The 2024 "Women in Diplomacy: Challenge or Mission?" Meeting Series Started at Ostroh Academy

March 22, 2024

On March 22, 2024, the National University of Ostroh Academy hosted an online event, "Women in Scientific and Educational Diplomacy. How to contribute to the formation of a positive image of Ukraine?" which launched a series of meetings "Women in Diplomacy: Challenge or Mission?" (March-June 2024). It continued a thematic series of events dedicated to a comprehensive study of the role of women in diplomacy, held in 2023 at the National University of Ostroh Academy by the Scientific Society for the History of Diplomacy and International Relations, the Hanns Seidel Foundation in Ukraine in cooperation with several partners. At that time, Ostroh Academy also acted as a communication platform for practising diplomats, lecturers and students of Ukrainian and foreign universities, government officials, public organisations and associations, representatives of Ukrainian communities worldwide, etc. In general, all the planned events within the "Women in Diplomacy: Challenge or Mission?" series are part of the project of the Scientific Society for the History of Diplomacy and International Relations "The Female Face of Diplomacy" (author and curator - Iryna Matiash, Doctor of Historical Sciences, Full Professor). Traditional partners from the NaUOA are the Lubomyr Wynar Institute for the Ukrainian Diaspora Studies and the Educational and Scientific Institute of International Relations and National Security. 

The topic of the first meeting, attended by about 300 participants from Ukraine and abroad, was the role of women in scientific and educational diplomacy and the problem of shaping Ukraine's image in the world. 

Ihor Pasichnyk, Rector of the NaUOA, Doctor of Psychology, Professor and Olena Maksymova, the project coordinator and deputy Director of the Hanns Seidel Foundation in Ukraine, greeted the meeting participants. The former also congratulated all event organisers, partners, and participants on behalf of Benjamin Bobbe, the Head of Central and Eastern Europe of the Hanns Seidel Foundation.

"Women can turn scientific discoveries into tools for cooperation and development, which makes them precious actors in science diplomacy. As representatives of a particular country and nation, women promote their homeland's scientific achievements and contribute to establishing cooperation and developing international relations. Their contribution helps improve the country's reputation and shapes its image worldwide. [...] I am sure that Ukraine is extremely rich in such talents. The key is to create conditions for their development and promotion. Historically, women have contributed significantly to science and diplomacy. Still, they have often faced great obstacles and a lack of recognition. Unfortunately, there are still some systemic barriers today: in academic institutions, in diplomatic circles."

"This is the third time Ostroh Academy has co-organised such meetings. Talking about the role of diplomacy in times of war is extremely relevant [...] I invite the participants of this meeting to visit Ostroh Academy and give lectures to students in international studies and other specialities. For these conversations and speeches now do not remain within the walls where we talk about them, but they have a good resonance in Ukraine."

The speeches of the invited experts were informative, as they not only covered the intricacies of the topic in theoretical terms but also shared practical cases and gave examples from their professional activities. The following issues were discussed during the meeting:

• "Diplomatic Protocol in the Time of War in Ukraine" (Olena Yalova, Director of the Department General for State Protocol of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine);
• "How to Contribute to the Formation of a Positive Image of Ukraine in Times of War?" (Tetyana Filevska, Creative Director of the Ukrainian Institute);
• "Complex Issues of Ukrainian History. What Does the World Know About the History of Ukraine?" (Oksana Yurkova, a leading researcher at the Institute of History of Ukraine, the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, and curator of the Mykhailo Hrushevskyi Digital Archive, Cand. Sc. (History), Senior Researcher).

"The protocol plays a vital role. We are the first to meet the delegation and the last to see them off. [...] It is important to me that students want to see how the protocol works. They help us a lot. Their ideas inspire us. I am glad that young people are showing interest in state protocol. Young people are the future of Ukraine. The future of our country is in your hands. I want to wish you success."

A discussion followed each of the presentations. It was facilitated by a group of debaters: Viacheslav Tsivatyi, Cand. Sc. (History), Associate Professor, Educational and Research Institute of International Relations at Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv; Natalia Shalenna, Cand. Sc. (Political Sciences), Associate Professor, Center for Public Diplomacy, Faculty of International Relations, Ivan Franko National University of Lviv; Ihor Todorov, Doctor of Sciences (History), Full professor, Faculty of History and International Relations, Uzhhorod National University. 

"There is no female or male diplomacy. There is a profession to which you dedicate yourself and serve."

Nazar Martyniuk, Information secretary of the Scientific Society of the History of Diplomacy and International Relations and a research officer at the Lubomyr Wynar Institute for the Ukrainian Diaspora Studies at the NaUOA, moderated the question-and-answer panel.

"The meeting was exciting and informative. One could hear a lot of useful information about the role of women in various aspects of work in the diplomatic sphere, including the implementation of public diplomacy projects in its various subtypes: scientific, educational, cultural, etc. The lectures enlightened the peculiarities of the work of the Department General for State Protocol of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, as well as informed on how to popularise the image of Ukraine among the international community in the current situation and how to spread knowledge about the history of Ukraine in the world. I am grateful to all the organisers, speakers and debaters for holding the event at a high-quality level."

A video of the live broadcast of the online meeting is available on the YouTube channel of the Scientific Society for the History of Diplomacy and International Relations:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iRhZMgmbunY 

The next event in the "Women in Diplomacy: Challenge or Mission?" series will occur on April 12, 2024, focusing on culinary diplomacy.