Workshop “Ukraine: A New EU Member State? From “Integration without Membership” to “Integration through War”
On 8-9 June, the University of Agder hosted an international workshop, titled “Ukraine: A New EU Member State? From “Integration without Membership” to “Integration through War”. The Project Team organized the workshop as a step towards preparing the eponymous edited volume to be published with an international publishing house.
The aim of the workshop and the prospective book is to take stock of the dynamics of Ukraine’s thorny European integration path and addresses key challenges stemming from Ukraine’s unique situation of acquiring EU candidate country status amid the war with Russia. Thus, in their presentations workshop participants addressed an array of intriguing questions, such as: How can the reconstruction of Ukraine be coupled with EU accession negotiations? What can be done to avoid the accession negotiations with Ukraine to last decades like those with Turkey or the Western Balkans? How can the EU and Ukraine cooperate to strengthen regional security amid Russia’s assertiveness? In doing so, presenters brought together political science and legal perspectives, single-case, comparative and large-n research designs, and knowledge from different areas, including democratization, human rights, trade, environment and education.
As a follow-up to the workshop, the Project Team is currently consolidating individual feedback to presenters, who will continue working on their contributions in summer 2023. Detailed account of presenters and their contributions is available in the attached programme.
Webinar “Internationalizing Business –Harnessing Norwegian Experience for Ukrainian Companies” (March 2022, UiA, Ukrainian Catholic University and Lviv Business School)
Why does the European Union conclude association agreements with third countries? What is in common between the European Economic Area, where Norway is a member, and the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement? Which common challenges do Norway and Ukraine face, when seeking more trade with the EU? And what are the prospects for Norwegian-Ukrainian bilateral cooperation? Are there special opportunities, when it comes to innovation?
Interested in getting answers to these questions? Visit our “Webinar” page and go through exciting presentations by session convenors from the UiA, Innovation Norway, the Norwegian-Ukrainian Chamber of Commerce, Ukraine’s Export Promotion Office and Ukrainian universities. The webinar was co-organized by the UiA and the Ukrainian Catholic University and the Lviv Business School in terms of the Research Council of Norway-funded project “Lowering the Bar? Compliance Negotiations and the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement”. It was also supported by UiA’s Jean Monnet Centre of Excellence “Laboratories of Differentiated Integration in a Post-Brexit Europe”. The initial programme is available below. Unfortunately, some of the sessions did not take place due to the Russia’s war against Ukraine
| Webinar “Internationalizing Business – Harnessing Norwegian Experience for Ukrainian Companies” University of Agder, Ukrainian Catholic University and L’viv Business School March 2022 | |
| Day 1 (3 hours) 1 March 2022 | |
| Anne Pintsch, Associate Professor, and Maryna Rabinovych, Postdoctoral Researcher at UiA 10.00-11.00 Kyiv time (09.00-10.00 KRS time) | Comparing the European Economic Area and the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement: Theoretical and Legal Aspects |
| Rotem Shneor, Associate Professor at UiA, 11.15-12.15 Kyiv time (10.15-11.15 KRS time) | “Internationalization” in the EEA context |
| Magnar Ødelien, Advisor at the Innovation Norway 12.30-13.30 Kyiv time (11.30-12.30 KRS time) | The EEA Agreement as a Platform for Internationalization for Norwegian companies |
| Day 2 (3 hours) 2 March 2022 | |
| Stian Halsen, Project Manager at the Norwegian-Ukrainian Chamber of Commerce (NUCC) 10.00-11.00 Kyiv (09.00-10.00 KRS time) | NUCC. Bilateral Trade, Trade Agreements and Future Challenges |
| Olga Gvozdyova, Market Intelligence Expert, USAID/CEP, Advisor to the Entrepreneurship and Export Promotion Office (EPO) 11.15-12.15 Kyiv time (10.15-11.15 KRS time) | The Experience of Exports in terms of the DCFTA. Achievements, Difficulties and Challenges |
| Kormotech company representative, Kyiv (to be confirmed) 12.30-13.30 Kyiv time (11.30-12.30 KRS time) | Exporting Ukrainian agricultural products to the EU: Experience and Challenges |
| Day 3 (2 hours) 3 March 2022 | |
| Olena Maslyukivska, Associate Professor at Kyiv Mohyla Academy and independent expert 3 March 2022, 10.00-11.00 Kyiv time (09.00-10.00 KRS time) | “Opportunities for Green Business in Ukraine” (confirmed) |
| Iryna Nyenno, Associate Professor and the Head of the “Centre Innovation” Office of the Odesa National University 3 March 2022, 11.15-12.15 Kyiv time (10.15-11.15 KRS time) | “Internationalization Call for Ukrainian Companies: Competitiveness through Innovation” |
Network meeting in Lviv (Ukraine) in September 2021
Dr. Halyna Protsyk., Dr. Nataliya Antonyuk, Dr. Okana Krajevska
\and Dr. Roman Kalytchak
meeting at the Ukrainian Catholic University (UCU) premises.
On 16 September 2021, the University of Agder (UiA) and project partner Ukrainian Catholic University (UCU) acted as co-organizers of the hybrid-format network meeting of members of UiA’s Department of Political Science and Management with EU Studies scholars and experts based in Lviv. The objective of the meeting has been to introduce the Research Council of Norway-funded project “Lowering the Bar – Compliance Negotiations and the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement” to the broader network of Lviv-based scholars and discuss further cooperation prospects.
The meeting was attended by three UiA scholars: Head of the Political Science and Management Department Prof. Dr. Stefan Gänzle, Associate Professor Dr. Anne Pintsch and Post-Doc Researcher Dr. Maryna Rabinovych. The Ukrainian Catholic University was represented by the Vice-Rector for Academic and Internationalization Affairs Dr. Dmytro Sherengovsky and Director of the International Academic Relations Office Dr. Halyna Protsyk. Further meeting participants included Dr. Nataliya Antonyuk, Chairperson of the Political Studies and Tourism Department at Lviv National University, Dr. Oskana Krayevska representing the same Department and Dr. Roman Kalytchak, Associate Professor at the International Relations and Diplomacy Department of the Lviv National University.
The meeting commenced with a general introduction of the UiA’s Department of Political Science and Management by Prof. Dr. Stefan Gänzle and the introduction of the “Lowering the Bar” project by Dr. Anne Pintsch and Dr. Maryna Rabinovych. Next, the UCU and Lviv National University representatives shared their experiences of working on externally funded projects on EU foreign relations and Ukraine’s European integration. The meeting concluded with the discussion of opportunities for follow-up and satellite projects, revolving around the topics of the EU’s differentiated integration in the North and East and the teaching of European Studies in various contexts.
Many thanks to the UCU for hosting the meeting and looking forward to further cooperation.