‘Ukrainian Renaissance’: how was the event?

On July 22-23, 2023, together with other public organizations and initiatives, we held the international conference ‘Ukrainian Renaissance’ in Ivano-Frankivsk, Ukraine.

What is the role of youth in bringing Ukraine closer to victory and then in post-war reconstruction? How can each of us influence the social and political life of the country today? Economy, politics, lessons of war and society: how do we see the future of Ukraine and the generation that creates it?

We talked a lot about these and other questions at the conference. The event was held in two languages: English and Ukrainian.

  • 2 days of the conference
  • 36 incredible expert speakers
  • About 100 participants from Ukraine, the Czech Republic, Colombia, Ireland, and Brazil!

During the two days of the conference, we had extremely important lectures and panel discussions about economics, philosophy, political science, war, volunteering and society with Ukrainian politicians, journalists, economists and entrepreneurs.

They also were talking about the possibilities of improving the quality of cooperation between public organizations, businesses and government.

By the way, the online lectures for students were conducted by:

  • Mykhailo Vynnytskyi, Deputy Minister of Education;
  • Volodymyr Vyatrovych, historian, People’s Deputy of Ukraine;
  • Roman Sheremeta, Doctor of Economic Sciences;
  • Yaroslav Romanchuk, Belarusian opposition politician and economist.

A lot of speakers gave offline lectures, including:

  • Volodymyr Yeshkilev, writer and dramaturg;
  • Mykhailo Pustovoit, Doctor of Medical Sciences;
  • Liudmyla Kryzhanovska, CEO at the ‘Promprylad.Renovation’ platform;
  • Anatolii Didyk, co-founder of NGO ‘Kyiv Humanitarian Headquarters’;
  • Oksana Kaminska, development director of the company “23.restorany”;
  • Vadym Voytyk, public figure and editor-in-chief of Ivano-Frankivsk news agency ‘Galka.if.ua’;
  • Roman Turii, editor-in-chief of ‘Galka.if.ua’;
  • Maryana Tsyhanyn, Head of the youth policy department of the Department of Youth Policy and Sports of Ivano-Frankivsk City Council;
  • Denys Zeinalov, public and political figure;
  • Nataliia Melnyk, CEO at the ‘Bendukidze Free Market Center’;
  • Kevin Flanagan, Director of Training & Engagement at European Students For Liberty;
  • Adil Abduramanov, regional development officer at ‘Ukrainian Students for Freedom’;
  • Ihor Chudyk, rector of the Ivano-Frankivsk National Technical University of Oil and Gas ;
  • Martin Panek, former adviser to the European Parliament, director of the liberal institute (Prague);
  • Yaroslav Koretchuk, director of the Ivano-Frankivsk Regional Museum of the Liberation Struggle named after Stepan Bandera;
  • Vasyl Ostapyak, Doctor of Political Sciences;
  • Ivanna Zapukhlyak, Doctor of Economic Sciences, Professor;
  • Volodymyr Sabadukha, Doctor of Philosophy, Professor;
  • Lesya Verbovska, candidate of economic sciences, associate professor;
  • Marysia Tomashevska, TV presenter and journalist.
  • Yevgenia Stupnik, public activist and psychologist of the project ‘First Voluntary Surgical Hospital’;
  • Vladyslav Sokha, head of the Youth Council of Ivano-Frankivsk and CEO of the NGO ‘Mizh inshym’;
  • Viktor Vintonyak, philanthropist, entrepreneur and member of the board of Ivano-Frankivsk Business Association;
  • Stanislav Onyshchuk, public activist, head of the First Voluntary Surgical Hospital initiative, CEO and founder at the BRASS;
  • Natalia Vyshnevetska, CEO at the public organization ‘D.O.M.48.24’;
  • Vasyl Mironyuk, Rector of the Lviv Institute of Management;
  • Mykhailo Pustovoit, Doctor of Medical Sciences, Professor, Honored Worker of Science and Technology of Ukraine;
  • Yana Galvis, an analyst at the Liberal Institute;
  • Pavel Potuzhak, Czech economist;
  • Jan Mosovsky, program manager of European Students For Liberty and research director of the Liberální institute.

We want to thank to all the speakers for their participation!

Comments of the organizers and participants about the conference

Станіслав ОнищукStanislav Onyshchuk, co-organiser of the conference and speaker 

The conference was awesome!. It is good that there were many speakers and participants from abroad — it made possible a real exchange of ideas between Ukrainians and people from different parts of the world (Czech Republic, Colombia, Brazil, Australia, Ireland). This resulted in a variety of reports, interesting discussions between visitors, and useful networking between participants and lecturers. An interesting interactive part was the report of Deputy Minister of Education and Science Mykhailo Vynnytskyi, where everyone present could ask questions and get answers about the future of education in Ukraine. And the most important thing – our atmosphere, the mood of the conference – was constructive, friendly, interesting and optimistic. The discussion about the reconstruction of Ukraine turned out to be the same.

I believe that thanks to the entire team of organizers, the conference was 100% successful!

Maksym Bryksa, head org of the conference

It was an extremely large event for Ivano-Frankivsk, which was implemented by a rather small but motivated team. I am pleased to understand that we managed to gather such a large number of Ukrainian and foreign students in order to discuss further actions for the reconstruction of the country, and in particular the construction of new high-quality state structures, economic reforms, the creation of conditions for the rehabilitation of the military and the country’s integration into the EU. It is important to understand that the answers to such questions need to be answered now in order to start the recovery process as soon as possible. Therefore, ‘Renaissance’ is a wonderful event that was able to attract interested young people to the discussion of these issues.

Yevheniia Naumuk, the supporters of NGO ‘Ukrainian Students for Freedom’

The ‘Ukrainian Renaissance’ conference was a good opportunity to see Ivano-Frankivsk, get to know part of the international ‘Students for Liberty’ community, and also hear the opinions of interesting speakers regarding the topic of interest to the youth of Ukraine: how we will rebuild our country in the future.

A diverse educational part, a rich program, excellent organizers, cool participants and simply unforgettable 2 days – that’s what the ‘Ukrainian Renaissance’ was like!

 

Anhelina Odnoiko, an organiser, USF activist 

We and many other activists (I mean, our big team) organized an international English-speaking conference in Frankivsk on the topic of restoring Ukraine in war and post-war times!

Among the speakers and participants were people from the Czech Republic, Ireland, Australia, the United States of America and many more countries!

We raised issues related to the recovery of the economy, the development of education, and business. Representatives of the local self-government told how they see the reconstruction period and what actions are already underway!

We hope that reconstruction is just around the corner and that the Ukrainian people will build the best version of the state through joint efforts!

Andrii Prokhorchuk, participant of the conference

In fact, Ukrainian Renaissance became a unique experience for me from the moment of the trip: my sister and I slept at the station. And after this magical romp in Stanislav, we set off through sleepy streets to the University of Oil and Gas. One of the organizers played timeless classics on the piano so impressively that the vibe was set for the next two days and nothing could change it. In general, I have very different feelings. Communicating with the dean of the Faculty of Economics from the Czech Republic on the same wave, trying to retell a funny story to new friends, moreover in English, the desire to find answers along with even more questions and the opportunity to expand the horizons of one’s own thoughts. And I also realized that I am really not alone in my attempts to change something – that’s what the conference is about for me.

I am extremely happy for this experience, although the moment with double translation is not very exciting, but this was also a plus – additional English practice.

Anna Berezina, an USF activist and organiser

The ‘Ukrainian Renaissance’ conference was a big discovery for me this summer. It took a lot of effort to organize something like this in a relatively small town, and I am proud to have been part of the organizing team.

I hope the participants enjoyed what we did too! These two days were filled with interesting lectures (which were very difficult to choose, because I wanted to attend them all) and new acquaintances. It was an incredible experience. And I am also very grateful to Students for Liberty for their help and support! I am sure that our next events will be even cooler!

Штепан Ковар, організатор, член Czech Students for Liberty

The conference was a real eye-opener. It was crystal clear that Ukraine has made great progress, but there’s still some important work left to do for the country to become even freer and more prosperous. For instance, we talked extensively about the need for open borders with neighboring countries and a significant push towards privatization of state-owned entities. It was interesting to see how the Czech Republic’s experience with coupon privatization could offer valuable insights for Ukraine’s own journey.

Certain steps towards greater freedom could begin even before the big goals are fully achieved. However, everyone agreed that the immediate priority is securing Ukraine’s sovereignty and sending the ruSSian occupiers out of the country. As Ukraine faces its challenges head-on, it’s clear that the world needs to stand by its side, both in terms of moral support and tangible assistance.

This conference made it quite evident that Ukraine’s struggle for freedom extends well beyond its borders. The situation with ruSSia’s occupation highlighted the need for a broader approach involving international collaboration and security, perhaps Ukraine joining NATO in the future. 

All in all, the “Ukrainian Renaissance” conference was an incredible opportunity for attendees to share their thoughts, learn from each other, and reinforce their commitment to a freer Ukraine. The event not only shed light on the tasks that still lie ahead, but also emphasized how crucial global support is in making these dreams a reality.

Thank you to Ukrainian Students for Freedom and especially to Maksym and Stanislav from ‘First Voluntary Surgical Hospital’ for co-organising the conference with us!

Jan Mosovsky, Programs Manager at European Students For Liberty and Director for Research at Liberální institut

Free Ukraine is not only a Ukrainian cause, but the interest of the liberal world, and chasing out the invaders is only a first step on the road. At the Ukrainian Renaissance conference, we looked a head and talked about steps 2, 3, and what comes after in the effort of ensuring a liberal, pro-market and prosperous Ukraine, integrated in the global community, in the years to come. We talked with economists, strategist and diplomats, but also educators, activists and student themselves – those who have a say in the current direction of events, as well as those who will be the ones to feel the impact. I was especially excited to see student volunteers take the lead in this discussion – it is now clear to everyone who attended the event that the Ukrainian Renaissance is here, and students will be at its front.

Thank to everyone who made efforts to organize and hold the conference! We are sure that we partially managed to form a vision of the path that Ukraine can take after the war and discuss with everyone present how, starting with ourselves, we can influence the approach of victory right now. Let’s form the ‘Ukrainian Renaissance’ together and build a free, flourishing Ukraine!

See you all soon!

Organizers of the event: NGO ‘Ukrainian Students for Freedom’, European Students for Liberty, Liberal Institute, NGO ‘Directed Action’ (‘Spryamovana Diia’).

Media mentions:

‘Girlfriends’ (‘Podruzhky’) mediaproject

‘Galka’ news agency

📸 More photos you can find here: BRASS, from USF photographers and from Stepan Kovar (drone shots).