On November 22, 2024, representatives of South Ukrainian National Pedagogical University named after K. D. Ushynsky organized an online meeting of partners as part of the preparation for submitting a project application to the Erasmus+ program for the RESTART project. The initiator of the event was representatives of the Laboratory of Artificial Intelligence and Robotic Systems of the Educational and Scientific Institute of Natural and Mathematical Sciences, Informatics and Management of South Ukrainian National Pedagogical University named after K. D. Ushynsky.
The host of the meeting was Volodymyr Volodymyrovych Chernykh, Associate Professor. The university was also represented by Professor Nataliya Mykolaivna Chernenko, Privat-Associate Professor Vyacheslav Anatoliyovych Korablev, and Head of the AI Laboratory, and Viktor Vyacheslavovych Korablev the author of the project idea. In addition, the university was represented by a team of psychologists involved in the project: Professor Olena Yuriivna Bulhakova, Associate Professor Nataliya Oleksiivna Krymova, and Associate Professor Iryna Vyacheslavovna Brynza.
The meeting was attended by potential partners from Ukraine, Georgia and Europe, including Hrihoriy Skovoroda University in Pereyaslav, Pavlo Tychyna Uman State Pedagogical University, Ilia and Iakob Gogebashvili State University in Georgia, as well as Neapolis University Pafos (Cyprus), Triskelion (Norway), Kristianstad University (Sweden), University of Slovenia (Slovenia) and "Dunarea de Jos" University of Galati (Romania).
RESTART Project: Rehabilitation Education and Support Through ART
The RESTART project aims to psychologically rehabilitate people who have experienced traumatic experiences, including those affected by war, through the integration of art therapy and innovative tools such as video games. The main priorities of the project include:
Empowerment through creativity: Using art therapy and video games to express and process the complex experiences of participants.
Bridging skills gaps with AI: Integrating AI tools to develop programming skills, graphic design, and game resources.
Integrating mental health principles: Ensuring that video games meet the needs of people affected by war.
Accessibility and inclusion: Developing adapted therapeutic tools for different groups of participants.
Community engagement and support: Collaborating with local organizations to create a supportive environment for rehabilitation.
Project objectives:
Implementing new rehabilitation methods through video game development.
Integrating mental health into therapeutic approaches.
Developing professional competencies of participants using AI.
Engaging the community in supporting rehabilitation processes.
Using AI to analyze data and improve therapeutic methods.
Improving the quality of higher education through the development of new educational programs.
The online meeting of partners successfully laid the foundation for further cooperation and implementation of the RESTART project, aimed at improving mental health and developing professional skills among war victims.
Glory to Ukraine! Together we build the future through education and support through art.