Ukrainian and U.S. scientists discussed the strategic partnership between the United States and Ukraine

Ukrainian and U.S. scientists discussed the strategic partnership between the United States and Ukraine

APRIL 15, 2016 – On April 12-13, 2016, 3rd Multidisciplinary Conference on American Studies “A Quarter Century of Ukrainian-American Friendship: an Experience Worth Promoting” was held at the Ivan Franko National University of Lviv. It was co-organized by the Center for American Studies of the Faculty of International Relations of Ivan Franko National University of Lviv, the Kennan Institute of the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars (Washington DC) and the Ukrainian Association of Foreign Policy. The conference was dedicated to the 25th anniversary of the recognition of the Ukraine’s independence by the United States. 58 Ukrainian Scholars from around the country, including Luhansk and Donetsk participated in this already well-known academic gathering that included the five thematic sections.

Mariya Zubrytska, the vice-rector for International Relations of Ivan Franko National University of Lviv welcomed the participants on behalf of the University administration and pointed out that the conference is a sign of fruitful cooperation and should focus on both positive and negative aspects of the experience of a quarter century of the friendship between Ukraine and the United States. She underscored that Ukrainian Scholars should play a more constructive role by providing Ukrainian institutions with the expertise on relevant issues of American-Ukrainian relations.

Roman Kalytchak, the chair of the organizing committee and the director of the Center for American Studies at LNU opened the conference and stressed that this is a unique opportunity for Ukrainian Scholars to gather together and reflect on the past and future of Ukrainian-American relations. He also expressed hope that Ukrainian Academia would adopt a more proactive approach and would be involved more intensively in strengthening the bilateral partnership. Roman Kalytchak specifically thanked the Kennan Institute in Washington for its support in holding the conference.

Markiyan Malskyy, the dean of the Faculty of International Relations in his speech focused on the importance of the strategic partnership between the United States and Ukraine. He insisted that Ukraine urgently needs a balanced, clear, unbiased academic analysis of what is happening in our bilateral relations. He also stressed that the Ukrainian Academy is a powerful resource that should be used more effectively.

William Pomeranz, the Deputy Director of the Kennan Institute for Advanced Russian Studies of the Woodrow Wilson Center in Washington, D.C and the head of the Kennan Institute’s rule of law program said that his Institute is always ready to support similar initiatives and help implement projects that promote dialogue and mutual understanding between Ukraine and the United States.

Kateryna Smagliy, the Director of the Kennan Institute’s Kyiv Office reiterated the importance of the role of the academic circles in reinforcing the American-Ukrainian relations and stressed that the Kennan Institute does a lot for bringing Ukraine closer to the United States. That is why the Kennan Institute developed its alumni network in order to enrich the cooperation with American partners. She pointed out that numerous former Kennan fellows participate in this conference.

Amb. Volodymyr Khandogiy, the former first deputy minister of foreign affairs and now the president of the Ukrainian Association of Foreign Policy noted that this conference is “not a ritual tribute to the anniversary of a Ukrainian-American relations, but this is an opportunity to reflect on their 25-year history, analyze the results of multilateral cooperation between Ukraine and the United States, look into the future of our relations in various fields in the new geopolitical realities, when Ukraine was the subject of the brutal aggression by Russia. In his key-note speech, Amb. Volodymyr Khandogiy gave a detailed analysis of the twenty years of the strategic partnership between the Ukraine and the United States. Other key-note speaker, Volodymyr Dubovyk from I.Mechnikov Odessa University focused on the role of the United States in the crisis over Ukraine.

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