MUNICIPAL INSTITUTION OF HIGHER EDUCATION “KHORTYTSIA NATIONAL EDUCATIONAL AND RE­HA­BIL­I­TA­TION ACADEMY” OF ZAPORIZHZHIA REGIONAL COUNCIL

Khortytsia National Academy is one of Ukraine’s leading higher education institutions, where sport is regarded as an integral component of the educational process, professional training, and the development of a healthy, inclusive, and socially active student community. The Academy combines the education of specialists in physical education and sport, physical therapy, and rehabilitation with systematic support for student sport, sports volunteering, and the promotion of healthy lifestyles.

The Academy has established strong sporting traditions encompassing academic, training, competitive, and educational activities. Every year, it organizes university championships, volleyball, futsal, basketball, table tennis, and orienteering tournaments, hiking camps, health and fitness festivals, fitness marathons, sports quests, open training sessions, and masterclasses led by some of Ukraine’s leading athletes and coaches. Special attention is given to events celebrating the Day of Physical Culture and Sport, Olympic Week, the International Day of University Sport, and charitable sporting initiatives supporting Ukraine’s defenders.

A distinctive feature of the Academy is its integration of traditional student sport with adaptive physical education and inclusive sport. Owing to its many years of experience in inclusive education, students actively participate in organizing and delivering sporting events for people with disabilities, acquire modern approaches to adaptive sport, physical therapy, and rehabilitation, and contribute to projects promoting social inclusion through physical activity. This creates a unique educational environment in which sport serves as a tool for promoting equal opportunities, accessibility, and social cohesion.

Academy students actively compete in regional, national, and international sporting events. In recent years, they have repeatedly become champions and medalists at the Ukrainian Championships, Ukrainian Cups, international tournaments, and World Championships in hand-to-hand combat, combat jiu-jitsu, taekwondo, orienteering, futsal, volleyball, boccia, and many other sports. Academy teams successfully represent the Zaporizhzhia region in the Ukrainian Student Leagues, regularly winning championship titles and prize-winning places, while individual athletes are members of Ukraine’s national teams and represent the country at international competitions.

Considerable emphasis is placed on the practical training of students. Future coaches, physical education teachers, physical therapists, and occupational therapists participate in organizing sporting events, officiating competitions, conducting training sessions, implementing health and fitness programmes, and delivering rehabilitation projects. This approach effectively combines academic education with real-world professional experience.

A strong foundation for the development of student sport is provided by the Academy’s modern sports infrastructure, which includes sports halls, fitness gyms, outdoor sports facilities, and specialized equipment for a wide range of sports, tourism training, orienteering, adaptive physical education, and physical therapy. The educational process is further strengthened through partnerships with sports complexes, educational institutions, sports schools, sports federations, and public organizations, significantly expanding opportunities for students to train, complete practical placements, and participate in competitions.

At Khortytsia National Academy, sport is not only about achieving outstanding athletic performance but also about fostering a culture of healthy living, leadership, teamwork, responsibility, and civic engagement. As a result, the Academy’s sporting environment is open, innovative, and inclusive, enabling students to successfully combine high sporting achievements with professional education and active participation in the development of student sport in Ukraine.