Dr Tetiana Holovatenko Karazin University (Ukraine) Visits QUB Innovation Zones
Tetiana Holovatenko, PhD in Education from the Research and Educational Institute Teachers’ Academy of V.N. Karazin Kharkiv National University, stayed at the Queen’s University Belfast (QUB) during May, 26-30.
She represented the Teachers’ Academy, the institution aiming at transforming pre-service teacher training and teacher professional development in the Kharkiv region and wider Ukraine in the context of war. The institution offers courses on social and emotional learning, trauma-informed education, teacher identity, and digital technologies in education.
Tetiana’s research expertise lies at the intersection of trauma-informed education and initial teacher training, with a specific focus on preparing pre-service teachers to integrate social and emotional learning (SEL) into their pedagogical practices. She investigates how trauma-informed approaches can be embedded in teacher education programs to better support both teacher students’ and pupils’ mental health and well-being—particularly in contexts affected by war.
During her stay, Tetiana Holovatenko participated in the orientation meeting and the Local Social Innovation: Global Application event organized by QUB Innovation Zones. Through a series of meetings and discussions with researchers from QUB, she engaged in knowledge exchange on university and community synergies, restorative practices, trauma-informed approach and social and emotional learning. These interactions opened new possibilities for future research collaborations and cross-institutional initiatives focused on supporting responsible decision making for future teachers and school students in war-affected regions.
Her visit is part of the long-term commitment of Queen's University Belfast, as a University of Sanctuary, to cooperate with international partners and communities affected by displacement and conflict. The Senator George J. Mitchell Institute for Global Peace, Security and Justice and QUB Innovation Zones —which hosted her, conducts cutting-edge research on peace education, forming the core of the Institute’s Research Priorities for 2025–2029.