The All-Ukrainian Scientific and Practical Roundtable "Strategic Directions of Foreign Policy and Diplomacy of World Countries"

All-Ukrainian Scientific and Practical Roundtable “Strategic Directions of Foreign Policy and Diplomacy of the World’s Countries”

On November 21, 2024, the Department of International Relations at the Education and Research Institute "Karazin Institute of International Relations and Travel Business" organized the All-Ukrainian Scientific and Practical Roundtable “Strategic Directions of Foreign Policy and Diplomacy of the World’s Countries.”

The event’s main highlight was a discussion panel on "Challenges and Prospects for Training Specialists in International Relations," where representatives from universities across Ukraine, Jagiellonian University in Krakow (Poland), local government bodies, international intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations shared their insights and experiences in training specialists in international relations.

Mykola Pysarevskyi, Director of the Karazin Institute of International Relations and Travel Business, and Nataliia Vynnykova, Acting Head of the Department of International Relations, welcomed participants and emphasized the need for a continuous discussion platform to exchange expertise and address challenges in training specialists.

Participants highlighted the need to expand areas of specialization for international relations professionals, especially in the context of Russia's armed aggression against Ukraine. This issue was underscored by Halyna Kuts, Deputy of the Kharkiv Regional Council and Chair of the Standing Committee on Science, Education, and Spirituality.

Anatolii Parfinenko, Acting Head of the Department of World Politics, Diplomacy, and Tourism, emphasized the urgent need to develop new educational programs on peacebuilding and conflict resolution and management.

Olehna Shershnova, Director of the Institute of International Relations and National Security at Ostroh Academy, and Iryna Yeremieieva, Head of the Department of International Relations at the University of Customs and Finance (Dnipro), shared their experiences in enhancing the practical components of the educational process and addressing challenges in implementing academic mobility.

Professor Hacim Salah from the University of Taroudant (Morocco) stressed the importance of preparing specialists capable of promoting awareness of events in Ukraine and Ukrainian culture on the international stage.

Maria Alekeeva, Chief Specialist of the International Relations and European Integration Development Department at the Kharkiv City Council, highlighted the need for enhanced training in oral interpretation and business correspondence. Valerii Reznikov, Professor of the Department of International Relations, drew attention to the importance of integrating regional dimensions of international relations into educational programs.

Professor Olena Sokhatska, Director of the "Scientific Studies of Global Development" Center at the Western Ukrainian National University, proposed engaging university faculty in public diplomacy through guest lectures abroad.

Oksana Zabuzova, Executive Director of the Kyiv School of Diplomatic Arts, and Ivan Hevyiuk, Partnership Manager at the International Rescue Committee, discussed opportunities for strengthening practical components through non-formal education and engagement in the activities of international non-governmental organizations.

Adjunct Professor Olesia Kryvenko from the Department of Integration Process Studies at Jagiellonian University highlighted features of international relations training programs in Poland.

Iryna Shteimiller, National Contact Point for the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions under the Horizon Europe program, emphasized the importance of international internships for educators in improving the quality of educational processes and practical training.

Other notable participants included:

• Lyudmyla Havryliuk-Ensen, Head of the Bohdan Havrylyshyn Institute of International Relations at the Western Ukrainian National University.
• Valeriia Melnyk, Head of the Department of Management, Systems Analysis, and International Relations at the Ukrainian State University of Science and Technology named after Mykhailo Drahomanov.
• Vitalii Solovykh, Professor at the Department of International Relations, Karazin Institute of International Relations and Travel Business.
• Oleksandr Romaniuk, Professor of International Relations, Political Science, and Practical Philosophy at the Simon Kuznets Kharkiv National University of Economics.
• Alla Hlebova, Associate Professor at the Department of Management and Logistics, Yuri Kondratyuk National University of Poltava Polytechnic, among others.

A vibrant student panel discussion added depth to the roundtable. Students from the educational programs "International Relations" and "International Information and Communications" at the Department of International Relations exchanged ideas and experiences with their peers from Jagiellonian University, Vasylina Burek, and Yana Mysak, discussing the content and features of training programs in Ukraine and Poland.

Mykola Holoborodko, a student at Kharkiv Lyceum No. 141, presented on Ukrainian-German relations in the context of Russia's invasion, sparking lively discussions on military diplomacy. Student Diana Alahaliya concluded the event with an insightful presentation on space diplomacy, rounding out the comprehensive and impactful roundtable program.