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The fourth cycle of the training course in foreign direct investments (FDI) completed its first three-day workshop on Friday – just one week after the USAID LED project and the Ukrainian Center for Foreign Investment Promotion (InvestUkraine) certified graduates from the course's third cycle.
Twenty-four trainees from 20 cities and from InvestUkraine gathered on Tuesday in Kyiv to attend Workshop 1, "Facts and Myths on FDI," conducted by lectures from the Czech Republic, Scotland, and Ukraine.
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Stephen Fitzpatrick, Chief of the USAID Regional Mission’s Local Government Division, Office of Economic Growth: "Why is FDI training so important? We at USAID believe that there are many ways to promote local economic developments. However, the stimulation of investments in existing and new businesses with high growth potential is instrumental, for there is no economic development without investments." (In the foreground, investment analyst and interpreter Kseniya Isayenko)
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Four days before, the graduation ceremony released the third batch of 21 investment specialists who completed the third or a previous cycle and passed exams in late October 2007, bringing the total number of certified FDI professionals in Ukraine to 63.
The chief of the USAID Regional Mission’s Local Government Division, Office of Economic Growth, Stephen Fitzpatrick, Chemonics International Director for Europe and Eurasia Angus Olson, and InvestUkraine Director Ihor Nikolayko warmly congratulated the graduates. Dusan Kulka, FDI Manager with the LED project, and Olena Hantsyak-Kaskiv, InvestUlraine Deputy Director, presented the graduates with certificates.
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Angus Olson, Chemonics Director for Europe and Eurasia: "You have learned how to assess your city's strengths, how to do product development, marketing, project evaluation; how to identify investor and talk business with the investor, and start to negotiate and conclude a deal. We hope your cities and regions will make the most of your new abilities"
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The graduation ceremony included the third cycle's last presentation, which was on investments from Spanish-lingual countries. During the presentation, Third Secretary of the Mexican Embassy to Ukraine Jorge Delgado helped the newly-made Ukrainian FDI professionals learn a few investment-related phrases in Spanish.
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Ihor Nikolayko, InvestUkraine Director: "I'd like to thank USAID in Ukraine for the great assistance you provide in training of the cadre, because they are just the people we rely on in our immediate work in regions"
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The USAID LED project launched the program in March 2006. It was the first step made in Ukraine toward training of FDI professionals for local governments and public administration agencies. The program, which includes four seminars and a study tour to the Czech Republic, was developed, and is delivered, by Ukrainian, Czech, Scottish, and US LED experts.
Since its second cycle, the program has been issuing a joint certificate with InvestUkraine, proving the professional level of graduates to the center's standards and fostering partnership between the LED project and InvestUkraine.
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