Network Meeting at UCU/Lviv and online, September 2021

Network meeting at the Ukrainian Catholic University in Lviv, September 2021 

Photo by Halyna Protsyk. From left to right: Dr. Dmytro Sherengovsky,
Dr. Halyna Protsyk., Dr. Nataliya Antonyuk, Dr. Okana Krajevska
\and Dr. Roman Kalytchak
meeting at the Ukrainian Catholic University (UCU) premises.
Photo by Maryna Rabinovych. UCU logo

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.