Winterschule Ukraine: "Ukraine’s Cultural Heritage – EU Diplomacy and Regional Perspectives"

The IOS is co-organizing a Winter School on Ukrainian Cultural Heritage and EU Cultural Heritage Diplomacy at the University of Regensburg from 24 to 28 March 2025. The event is aimed at MA/PhD students and media professionals and will cover travel and accommodation costs (participation fee: 50€). Registration deadline: 25 January.

Since the onset of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the country’s cultural heritage has come under attack in Russia’s attempt to destroy cultural artifacts as a constitutive part of the nation. Historical architecture has been destroyed, cultural landmarks have been damaged, and invaluable artifacts have been looted to eliminate Ukraine’s historical legacy. At the moment, the preservation and protection of tangible and intangible cultural heritage have become crucial for safeguarding Ukraine’s nation.

In this context, the role of the European Union as a cultural and political agent is vital. Collaborative efforts at the EU level, including cultural heritage diplomacy, are designed to promote democracy, prevent conflicts - particularly in relation to contested heritage -, and to safeguard and reconstruct cultural heritage. The Winter School serves as a platform to delve into conceptual questions of cultural heritage and study various realms in which cultural heritage becomes associated with EU policy. It includes case studies and a comparative perspective on the respective processes in other countries and situates the Ukrainian experience within a broader regional framework.

Topic: "Ukraine’s Cultural Heritage: EU Diplomacy and Regional Perspectives" This Winter School is part of the initiatives of the project "HER-UKR: Challenges and Opportunities for EU Heritage Diplomacy in Ukraine" that is co-funded by the European Union within the framework of the ERASMUS+ Jean Monnet Policy Debate action. The event is organized in close cooperation with the following partner universities: the National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy (Kyiv, Ukraine), Södertörn University (Stockholm, Sweden), Ilia State University (Tbilisi, Georgia) and in Germany with the Think Space Ukraine at the University of Regensburg, Ukrainian Free University (UFU, Munich), the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich and the Leibniz Institute for East and Southeast European Studies (IOS) Regensburg. IOS Regensburg.

Location: University of Regensburg, Germany.

Language of instruction: English.

Target audience: MA and PhD students, and professionals from social institutions and the media who have an interest in exploring the fundamental historical, cultural, and social contexts of Ukraine and its neighboring regions. The program emphasizes Ukraine’s cultural heritage, EU heritage policy, and broader regional perspectives, making it ideal for those seeking to deepen their understanding of these issues in a multidisciplinary setting.

Format: Lectures and presentations, panel discussions, and movie screenings in the evening.

• The program gives insights into the history, politics, culture, and international law with a focus on Ukraine’s cultural heritage and EU heritage policy in a comparative perspective.
• Courses will run from 9:30 AM to 2:30 PM.
• A successful participant can receive 4 ECTS credits (credit points have to be acknowledged by the home institutions, please indicate your interest when registering).

Travel, accommodation, and subsistence costs will be covered by the organizers, we charge a fee of 50 Euro for the participation.

Registration deadline: January 25, 2025 (Please submit an e-mail to olha.martyniuk@ur.de with a short description of your motivation and information about yourself, a maximum of 1 page).