Bohdan Khmelnytsky National University of Cherkasy, through the efforts of its representatives, continues to play an active role in global policy and academic events dedicated to the pressing challenges of Ukraine’s reconstruction. In particular, this week, a virtual meeting of experts on engaging the Ukrainian diaspora in supporting and rebuilding Ukraine during and after the war was held under the auspices of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD, Paris) and the International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD, Vienna).

One of the invited participants in this top-level international event was Taras Romashchenko, Associate Professor of the Department of Economics and International Economic Relations.

“According to estimates, the Ukrainian diaspora worldwide (the Global Ukrainian Community, GUC) numbers between 20 and 25 million people. Throughout the full-scale war, diaspora members have consistently supported Ukraine through substantial remittances, the transfer of human capital, humanitarian assistance, and other socio-economic initiatives. At the same time, significant challenges remain in terms of systematically engaging the GUC in current and future reconstruction programmes for our country, which continues to suffer daily destruction at the hands of an existential aggressor from the East. In particular, the lack of a shared understanding of the fundamental goals of cooperation, financial and human resource constraints within diaspora institutions, as well as bureaucratic and communication barriers, have become major obstacles to efficient interaction between representatives of the Ukrainian diaspora and Ukraine itself.

Against this backdrop, the online seminar entitled ‘Engaging the Global Ukrainian Community for Ukraine’s recovery – where we stand and next steps’ was designed to bring together Ukrainian and European policymakers, representatives of the Ukrainian diaspora, academics, and other stakeholders linked to the Global Ukrainian Community,” noted Taras Romashchenko.

At the beginning of the meeting, invited experts listened to substantive presentations by the organisers – representatives of the aforementioned international organisations – on the development of the Ukrainian diaspora and the challenges it has faced since the start of the full-scale war in Ukraine. The audience was then divided into three separate virtual rooms to discuss, in turn, key issues, potential solutions, and possible measures by international partners to support Ukraine’s recovery with the involvement of Ukrainians abroad.

According to Taras Romashchenko, his remarks and relevant contributions on the current state of the GUC and its evolution during the invasion, as well as on ways to strengthen the role of the national diaspora in Ukraine’s recovery, proved genuinely valuable for all participants. As for the organisers, representatives of the OECD and ICMPD pledged to take into account the useful ideas and proposals voiced during the discussion in their further practical cooperation with Ukraine and its diaspora.

Department of Economics and International Economic Relations