The history of the Department of Public Management and Administration of Sumy National Agrarian University constitutes an integral part of the development of management education at the Faculty of Economics and Management. Its formation was based on the long-standing academic and educational traditions of the University in the fields of economics, management, regional development, and governance. The origins of these traditions date back to 1977, when the newly established Faculty of Economics of the Sumy Branch of the V. V. Dokuchaev Kharkiv Agricultural Institute included, among other structural units, the Department of Organisation and Management of Agricultural Production. During the following decades, the structure of the Faculty underwent a number of transformations in response to the development of the University and changes within the system of higher education in Ukraine. In 2012, the present-day Faculty of Economics and Management was established through the merger of the Faculty of Economics and Entrepreneurship and the Faculty of Management.
An important prerequisite for the establishment of the modern Department was the strengthening of the University’s educational and research activities in the fields of public and regional governance, territorial development, administrative management, and the training of managerial personnel for public authorities, territorial communities, institutions, organisations, and businesses. Open-source materials of Sumy National Agrarian University confirm the professional activity of academic staff within the Department of Public Management and Administration from at least 2019. This period became an important stage in the formation of the Department’s current academic staff and in the expansion of educational activities in the field of Public Management and Administration.
A significant contribution to the establishment and further development of the Department was made by Olena P. Slavkova, Doctor of Economics, Professor, who headed the Department during a period of its active organisational and educational development. Official University documents for 2021–2023 confirm her service as Head of the Department of Public Management and Administration. During this period, educational programmes were further developed, cooperation with stakeholders, public authorities, and local self-government bodies was expanded, while the Department’s research and international activities were considerably strengthened.
An important component of the Department’s development has been the implementation of educational programmes in the field of public and administrative management. The Department provided training in Specialty 281 “Public Management and Administration”, including the educational and professional programmes “Public Management and Administration” and “Regional Management”, and also played an active role in the implementation of the Master’s educational and professional programme “Administrative Management” within Specialty 073 “Management”. The official archive of educational programmes of Sumy National Agrarian University confirms the implementation of the “Regional Management” and “Administrative Management” programmes for student cohorts enrolled at least as early as 2018 and 2021.
The international dimension of management education occupies a special place in the history of the Department. Its foundations were laid through the long-standing cooperation between Sumy National Agrarian University and Weihenstephan-Triesdorf University of Applied Sciences, Germany, which commenced in 1995. One of the principal outcomes of this cooperation was the establishment of an international Master’s programme in the field of management, together with the development of academic mobility, mutual recognition of learning outcomes, and double-degree opportunities. Subsequently, this experience provided an important foundation for the further development of the “Administrative Management” educational programme, which received international recognition and accreditation from the European accreditation agency ACQUIN.
Alongside its educational activities, the Department has consistently developed its research profile. The research interests of its academic staff encompass public and regional governance, local economic development, strategic territorial planning, sustainable rural development, project management, digitalisation of public administration, human capital development, public communications, administrative management, entrepreneurship, and the institutional framework for socio-economic development. Research findings are presented in academic publications, international projects, conferences, teaching and methodological materials, as well as through practical cooperation with public authorities and territorial communities.
One of the fundamental principles of the Department’s work is the integration of academic education with the practical realities of public governance. Representatives of central and local government, civil society organisations, and the business sector are involved in the educational process, while systematic cooperation with stakeholders is maintained during the review and improvement of educational programmes. Practical training is aimed at developing students’ ability to operate effectively under real-world governance challenges, make well-founded managerial decisions, and design and implement projects for local and regional development.
Considerable attention is devoted to international cooperation, academic mobility, and the integration of best European practices into the educational process. Members of the academic staff participate in international projects, Erasmus+ and DAAD programmes, professional placements abroad, international conferences, and joint educational initiatives. Such activities contribute to the continuous renewal of the content of academic courses, the development of foreign-language competence, and the formation of professional skills required for effective work in the context of Ukraine’s European integration.
A new stage in the development of the Department commenced in 2024, when Alina M. Brychko, Candidate of Economic Sciences, Associate Professor, was appointed Head of the Department. Her professional career has been closely connected with Sumy National Agrarian University, and since 2019 she had served as Associate Professor at the Department of Public Management and Administration. The contemporary stage of the Department’s development is characterised by the further modernisation of educational programmes, the strengthening of practice-oriented training, the expansion of cooperation with external stakeholders, the development of international and project-based activities, the digitalisation of the educational process, and a growing focus on the needs of Ukraine’s post-war recovery and European integration.
Today, the Department of Public Management and Administration brings together scholars representing different generations and academic traditions. Its staff includes Doctors of Sciences, Professors, Candidates of Sciences, Associate Professors, Doctors of Philosophy, Senior Lecturers, and Assistants. As of 2026, the Department is headed by Alina M. Brychko, Candidate of Economic Sciences, Associate Professor. Its academic staff includes, among others, Liudmyla I. Kalachevska, Doctor of Economics, Professor; Olena P. Slavkova, Doctor of Economics, Professor; Tetiana O. Kharchenko, Doctor of Sciences in Public Administration, Associate Professor; Serhii M. Lukash, Candidate of Economic Sciences, Associate Professor, as well as representatives of the younger generation of academic staff.
Building upon the traditions of Sumy National Agrarian University, the Department currently positions itself as an educational and research centre for the training of contemporary public administrators and managers capable of working effectively under the conditions of decentralisation, digital transformation, European integration, and the recovery of Ukraine. The combination of fundamental management education, practical experience, international cooperation, and a strong orientation towards the needs of the state, territorial communities, and society defines the contemporary mission of the Department and determines the principal directions of its further development.
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