Anastasiia Hatsenko: “Never stay silent about the war”
18 February 2025
Anastasiia Hatsenko, Professional Integration HUB 2.0 Program Participant (KDZ Centre for Public Administration Research) Intro Age: 24 years old City in Ukraine where you lived… Read more
Program
Professional Integration HUB is a long-term internship program for Ukrainians residing in Austria as a result of russia‘s aggression against Ukraine. The goal of the program is to facilitate the professional advancement of Ukrainian specialists by integrating them into the European professional environment. Additionally, the experience gained through the program will be a significant contribution to the post-war reconstruction of Ukraine and its integration into the EU.
Achieving these goals involves the most effective form of professional education – internships in relevant positions in leading institutions and organizations in Austria. The duration of the internship is three months. The HUB provides comprehensive organizational support.
Participation in the program provides an opportunity, among other benefits, to familiarize oneself with the specifics of labor relations in Austria, management procedures, requirements for professionals, and their specialization. It gives a chance to become part of the European professional community.
To date, two rounds of the program have been successfully implemented, and the community of graduates includes 33 Ukrainian women professionals. A total of 27 leading Austrian institutions and organizations have supported the program as internship hosts. More than 30% of participants have received offers to continue their professional cooperation following the completion of their internships.
Applications for the third round – Professional Integration HUB 3.0 – are currently open. The Open Call will run until July 10, 2025.
PROFESSIONAL INTEGRATION HUB 3.0 – EXPECTED NUMBERS
- 12 participants
- 3 months of internship
- up to 1200€ monthly stipend (depending on the number of working hours)
- 8 top organizations, institutions for Internship
- 6 study visits
- 3 workshops/webinars
- 3 community building events
- 3 joint meetings for participants
- 100% engaging professional environment
Participants
into the European professional community
in top institutions and organizations of the EU
for qualified work, career, and professional growth
PROGRAMM TIMELINE
- 10/06/25 Start of application acceptance
- 10/07/25 Last day of application acceptance
- 11/07/25–24/08/25 Selection Process
- 25/08/25 Announcement of program participants
- 01/09/25–30/11/25 Participants‘ internship in Austrian institutions and organizations
- 01/12/25 Submission of participants' reports
PARTICIPANT PROFILE
- Ukrainian professionals temporarily residing and eligible for official employment in Austria who hold a higher education degree and have a minimum of 3 years of professional experience.
- Proficient in English at a professional level; German language skills at B2–C1 level are required.
- Analytical thinkers and responsible individuals with teamwork skills, able to work in a multicultural environment.
- Those who share European values, aspire to develop in their field, learn from EU countries’ experiences, and ultimately contribute to the reform and reconstruction of Ukraine.
HOW TO BECOME A PARTICIPANT
- Check eligibility criteria.
- Choose institutions for internship.
- Prepare motivation letter.
- Fill out the online application by July 10, 2025.
- Receive confirmation and await selection results.
Announcement of Program Finalists is scheduled on August 25, 2025. The selection will be conducted in 3 stages:
Technical Selection – participant‘s eligibility check against program requirements, CV analysis.
Intermediate Selection – online interview with representatives of ERSTE Foundation and EUCFI.
Final Selection – interview with representatives of the hosting organization.
Partners
The Professional Integration HUB 3.0 program is supported by the following institutions and organizations as hosting partners: The Federal Ministry of Arts, Culture, Civil Service, and Sport of Austria; The Federal Ministry of Innovation, Mobility, and Infrastructure of Austria; Stadt Linz; Austria Tourism; OeAD – Austria’s Agency for Education and Internationalisation; Impact Hub Vienna; KDZ – Centre for Public Administration Research. The Professional Integration HUB is initiated and funded by ERSTE Foundation. The project is implemented by the European Centre for Freedom and Independence.
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ERSTE Foundation serves as a creative workshop for ideas and innovation, a laboratory for future-oriented topics, and strategically cooperates with networks. As the main shareholder of Erste Group, ERSTE Foundation secures the independent future of one of the largest financial services providers in Central, Eastern, and South Eastern Europe. Committed to serving the common good, the private Austrian savings banks foundation believes in supporting individuals to thrive.
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The European Centre for Freedom and Independence is an Austrian public organization founded by Ukrainians after the start of the full-scale invasion in Ukraine. The mission of EUCFI is to promote the united Europe, support the reconstruction of Ukraine, and its integration into the EU.
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