top managers of large corporate sector, which was conducted by Pivdennyi Bank in partnership with Gradus Research in 2023. It revealed the expectations business had for Economics majors and demonstrated specific gaps in knowledge, skills, and competences, which cost modern graduates their future jobs. 43 companies participated in the survey, those being large corporate business companies and the Bank clients. 

Average annual income of the 49% of the surveyed companies is >UAH 1 billion. 

79% of corporate executives are of opinion that today’s world requires a more real-world oriented academic programme for development of the public economic education in Ukraine. 

The main methods of assisting students: internship programmes (70%), launch of grant programmes/funds (67%), partnership projects with leading foreign higher educational institutions (60%), lectures of invited speakers with vast practical knowledge (58%). 

Survey results laid the foundation of the Memorandum of Cooperation signed on 04 October 2023 by Alla Vanetsiants, Chairperson of the Board of Directors of Pivdenny Bank, and Volodymyr Buhrov, Rector of Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv. 

2. Creation of a contemporary energy-efficient educational space equipped with interactive boards, projectors and Internet, which allows for offline and online classes. Officially opened in early February 2024. 

3. The design of Managerial Thinking: Contemporary Approaches and Practices. Certified Course for students by the bank executives and experts. This course is a customised training programme developed by the bank top managers and executives in collaboration with the university based on the business survey findings and subjects taught within the framework of the curriculum. Topics and contents of workshops were harmonised with curricula of the academic subjects. Practical cases and additional tasks were selected during workshops based on the students’ learning outcomes within the corresponding academic programmes mastered by Academic Hub Pivdenny students. 

Managerial Thinking Course is divided into two terms. 12 workshops were organised by the bank experts for students of the Faculty of Economics of Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv during their first year. Topics covered: distance service, macroeconomic analysis instruments, compliance, war risk management, bank’s financial model, cybersecurity, corporate culture, business project analysis and assessment. At the end of the term, most active students are granted scholarships by Pivdennyi Bank. 

4. Expansion of a lists of topics and increase in the number of workshops per course, adding seminars and panel discussions, engaging experts from international organisations and real sector of economy (bank’s partners and clients) to facilitate those events. In addition, the Bank is preparing a launch of advanced training courses for student who have adequate knowledge of certain subjects and are striving for practical experience only. 

5. In early 2025, the Pivdennyi Bank’s academic course was included in curriculum of Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv as an elective credit course. This is probably the first time in the history of Ukrainian economic education. 

Academic Hub Pivdenny is a project with a clear goal, transparent mechanism, and long-term effect. 

1. Strength and direct influence 

This project is directly aimed at solving the problem which is important for Ukraine: to create conditions for youth, so that they could stay and work in Ukraine. We do not provide students with theory; we offer them practical knowledge, real-world business cases, and engagement in live dialogue with bank and business experts. Thanks to this the students can see an example of modern Ukrainian business and understand their projects here and now. This influence is felt even while the students are still learning. 

2. Prolongation of the project 

This project has been unfolding during the past four terms and we are perfecting its contents, approaches, and invited experts with each new stage. This year, our course has been included in curriculum of the Faculty of Economics of Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv as credit course. In the future, we are planning a launch of target programmes covering specific branches with a possibility of further employment. The project is developing both in terms of topics and organisation: it grows in depth, new formats are added like seminars and panel discussions. Scaling has already begun as well: the project attracts not only banking sphere specialists but also representatives of other Ukrainian and international companies. 

3. Staff engagement

The project includes 12 speakers and bank experts as invited teachers; those are not only top managers but also line team leads of various branches, each having many years of expertise in their field, preparing learning materials, conducting workshops and seminars, handing out home assignments, and checks their completion. Such format gives students an opportunity to learn directly from practical experts and watch theory being put to practice in real-world business. 

A project design team has been working on it for third year in a row. It is not a one-time gig, it is a systemic work, which includes preparation, coordination, feedback, contents adaptation, and student follow up. We can see the effect not only outside but on the inside too: increased self-motivation, better interfunctional cooperation, and pride in their contribution into youth development. 

Academic Hub Pivdenny project is very much alive and well and its budget is currently UAH 5.5 million. A portion of the money went to technical equipment of two rooms of the Faculty of Economics with the aim to convert them into an energy-efficient educational space. Furthermore, the Bank renovated the main lecture auditorium. 

Another budget item includes scholarships for most active students. 60 students have already been granted scholarships by the Bank in the amount of UAH 3000 per month (before taxes) based on three terms results. Scholarship is paid during the next term. 

A separate cost item is the cost of training for employees who have become invited teachers of the course. Each of them has completed a course of the Art of Public Speaking/Public Presentations. 

Academic Hub Pivdenny team is a great example of synergy of business and public education. Its uniqueness lies in combining academic education and practical experience on a systemic basis. For two years already Pivdenny Bank top managers and experts directly pass their knowledge and practical skills to students. The project is not limited to one-time lectures: its customised course includes regular seminars, workshops, practical lessons, and home assignments checked by bank teachers themselves. The classes are joined by invited speakers who are leading market experts, which allows students to learn about the most up-to-date cases from contemporary Ukrainian business. It is the systemic approach, sustainability, and deep rooting in real-world managerial practices that make this project so unique for Ukrainian educational space. 

Project outcomes: 

1. Support and recognition of young talents 

• Special scholarships granted by the Bank: at least 20 scholarships per term in the amount of UAH 3000 (before taxes). 
• On completion of the course, most active students will be invited to go on an introductory excursion to the Bank, offered internships (work placements/graduation internships), following which the best students will be given job offers.  

2. Bank executives and key experts have developed a unique course Managerial Thinking: Contemporary Approaches and Practices. Certified Course in collaboration with the university teachers. This practical course is 100% consistent with the academic programme and business needs. 

• Workshop attendance is 60 to 220 students (the course being an optional one held after the regular academic programme). 
• Workshop satisfaction level: 85%. 

3. Development of corporate social responsibility within the Bank itself

• The number of employees engaged in the project: more than 20 candidates volunteering to conduct workshops. 
• 90% of employees who conducted workshops expressed their willingness to continue doing so in the next term. 
• 100% employees have been made aware of the Bank’s key corporate social responsibility initiatives. They are proud of the Bank being a socially responsible business and creating conditions for students to stay and build a successful career in Ukraine. 

Academic Hub Pivdenny is an academic initiative that is consistent with the Bank’s strategic goal, which lies in being not only a financial institution but also an active participant of community development, in which we operate. Support of education, passing on expertise, and youth development is a part of our responsibility to society, which simultaneously causes a long-term effect for business.  

And this project has already become our practical contribution to development of economic education in Ukraine. 

Firstly, this project enables students to learn how Ukrainian companies operate and learn about the key aspects of contemporary business management. Secondly, it is a chance for students to put their best foot forward, establish themselves as a potential employee, find a supervisor when choosing course paper topics, choose internships in the Bank or large companies who are Bank clients. This experience gives students an opportunity to understand themselves better and choose their future career path. The earlier a student makes their career choice, the quicker they acquire quality knowledge and skills and the more interesting career path awaits them.     

The project is ongoing and we are positive that Academic Hub will give a fresh start not only to the public education but also to the Ukrainian business, as it is the contemporary students who will be developing Ukraine in the nearest future.