The final conference of the international Jean Monnet research project “Challenges and Opportunities for EU Heritage Diplomacy in Ukraine”, in which Bohdan Khmelnytsky National University of Cherkasy also participates, was held at Södertörn University in Stockholm (Sweden) from 3 to 5 June 2026.

The developers of Work Package 5, “Strategic Communications”, – representatives of Bohdan Khmelnytsky National University of Cherkasy, Professor Svitlana Zhabotynska and Tetiana McGowan, PhD (Linguistics), together with Professor Nataliia Chaban and Professor Paul Millar from the University of Canterbury (New Zealand) – presented the electronic information system “Ukropedia: Ukrainian Identity”. The system contains materials comprising over 1,500 English-language annotated popular articles and videos, grouped into 58 categories and hierarchically organised into thematic clusters. The materials cover various aspects of Ukrainian identity, including history, culture, education, science, sports, tourist attractions, and more.

A special section focuses on the history and present-day realities of Russian aggression against Ukraine’s national identity. The information provided in the system can be applied in various fields of public diplomacy aimed at familiarising the international community with the historical and cultural “portrait” of Ukraine. The materials for “Ukropedia” were prepared by students and lecturers of Bohdan Khmelnytsky National University of Cherkasy, while the technical development of the system was carried out by the University of Canterbury. The pilot version of “Ukropedia”, presented in Stockholm, received high praise from European scholars and diplomats.

The successful implementation of this Jean Monnet project is a significant contribution to strengthening Ukraine’s international image and developing its public diplomacy. The creation of “Ukropedia” at a time when Ukrainian identity is under threat from Russian aggression is not only an important academic achievement but also a powerful information weapon.

Svitlana Zhabotynska, Professor at the Department of English Philology and Methods of Teaching English