Four universities in Ukraine will offer a course on open data

Ukrainian education is getting a boost with the introduction of global practices in the media sector. A new modular course on “Data Journalism” will be launched at four universities in Ukraine, marking a significant step in the development of data journalism in the country, according to the Ministry of Digital Transformation.

Participating Universities:

The course will be offered at the following higher education institutions:

• Ivan Franko National University of Lviv
• Zaporizhzhia Polytechnic National University
• Volyn National University named after Lesya Ukrainka
• Ukrainian Catholic University

What is Data Journalism?

Data journalism is a trending media field that uses large datasets for investigative work and analytical reporting. This approach helps uncover corruption schemes, analyze municipal and community budgets, examine public officials’ declarations, judicial decisions, and information about developers and tender participants.

Course Structure

The “Data Journalism” course consists of 8 modules covering various aspects of data work. Key topics include:

• Legal framework for open data
• Tools and methods for working with different information sources
• Processing machine-readable information
• Basics of data visualization
• Principles of data journalism

Students will gain knowledge and skills to work with large datasets, opening up new career and research opportunities in data journalism.

Historical Context

The first course on open data in Ukraine was introduced in 2023 for master’s students at Kyiv National Economic University named after Vadym Hetman. This new course is a logical continuation of that initiative and will further the development and popularization of data journalism in Ukraine.

The launch of the “Data Journalism” course at the mentioned universities will contribute to training new media professionals capable of effectively using data for high-quality investigative journalism.

We have previously reported that training has started at the School of Construction Equipment Operators.