International Scientific Congress "Public Administration in the 21st Century: New Challenges and Transformations in Times of War

The Institute of Public Administration at Karazin Kharkiv National University, promoting a high administrative culture and advocating for principles of social justice based on global and European standards, has raised generations of professional leaders.

This year, the institute traditionally organized the XXIV International Scientific Congress, with the theme "Public Administration in the 21st Century: New Challenges and Transformations in Times of War." Around 300 participants from Ukraine and abroad gathered both offline and online to present the results of their research in the field of public administration and governance, state-building practices, and to develop proposals for enhancing the effectiveness of the activities of state institutions and local self-government.

In her welcoming speech to the attendees, Rector Tetyana Kaganovska stated, "The war has shown us the strength and power of our public administration system. Because it was the speed, balance, and skillfulness of decisions made by our civil servants that determined the adaptation of Ukrainian society to the challenges brought by the war to our land. The restoration of Ukraine and the preservation of our vector towards European integration will depend on the effectiveness of governance. The maximum practical orientation of this congress is extremely important, as it serves as a platform for finding constructive solutions to overcome today's challenges."

Our scientists, who are currently defending Ukraine, do not have the opportunity to participate in such events. Therefore, in a video message to the congress participants, Karazin Institute of Public Administration graduate, member of the Supervisory Board of the university, Hero of Ukraine, Colonel Dmytro Kashchenko emphasized the importance of supporting the university and education in general, as the youth will build the future of our country.

On the day of mourning in Kharkiv, those present honored the memory of the fallen with a minute of silence. We remember everyone, civilians and military, adults and children, whose lives were cut short by the war.

Deputy Chief of the Kharkiv Regional Military Administration and university graduate Yevhen Ivanov, as well as Professor Martin Leiner from the Friedrich Schiller University Jena, addressed the attendees with words of gratitude and support.

Also, awards were presented to students of the "Public Administration and Governance" specialization at the Institute of Public Administration: Oleksiy Parinych received a diploma of the 1st degree, and Margarita Dats received a diploma of the 3rd degree.

The work in the discussion groups was organized around 4 thematic directions. At the end of the congress, participants took part in a workshop-training on "Modern Teaching Methods in the Face of Hybrid Threats" within the Erasmus+ WARN project "Academic Response to Hybrid Threats", summarized the results, and adopted congress recommendations.