The Tutoring and Mentoring Center of Lviv Polytechnic National University has successfully passed independent certification within the international PROMENT project and has been awarded a quality certificate. This achievement is the logical outcome of three years of systematic work to build a modern institutional mentoring model and, at the same time, an important marker of trust from the international expert community.

The certificate was presented during the 3rd Year Annual Steering Committee Meeting held on January 26–27, 2026, in the iconic Juliusz Zachariewicz Hall of the university’s main building. It was here that members of the PROMENT consortium summarized the final year of the project, analyzed the results achieved, and assessed the readiness of the developed solutions for sustainable long-term operation.

The independent evaluation was conducted by an international expert group consisting of Alberto Costa (University of Aveiro, Portugal), Nataliia Ishchenko (Petro Mohyla Black Sea National University, Mykolaiv), and Khrystyna Kulyk (Lviv IT Cluster). Such an interdisciplinary and cross-sectoral composition of experts ensured a comprehensive assessment of the Center’s activities — from organizational processes and methodological framework to digital tools and practical outcomes of student support.

During the evaluation, the Tutoring and Mentoring Center team presented a comprehensive body of evidence demonstrating the real functioning of the T&M system. The process involved the Head of the Center, Nataliia Bokla; specialists Nataliia Plekan and Oksana Lisohor; as well as Mykola Baliuk, a third-year student of the Institute of Applied Mathematics and Fundamental Sciences and the developer of the Center’s IT platform. The PROMENT project coordinator from Lviv Polytechnic National University, Oleh Matviikiv, also took part in the event.

Experts had the opportunity to review not only documentation but also the practical aspects of the Center’s work, including the organization of tutoring support, mentoring interaction models, digital solutions for student assistance, and internal quality assurance mechanisms. Particular attention was paid to the extent to which the implemented system is institutionalized, scalable, and integrated into the university’s strategic development.

The awarded quality certificate confirms that the Tutoring and Mentoring Center operates in line with European approaches in mentoring and tutoring. At the same time, this recognition is the result of sustained, consistent teamwork rather than a one-time effort. Throughout the PROMENT implementation, the Center’s specialists built processes from the ground up: developing methodological materials, deploying a digital platform, training mentors, refining student interaction models, and fostering a mentoring culture within the university environment.

It is important to emphasize that the certification assessed not only the formal presence of tools but also their real effectiveness. That is why the Center’s daily practical work, the consistency of its management decisions, and the sustainability of its approaches received high expert praise. The evaluators particularly noted the alignment between the strategic vision for T&M development, operational processes, and digital infrastructure.

For the university community, this result carries broader significance. It demonstrates that the institutional mentoring model developed within PROMENT is viable and can be scaled both within the university and across partner higher education institutions. In essence, it signals the formation of a new standard of student support focused on personalized guidance of educational and professional pathways.

Looking ahead, the priorities include further enhancement of digital tools, expansion of the mentor network, deeper cooperation with business partners, and integration of mentoring practices into the university’s broader educational processes. A special focus will remain on the quality of student interaction and on measuring the real impact of T&M programs.

@Lina Synkovska