A series of video courses
within the project
USPS Lectorium
About the project
The Ukrainian School of Political Studies is constantly seeking new ways to advance political and civic education in Ukraine. That is why we decided to create a project that would allow anyone interested to become more closely acquainted with our work.
This is how the idea of the USPS Lectorium emerged — an open educational project in which the School’s regular lecturers, through video lectures, explore various socially significant topics at the intersection of politics, culture and philosophy.
I. On history and politics with Anton Drobovych
Video course
5 lectures
2 h 20 min
History and politics: Why can the past be more unpredictable than the future?
In this course, we tell the story of communities. Turning to such categories as memory, politics, narrative and memorialisation, we try to answer the question: what really happened? Why do we remember this version of history, and why is it so defining for us? We speak about the risks of exploiting the past, the hero’s journey, conflicts of metanarratives and much more along the thread between memory and politics.
Speaker on the course:
“On history and politics with Anton Drobovych”
Lecture 1
The Politics of Memory vs. The Culture of Memory
Lecture 1. How Does Politics Influence History and Collective Memory?
The first lecture offers a reflection on the ways we interpret the past, responsibility in history and the influence of politics on what and how we remember — and what we become indifferent to. Drawing on examples such as the restoration of memory of the Holodomor in Ukraine, the rethinking of the Second World War in post-war Germany, medieval chronicles and contemporary russian memory politics, you will see how collective memory is shaped — and how it can be used as a political instrument.
“On history and politics with Anton Drobovych”
Lecture 1
The Politics of Memory vs. The Culture of Memory
30:48
Lecture 1. How Does Politics Influence History and Collective Memory?
Anton Drobovych
“On history and politics with Anton Drobovych”
Lecture 2
Is a Nation an Invention?
30:02
Lecture 2. Is a Nation an Invention? How Grand Narratives Shape Identity
Anton Drobovych
“On history and politics with Anton Drobovych”
Lecture 3
How and Why Should We Remember War Honestly?
32:18
Lecture 3. How and Why Should We Remember War Honestly?
Anton Drobovych
“On history and politics with Anton Drobovych”
Lecture 4
Memory in the Service of Peace and War
20:30
Lecture 4. Memory in the Service of Peace and War
Anton Drobovych
“On history and politics with Anton Drobovych”
Lecture 5
The Hero’s Journey: From Ancient Myths to Modern Choices
25:31
Lecture 5. The Hero’s Journey: From Ancient Myths to Modern Choices
Anton Drobovych
II. Public Policy Analysis
Video course
6 lectures
1 h 37 min
Within this course, we acquaint ourselves with the toolkit for public policy analysis.
We examine the distinction between policy and politics. We cover all stages of the policy cycle. We identify stakeholders. We discover the logic behind agenda shaping. We reflect on the search for policy alternatives. And finally, we build the framework for successful public policy implementation.
Speaker on the course:
“Public Policy Analysis”
Lecture 1
What is Public Policy?
Lecture 1. What is Public Policy?
What is public policy? And why is it ‘public’ but not ‘state’? The Ukrainian decision-making ecosystem bears certain distinctive features. We do not delineate policy from politics. But why? Does the discrepancy in translation reflect a difference in political thought? We explore this and many other topics in the first lecture of the video course.
“Public Policy Analysis”
Lecture 1
What is Public Policy?
14:11
Lecture 1. What is Public Policy?
Oleksandr Zaslavskyi
“Public Policy Analysis”
Lecture 2
Why Do We Need Public Policy Analysis?
11:43
Lecture 2. Why Do We Need Public Policy Analysis?
Oleksandr Zaslavskyi
“Public Policy Analysis”
Lecture 3
How to Identify a Problem?
13:10
Lecture 3. How to Identify a Problem?
Oleksandr Zaslavskyi
“Public Policy Analysis”
Lecture 4
Designing Policies
13:36
Lecture 4. Designing Policies
Oleksandr Zaslavskyi
“Public Policy Analysis”
Lecture 5
Who and How Decides and Implements Policy?
17:55
Lecture 5. Who and How Decides and Implements Policy?
Oleksandr Zaslavskyi
“Public Policy Analysis”
Lecture 6
Monitoring, Evaluation and Policy Revision
25:37
Lecture 6. Monitoring, Evaluation and Policy Revision
Oleksandr Zaslavskyi
III. Political science with Ivan Gomza
Video course
6 lectures
2 h 29 min
This course offers a brief introduction to political science. We will talk about political phenomena — populism, globalisation, instrumentalisation of violence, and the Russian-Ukrainian war — that directly affect our lives and analyse their mechanism in order to answer the question — what to do with it?
Can political science be considered a science? Why does populism not disappear? How do political regimes affect some public policies? What miscalculations from the point of view of political science did Russia make in preparing for the invasion of Ukraine? We will analyse these and other political phenomena within the framework of this course, with a brief introduction to political science.
Speaker on the course:
“Political science with Ivan Gomza”
Lecture 1
Tiresias’ spyglass
Lecture 1. Tiresias’ spyglass
Can politology be considered a science? In the course's first lecture, we discuss the criteria of scientificality, pseudoscience and how terrorist acts affect political scenarios.
“Political science with Ivan Gomza”
Lecture 1
Tiresias’ spyglass
24:20
Lecture 1. Tiresias’ spyglass
Ivan Gomza
“Political science with Ivan Gomza”
Lecture 2
Antaeus’ kurgan
25:00
Lecture 2. Antaeus’ kurgan
Ivan Gomza
“Political science with Ivan Gomza”
Lecture 3
Midas’ tears
18:41
Lecture 3. Midas’ tears
Ivan Gomza
“Political science with Ivan Gomza”
Lecture 4
Saturn’s sign
25:42
Lecture 4. Saturn’s sign
Ivan Gomza
“Political science with Ivan Gomza”
Lecture 5
The hubris of Mars
33:05
Lecture 5. The hubris of Mars
Ivan Gomza
“Political science with Ivan Gomza”
Lecture 6
The power of Deimos
22:02
Lecture 6. The power of Deimos
Ivan Gomza
IV. Great books
about great politics
about great politics
Video course
6 lectures
2 hr 59 min
During this course, we explore 6 pieces from the XVII to XXI. Through the political lens, how the context of the time is revealed in those books and centuries through the political views of the authors influenced their work.
This course is focused on the pieces of William Shakespeare, Don DeLillo, Hilary Mantel, Philip Roth, Thornton Wilder and Pavlo Zahrebelnyi.
Speaker on the course:
“Great books about great politics”
Lecture 1
William Shakespeare,
Coriolanus
Lecture 1. William Shakespeare, Coriolanus
One of the latest works of the main classic of the Western world — William Shakespeare. This is a story of the rise and fall of the legendary ancient Roman general Gaius Marcius Coriolanus, whose political ambitions took him to the top of Roman society and then led to his exile and eventual death.
“Great books about great politics”
Lecture 1
William Shakespeare,
Coriolanus
28:34
Lecture 1. William Shakespeare, Coriolanus
Yevhenii Stasinevych
“Great books about great politics”
Lecture 2
Thornton Wilder,
The Ides of March
32:53
Lecture 2. Thornton Wilder, The Ides of March
Yevhenii Stasinevych
“Great books about great politics”
Lecture 3
Philip Roth,
The Plot Against America
30:53
Lecture 3. Philip Roth, The Plot Against America
Yevhenii Stasinevych
“Great books about great politics”
Lecture 4
Hilary Mantel,
Wolf Hall Trilogy
31:08
Lecture 4. Hilary Mantel, Wolf Hall Trilogy
Yevhenii Stasinevych
“Great books about great politics”
Lecture 5
Pavlo Zahrebelnyi,
I, Bohdan
28:05
Lecture 5. Pavlo Zahrebelnyi, I, Bohdan
Yevhenii Stasinevych
“Great books about great politics”
Lecture 6
Don DeLillo,
Libra
28:37
Lecture 6. Don DeLillo, Libra
Yevhenii Stasinevych
