From 11 to 18 January 2024, 44 students of the Faculty of International Relations under the guidance of Associate Professors Oksana Onyshchuk and Marianna Kopchak made a study tour of European countries as part of the V International Country Studies Practice with visits to diplomatic missions and international organisations along the following route: Lviv – Warsaw – Brno – Vienna – Budapest – Lviv. The well-thought-out and intensive programme of the trip helped students to learn a lot of useful information firsthand from diplomats and employees of international organisations, discuss current issues in the political, economic, security and cultural spheres, broaden their horizons and gain invaluable experience that will direct their strengths and future careers in the best possible direction.
The trip began with two days in Warsaw, where the group was warmly welcomed by the Embassy of Ukraine in the Republic of Poland. The meeting with the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Ukraine to the Republic of Poland Vasyl Zvarych, a graduate of the Faculty of International Relations of the Ivan Franko National University of Lviv, and a cohort of diplomats of the Embassy – Roman Shepeliak, Vasyl Melnychuk, Olena Tsybukh – motivated and inspired students to work on obtaining a quality education in their chosen field, expand their own knowledge horizons and move purposefully towards their goals. The Ambassador outlined the main challenges of today, noting that over the past two years diplomacy has changed dramatically and shifted to a military approach, but cooperation between Ukraine and Poland in economic and humanitarian spheres remains extremely important. The discussion also touched upon the situation of Ukrainian refugees in Poland, possible repatriation of male migrants, the difficult situation with the blocking of the border, etc. Ambassador outlined the main challenges of today, noting that over the past two years diplomacy has changed dramatically and shifted to a military mode, but cooperation between Ukraine and Poland in economic and humanitarian spheres remains extremely important. The discussion also touched upon the situation of Ukrainian refugees in Poland, the possible repatriation of male migrants, the difficult situation with the blocking of the border, etc.
The next point of the programme was a visit to the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights, a structural unit of the OSCE, organised with the assistance of the Embassy of Ukraine in the Republic of Poland. Here, the students listened to three interactive lectures by ODIHR spokesperson Katia Andrusz and experts Alice Szczepanikova and Christopher Russell on the OSCE’s activities to protect human rights, promote democracy, migration and freedom of movement, respect for the rule of law and, in particular, cases of flagrant violations of international law during Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine. All participants expressed their hope that the impartial monitoring carried out by the OSCE staff and the reports on violations will be used to assess the crimes committed by the aggressor and to conduct trials. The programme in Warsaw concluded with an informative city tour and sightseeing. Continuing on the route, the group stopped for a walk in Brno, the second largest city in the Czech Republic, located in the picturesque South Moravian region, which is an important centre for higher education and information technology development, for which Brno has become known as the “Czech” or “Moravian Silicon Valley”.
The three-day programme in Vienna included visits to the Embassy of Ukraine in the Republic of Austria, the Austrian Parliament and the United Nations. In a friendly and pleasant atmosphere, the students had a conversation with the Embassy’s diplomats Volodymyr Kolomiets and Uliana Zadvorniak. Mr. Volodymyr gave a brief overview of the history of the Embassy building and bilateral relations between Ukraine and Austria, and held a discussion with the students, discussing the legal acts that regulate the diplomatic service and the activities of embassies as institutions. As a result of the blitz of questions from the diplomats, the most active students received gifts – badges of Ukrainian-Austrian relations. The trainees learnt first-hand about the directions and current challenges of the Embassy’s activities, the difficulties of working in the Austrian environment, where there is a strong Russian propaganda, the art of diplomacy in the context of Russia’s war against Ukraine, and received thorough and comprehensive answers to their questions. It is thanks to the assistance of the Embassy of Ukraine in Austria that the visit to the monumental and majestic building of the Austrian Parliament, which covers an area of over 13,500 m² and contains more than 100 rooms, the most important of which are the chambers of the National Council, the Federal Council, and the former imperial House of Representatives, became possible. Accompanied by English-speaking guides, the students toured the session halls, meeting rooms, libraries, lobbies, and learned more about the intricacies of parliamentarians’ work for the benefit of society. The visit to the UN Headquarters culminated in an informative and motivational interactive meeting of the students with representatives of the UN Specialized Agencies and the Permanent Mission of Ukraine to the International Organisations in Vienna, which was brilliantly organised by Ms Solomiya Omelyan, a graduate of the Faculty of International Relations of the Ivan Franko National University of Lviv, and currently the Head of the UNIDO Regional Bureau for Europe and Central Asia and President of the Ukrainian Club at the Vienna International Centre. Svitlana Nestorovska Majunarova and Catherine Dufresne (IAEA), Eric Bishel (UNIDO), Sanam Chantyaie (Preparatory Commission for the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organisation), Muriel Jordan-Etwyngnot (UN Office on Drugs and Crime) made presentations based on the current activities of the UN specialised agencies and, in particular, their projects and initiatives in Ukraine. Diplomats Dmytro Hryniv and Oleh Verbovyi, who were present at the meeting, discussed the intricacies of Ukrainian diplomacy in the context of Russia’s full-scale invasion and the main tasks of the Permanent Mission of Ukraine to the International Organisations in Vienna. The event was moderated by Karina Lanchuk, a member of the Permanent Mission, and Natalia Dvirna, a member of the Ukrainian Club in Vienna. In their free time, the students explored the main sights of Vienna during the sightseeing and optional excursions, visited numerous museums and exhibitions, and relaxed in the thermal complex.
The main element of the two-day programme in Budapest was a meeting with the diplomats of the Embassy of Ukraine in Hungary, which took place in the spacious hall of the Centre for Ukrainian Culture and Documentation in Hungary, a structural unit of the State Self-Government of Ukrainians in Hungary. In a cosy atmosphere, with delicious refreshments, the diplomat of the Embassy Ivan Lukasevych spoke to the students, discussing the sensitive topic of Ukrainian-Hungarian relations, the main areas of work of the Embassy and the challenges of wartime, as well as answering quite direct and sometimes sharp questions from the students and noting their awareness of the current issues. After a meeting with diplomats and a sightseeing tour of Budapest, the students also had plenty of time to explore the city at their leisure, visiting museums and thermal baths.After a meeting with diplomats and a sightseeing tour of Budapest, the students also had plenty of time to explore the city at their leisure, visiting museums and thermal baths.
The programme ended with an evening boat trip on the Danube, where the leaders solemnly handed over certificates of participation in the international trip, which will become another brick in the portfolio of personal achievements of each participant, as well as souvenirs from the Students’ Trade Union of Ivan Franko National University of Lviv.
The leaders and participants of the trip express their sincere gratitude for the assistance and assistance in organising the trip to the Rector of Ivan Franko National University of Lviv Professor Volodymyr Melnyk, Dean of the Faculty of International Relations Professor Markiyan Malsky, Director of the Institute of Postgraduate Education and Pre-University Training Professor Yuriy Zanko and all those involved. Students of the Faculty are invited to follow the announcements and join new trips, gaining a unique experience of exploring Europe and gaining professional knowledge.