An online meeting of students majoring in International Relations and teachers of the Department, including Lesia Kornat, Iryna Klymchuk, Yaryna Zavada, Olena Lukachuk and Dr. Cynthia Nichols, Regional Public Engagement Specialist at the US Embassy in Kyiv, who curates American Spaces in Ukraine and Moldova, took place on March 20, 2023. The event was held as part of the cooperation between the Department of Political Science and International Relations, the Institute of the Humanities and Social Sciences, Lviv Polytechnic, and America House Lviv.
The theme of the meeting – How the US Democracy works: Foreign Policy – is extremely important for students majoring in International Relations. How is the country’s image formed in the world? How can you influence public opinion and introduce people to the culture, traditions and values that your country supports? The answer is public diplomacy.
Cynthia Nichols focused the attention of students on the principles and mechanisms of US diplomacy and the processes and challenges of decision-making related to foreign affairs, and shared her experience with the students. Cynthia spoke about the possibilities of American Spaces as a tool of public diplomacy, which unites the world with the United States of America, and called for deepening cooperation with America House Lviv in order to see it firsthand.
The moderator of the meeting was Solomiia Borshosh, executive director of the Ukrainian Institute. She has been working in the field of civil society and international relations for more than 14 years. Today, as a member of the team of the Ukrainian Institute at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, she promotes better knowledge and understanding of Ukraine at the international level and develops cultural cooperation between Ukraine and other countries.
The meeting was held with the America House Lviv team at their office in Lviv. At the meeting, students asked interesting and important questions, trying to choose the most effective tools of American public diplomacy for the development of Ukrainian diplomacy in the current difficult conditions of the Russian-Ukrainian war.
Thank you for the cooperation and support of our students Cynthia Nichols, Solomiia Borshosh and Volodymyr Beglov!
