Bohdan Khmelnytsky National University of Cherkasy has been granted membership in a prestigious international association of political science researchers.

The European Consortium for Political Research (ECPR) brings together scholars to advance research in political science and promote the development of this field for the benefit of the academic community and society as a whole.

Bohdan Khmelnytsky National University of Cherkasy was able to join the Consortium as part of the implementation of the Jean Monnet project “Challenges and Opportunities for EU Heritage Diplomacy in Ukraine” (Project No. 101127459; ERASMUS-JMO-2023-NETWORKS, European Commission). In July 2026, project participants presented their research findings at the annual conference in Catania, Italy. Professor Oksana Pietsukh delivered a presentation on Ukrainian heritage. The project was introduced at the panel titled “The Battle of Narratives and the Weaponisation of Cultural and Historical Heritage: Cultural Diplomacy and EU Heritage Diplomacy.”

In December 2023, the ECPR officially announced six Ukrainian institutions that had been granted free membership following the outbreak of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine: Dnipro State University of Internal Affairs (DSUIA), Mykhailo Tuhan-Baranovskyi Donetsk National University of Economics and Trade (DonNUET), Kharkiv University of Humanities “People’s Ukrainian Academy” (PUA), the Kuras Institute of Political and Ethnic Studies of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Kyiv School of Economics (KSE), and Nizhyn Mykola Gogol State University. In 2026, Bohdan Khmelnytsky National University of Cherkasy and Yuriy Fedkovych Chernivtsi National University were added to the register. The European Consortium for Political Research brings together more than 20,000 individuals from over 300 leading academic institutions worldwide engaged in teaching and research in the fields of political science and the social sciences.

According to the ECPR’s founders, its main goal is to advance the field of political science by fostering collaboration among scholars worldwide – from those just beginning their careers to established academics – in order to exchange ideas, publish research findings, and expand professional networks.

“Why is ECPR membership important for BKNUC? Bohdan Khmelnytsky National University of Cherkasy is now a full ECPR member, with three affiliated scholars listed in the ECPR register. This is of practical importance for the field of International Relations / Political Science / Public Diplomacy: ECPR membership provides access to its conferences, Standing Groups, Research Networks, grants for early-career researchers, discounts on events, and other opportunities,” explains Natalka Zemziulina, Professor at the Department of World History and International Relations.

According to Natalka Zemziulina, BKNUC researchers have organised a dedicated panel focusing on the following areas: “Cultural Heritage Diplomacy and the Europeanisation of Ukraine”; “Ukraine’s Public Diplomacy in Europe during Wartime”; and “Cultural Heritage, Narratives, and European Integration: Ukraine in EU Public Diplomacy.”

The financial support available to members is another important benefit. The number of grants a member institution can receive from the ECPR has increased: since 2020, a member institution has been eligible to receive up to ten grants per year. The ECPR has introduced a new funding stream under which 10% of the annual budget surplus will be allocated to new initiatives, in addition to the above-mentioned opportunities.

The Rising Star Award supports a talented PhD student who does not have access to other funding sources, enabling them to participate in ECPR activities for one year. The Active Participation Award provides one year of free ECPR membership to a member institution whose representatives have been the most active participants in key ECPR events during the previous year, taking the size of the institution into account. The Consortium also offers a Research Project Grant for a Standing Group or Research Network. In addition, a Jubilee Fund has been established with an initial capital of £10,000, to which both individuals and institutions can contribute.

Organisations actively collaborating within the Consortium include the American Political Science Association (APSA), the International Political Science Association (IPSA), the Political Studies Association of the United Kingdom (PSA), the European Political Science Association (EPSA), the University Association for Contemporary European Studies (UACES), the Council for European Studies (CES), and the British International Studies Association (BISA).

Natalka Zemziulina, Professor, Department of World History and International Relations