High-Level Lecture on Ukraine: "Determinants and Outcomes of Ukraine's Euromaidan Revolution: The International Context" by Professor Andreas UMLAND

EuroMaidan in Kyiv emerged in response to the previous Ukrainian government’s failure to sign an Association Agreement with the European Union. It eventually resulted in the collapse of the regime of Viktor YANUKOVYCH. During three dramatic months, protesters in Ukraine claimed to stand in defence of basic human rights, civic liberties and universal values. According to latest figures, ninety-nine people were killed in violent clashes in Kyiv and hundreds of others were wounded. At the same time, multiple cases of abuse of power and illegitimate actions carried out by the state institutions have been reported. Thus, the revolution in Ukraine represents a unique case in the history of Europe and the EU. The events in Ukraine have been precipitated by the desire of Ukrainian society to see their country embark on a path of reform, not least with the objective of intensifying relations and cooperation with the EU. After all, EU diplomacy on the ground contributed to the halting of violence in Kyiv and elsewhere. Yet, the situation in Ukraine continues to be highly volatile due to Russian interference in Crimea  and the illegitimate projection of force. 

Against this backdrop, the European Neighbourhood Policy Chair organized a High-Level Lecture, in the framwork of the Natolin Neighbourhood Days, featuring Prof. Dr Andreas UMLAND (Kyiv Mohyla Academy) and Ukrainian alumni of the College of Europe. This guest lecture provided a unique opportunity to analyse different international and domestic factors which contributed to the latest developments and to discuss the first-hand experience of civil society during the Maidan protests. 

This event was open to the public and was followed by a reception. The language of the lecture and the panel debate was English. For more information, please send an email to: maja.olszewska [at] coleurope.eu.

About the speakers:

Prof. Dr Andreas UMLAND is a DAAD Senior Lecturer in Political Science at Kyiv's Mohyla Academy. He holds a Certified Translation Diploma of Universität Leipzig, a Master of Arts in Political Sciences, awarded by Stanford University, a Master Degree in Russian and East European Studies of Oxford University, a Master Diploma of Political Sciences, a PhD in Philosophy from the Free University of Berlin, and a Doctoral Degree from Cambridge University. He was a visiting fellow at Stanford’s Hoover Institution from 1997 until 1999 and at the Harvard Weatherhead Center during 2001 and 2002. He was a Bosch visiting lecturer in International Relations and Political Science at Yekaterinburg’s Urals State University during 1999-2001, and he worked at Kyiv’s Mohyla Academy during 2003-2005. In 2004, Prof. UMLAND worked as a temporary lecturer in Russian and East European studies at St. Antony’s College Oxford. In the same year he took up the function of general editor of Ibidem Press's book series "Soviet and Post-Soviet Politics and Society" (SPPS). Between 2005 and 2008, Prof. UMLAND worked as a DAAD lecturer in German studies at Kyiv’s Shevchenko University. He is the founder and administrator of the web archive/Yahoo group "Russian Nationalism", coordinator of its biweekly bulletin RNB, member of the Eichstätt Institute for Central and East European Studies (ZIMOS), and co-editor of the German printed and Russian web journals "Forum for Contemporary East European History and Ideas”. He has been coordinator of the biweekly "Russian Nationalism Bulletin", and co-editor of the web journal "Forum noveishei vostochnoevropeiskoi istorii i kul'tury" (Forum of contemporary East European history and culture).

The lecture was accompanied by the testimonies of Ukrainian Alumni of the College of Europe, as follows:

Ms Tetiana SEMILETKO, Director of the European Partnership Institute, lawyer at the Media Law Institute, Kyiv

Mr Volodymyr KUZKA, Expert in EU technical assistance and programmes, Kyiv

Ms Zhanna BEZPIATCHUK, Journalist, Radio Swoboda