In the summer of 2024, UGI Rector Liudmyla Shtanko paid an official visit to Southern University. There, she met with the administration of the educational institution and spoke about the UGI at a general meeting of teachers.

As a result of this visit, it was decided that the Ukrainian Humanitarian Institute and Southern Adventist University would become sister institutions. It was decided to start cooperation in several areas at once.

The first area of cooperation is financial support for the UGI. For example, Southern University supported the project to install a solar power plant on the roof of the administrative building. Currently, these alternative energy sources help cover electricity needs during periods of power outages. In addition, thanks to the contribution of Southern University, UGI’s academic staff was able to study for postgraduate and doctoral degrees, thus improving their skills and providing even better educational services to higher education students.

The second area of cooperation was the advanced training courses held at the UGI for the institute’s academic staff.

We hope that this cooperation will become stronger and develop in the future.

Southern Adventist University is a private Adventist institution of higher education located in Collegedale, Tennessee. It was founded in 1892 in Graysville, Tennessee, as Graysville Academy and was the first Adventist educational institution in the southern United States. Due to the need for additional space for expansion, the school was moved in 1916 and renamed Southern Junior College. In 1944, Southern began offering bachelor’s degrees and was renamed Southern Missionary College. In 1996, the institution opened master’s programs and received its current name.