On 17 March 2026, as part of the project ‘EU Global Responsible Leadership: Climate Change, Environmental Protection and Humanitarian Aid’ (EU_LEAD), supported by the Jean Monnet strand of the Erasmus+ programme, a public lecture was held by Oleg Tsebenko, PhD in Political Science Oleg Tsebenko, Associate Professor at the Department of Political Science and International Relations, APP, on the topic ‘The EU as a Global Responsible Leader’ for lecturers, postgraduate students and undergraduates at Petro Mohyla Black Sea National University (Mykolaiv).
During the lecture, the distinctive features, key components, prospects and challenges for the EU’s global leadership in contemporary international relations were discussed, and EU programmes and strategies aimed at achieving its leadership positions in the world were highlighted. Particular attention was paid to the opportunities the EU offers young people, the EU’s important mission in supporting peace and stability, promoting democracy, mediating in conflicts, EU missions around the world, and addressing climate and humanitarian crises. During the lecture, the speaker emphasised the existential importance of Ukraine’s Euro-Atlantic orientation and the EU’s strategic role in supporting the Ukrainian state during the Russia-Ukraine war and post-war reconstruction.
The event concluded with a lively discussion during which students asked about the prospects for EU enlargement, the humanitarian capabilities of European partners, support for Ukraine, the EU’s digital and defence potential, and other topics. Members of the EU_LEAD project, Professor Yaryna Turchyn and Associate Professor Olga Ivaschenko, also joined the discussion. A total of 50 people took part in the event – students from the ‘International Relations’, ‘Political Science’, and ‘History and Archaeology’ programmes, as well as postgraduate students and lecturers from the departments of International Relations and Foreign Policy, History, Journalism, and Political Science at Petro Mohyla Black Sea National University.
The EU_LEAD project team would like to express its gratitude to Oleksandr Shevchuk, Head of the Department of International Relations and Foreign Policy at Petro Mohyla Black Sea National University, and his colleagues for organising this joint event, their professional approach to the development of European studies, and their warm feedback https://chmnu.edu.ua/yevropejski-studiyi -dlya-majbutnih-fahivtsiv-u-chnu-imeni-petra-mogili-vidbulasya-publichna-lektsiya-vid-predstavnikiv-lvivskoyi-politehniki/.
