Ostroh Forum 2017, a large-scale international project was started at the National University of Ostroh Academy. The aim of the project is to facilitate the public discussions of key social, cultural, economic and political problems of Ukraine. The opening ceremony was attended by leading Ukrainian experts: Yevhen Marchuk, a General of Army, a famous Ukrainian statesman, and Larysa Ivshyna, editor-in-chief of The Day. Following the good tradition of Ostroh Academy, the question-and-answer session was concerning the issues of economic, military, political, social, information, diplomatic and ecological security of Ukraine.
«The key problem of the current Forum was chosen on purpose as it is obvious that the lack of sustainable mechanisms of defence against Russian propaganda was one of the main reasons of poor readiness of our state for the hybrid war. We invited the experts in this field and the youth to consider several cases which are connected with the question of national security,»
The experts in national security were Mykola Romanov, PhD in Law in field of state security, and Taras Zhovtenko, PhD in Political Science.
The participants of the Forum were greeted by Ao Lan of Shenyang Normal University (China) and Solène Charpentier of Paris Diderot University. A greeting telegram was sent by Tadeusz Krząstek, a Colonel of Polish Army and expert in the field of military security.
Maksym Karpovets, the head of the EU Regional Centre, PhD in Philosophy, was the moderator of the Forum.
As Ostroh Forum 2017 is the actual continuation of the concept of Ostroh Club for Free Intellectual Communication of Youth, the Forum was attended by the first members of the Club: Ivan Kapsamun, the editor of politics department of The Day newspaper, Vitalii Lebediuk, the dean of the Faculty of Political Science and Information Management of the National University of Ostroh Academy, PhD in Public Administration, and Ivan Sopiha, first vice-head of Ostroh District Regional Administration.
One of the distinctive features of the Forum was the exhibition of the library of The Day newspaper as it was these books that had caused discussions in Ostroh Club on several occasions.
Tomorrow thematic platforms will be functioning within the framework of the Forum. They are as follows: Military and Political Challenges in National Security of Ukraine, Social Challenges in National Security of Ukraine, and Information Challenges in National Security of Ukraine.
The 1st session of the Forum brought together students of 6 Ukrainian universities. In particular, Zaporizhia National University is represented by Olha Boiko, Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv is represented by Iryna Dasiuk, Oles Honchar Dnipro National University is represented by Diana Hlushchenko, Vasyl Stus National University is represented by Hlib Voloskyi, Lesia Ukraiinka East European National University is represented by Viktoriia Kumanska, and the National University of Ostroh Academy is represented by Bohdan Mykhalchuk.
As a result, the thematic platforms should produce strategic recommendations packages, risk assessment, and train young Ukrainian leaders, who can think critically and have their own view on the future of the state.
Ostroh Forum project is planned to be developed by means of involving leading experts from Ukraine and other countries, heads of the corresponding ministries and institutions, officials who would face such kind of challenges as Ukrainian youth Davos attended by students from different regions of Ukraine, conscious young people who have their view on the present and the future of the country. Their ideas should be heard by high-level officials, experts and politicians.
