First Session of USPS in 2019

Svitlana Matviienko, Chair of the Council of the Agency for Legislative Initiatives, welcoming participants of the 14th programme, noted: “USPS is a value platform that is designed to unite and develop leaders of change.”

Olena Lytvynenko, Deputy head of the Council of Europe office in Ukraine, spoke about the network of Schools of political studies of the Council of Europe and about the place they occupy on the agenda of the Council of Europe. In particular, Olena said that the Ukrainian School of Political Studies is distinguished by its real results and a powerful network throughout the country.

Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze, Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic integration of Ukraine, reflecting on the topic of her statement, stressed that European integration is already a reality because the level of cooperation between Ukraine and the EU is unprecedented. Ms. Klympush-Tsintsadze also added that the European Union’s understanding that without strong Ukraine, there will be no safe Europe is increasing. At the same time, our task is to convey to our European partners that Ukraine is not a “problem” but a contributor to European security and economic growth.

What does it mean to judge responsibly? How to distinguish a true opinion from a random and optional judgment? That was an issue for discussion with Yevhen Bystrytskyi, PhD in philosophy, head of the Department of philosophy of culture, ethics, and aesthetics of the Institute of philosophy of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, and member of the Supervisory Board of USPS.

On the second day of the first session of USPS, Ella Libanova, PhD in Economics, director of M. V. Ptukha Institute of Demography and Social Research of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, shared with the participants forecasts regarding a future demographic situation.

Oleh Ustenko, PhD of Economic Sciences, Executive Director of The Bleyzer Foundation, discussed with participants functioning of global and Ukrainian economy in a new normality. The term was introduced after victory of Donald Trump in the US presidential elections. Everything that was completely abnormal before is now completely normal. All economic theory is based on rationality in behavior, but in the conditions of the new normality, rationality is not always traced.

Today, Ukraine needs to give the world a powerful signal about attractiveness of investment in our economy. But first we need to learn how to manage public finances. Participants of the 14th USPS programme spoke about this with Viktor Pynzenyk, MP of Ukraine, member of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on budget issues, PhD in Economics.

Ulana Suprun, acting Director Minister of Healthcare of Ukraine, together with Oleh Petrenko, Head of the National Health Service of Ukraine and a USPS alumnus, spoke about fundamental transformations in the healthcare system of our country. Ms. Suprun spoke about success of the healthcare system reform and stressed the importance of a strong team of professionals who work hard to create changes. Mr. Oleh shared a story of his personal path to public service and also outlined main areas of responsibility of the National Health Service of Ukraine.

It is always a frank conversation. It is a challenge at all times. Yulia Mostova, Editor-in-chief of Dzerkalo Tyzshnia and a member of the Supervisory Board of USPS, gave her assessment of the current political situation in Ukraine. Charity, professionalism, ability to listen and hear each other – this is what today’s society and elites in particular lack.

Historical consciousness is an integral component of national identity and therefore, a significant socio-political factor. But in a post-truth situation, we can’t count on a holistic identity. Natalia Yakovenko, Professor of History Department of National University “Kyiv-Mohyla Academy”, shared her thoughts on value orientations of Ukrainians in a historical retrospective.

Oleksandr Lytvynenko, Deputy Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine, discussed an agenda of the new government for countering Russian aggression. Mr. Lytvynenko analysed main threats, assessed negotiation processes, and described possible scenarios for development of the situation.

In the classic children’s book “The Endless story”, a fictional country is consumed by Nothing. For five years now, hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians have been in a “grey zone” both in terms of law and security. And Crimean Tatars have been constantly persecuted. For five years now, there have been no at least some holistically formulated strategies for the return of Crimea. Has the point of No Return already been passed, and can Nothing be diverted? These ideas were discussed in a frank conversation with Refat Chubarov, MP of Ukraine, chairman of the Mejlis of Crimean Tatar people, and Tamila Tasheva, Coordinator of NGO “Krym_SOS”.

In recent decades, there have been discussions in Ukraine around the main problem of the nation’s existence – its identity. Issues of Ukrainian national memory, contradictory attitude to Soviet history, clash of ideological guidelines, European path, and isolationism are actively used in political struggle. Participants of the 14th USPS programme together with Olha Hnatyuk, a professor at the National University of “Kyiv-Mohyla Academy” and the University of Warsaw, discussed postcolonial heritage and transition from ethnic identity to civil identity.

Mykhailo Vynnytsky, Head of the Secretariat of the National Agency for quality assurance of Higher Education, Professor of LvBS family business centre, and lecturer at the National University “Kyiv-Mohyla Academy”, completed the first session of the Ukrainian School of Political Studies. We discussed with Mr. Vynnytsky whether the level of quality of higher education in Ukraine is inferior to Bachelor’s programmes in the West, whether there is a “crisis” in the higher education system, what methods of (r)evolutionary improvement of the quality of education exist and where “critical thinking” comes from.