Strategy as a Starting Point: Supporting the Growth of Medical HEI
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From February to April, the Ukrainian-Swiss project “Medical Education Development” continued its training sessions “Developing a Medical University: The Basics of Strategic Planning” for teams from pilot higher education institutions.
At the project, we firmly believe that a strategy isn’t just a glossy document filled with lofty phrases to hang on the rector’s door. Strategy is where meaningful institutional development begins — including in medical universities. Crafting a shared vision should involve a broad circle of people representing different areas of university life.
That’s exactly what we focused on during the training sessions, laying the groundwork for strategic thinking together with university teams and trainer Matvii Khrenov — co-founder of the Ukrainian Healthcare Centre (UHC) and an experienced manager with a long track record at the intersection of healthcare, education, and change management.
The project held two-day workshops with the Bohomolets National Medical University and the Ivano-Frankivsk National Medical University. During these sessions, participants explored the fundamentals of strategic development and why strategic planning is essential. They reflected on values, organizational culture, potential “clients” of the university, and how to engage with them. They also took a hands-on approach to topics such as risk management, mission and vision development, goal setting, and managerial decision-making.
We sincerely thank two university teams for their engagement and eagerness to grow! And to wrap up, we’ll let the participants speak for themselves:
“The most valuable part was working in small groups with guidance from the trainer—especially his use of provocation to push us out of our comfort zones, challenge assumptions, and encourage problem-solving rather than staying in a ‘warm bath’ of complacency.”
“It was fascinating to learn about implementing university values through heroes, rituals, and symbols. This approach helps make the strategy feel real, relatable, and genuinely effective in supporting institutional development.”
