Since February 2014, Russia’s planned military aggression against Ukraine led to huge human losses, the occupation of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol, and the war in the Ukrainian Donbas. On February 24, 2022, the President of the Russian Federation announced the beginning of a «special military operation» with the aim of «demilitarization and denazification of Ukraine», which is a crime against humanity, a violation of fundamental norms and principles of international law. The previously established system of regional security proved unable to prevent such crimes.
But even in such extremely difficult conditions, Ukraine continues its European integration progress, having received the status of a candidate for EU membership in June 2022. The democratic world and European partners consolidated their efforts to support Ukraine and restore the world order. However, there is no doubt that the post-war order and the system of international relations in general are undergoing changes. Rhetorical questions arise:
- What will be the future of the European Union and Ukraine after the end of the war?
- How has the war changed the EU and Ukraine?
If you have your own position on this topic, the Department of Political Science and International Relations, Lviv Polytechnic National University, and the team of the project «EU Initiative «Eastern Partnership: Opportunities for Ukraine» within the framework of the EU program Erasmus+ Jean Monnet invite you to participate in the essay competition.
The purpose of the competition is to involve young people in the discussion of the European integration possibilities of Ukraine and the development of the European Union in the conditions of modern geopolitical challenges.
Students of the 9–11 grades and students can take part in the competition. To do this, you need to write an essay of 600–700 words on any of the following topics:
- Why is the European integration of Ukraine important in the conditions of war?
- Is reform of the UN necessary?
- How is Russian aggression changing the European Union?
- What should be the new comprehensive formats of European cooperation?
- What is the importance of the CEE countries in the formation of a new political and security order in Europe?
- What is the role of the EU and European partners in supporting Ukraine and its post-war recovery?
The composition must be sent to the e-mail address ol.tsebenko@gmail.com of the contact person – Oleh Tsebenko, specifying the name and surname, city/village, age, educational institution, and contacts (phone, e-mail, Facebook page).
The language of the essay: Ukrainian.
Layout: A4 format, book orientation, materials saved and prepared in Microsoft Word format (*.doc or *.docx); margins – all sides – 2 cm, text alignment by width; font – Times New Roman 14 pt, spacing – 1.5, paragraph – 1.25 cm; page numbering is optional; refer to the literature in the footnotes at the bottom of the page (if available)
The name of the file with the essay must be signed according to the surname and initials of the contestant.
The submission deadline is May 10, 2023 inclusive.
The main attention during the assessment will be directed to:
- depth of disclosure of the specified topic;
- originality and non-standard thinking;
- compositional integrity;
- literacy of presentation.
All participants of the competition will receive certificates. The authors of the best works will receive awards, and their materials will be posted on the project website.
The competition takes place within the framework of the EU Initiative «Eastern Partnership: Opportunities for Ukraine» with the support of the European Neighborhood Instrument, the Erasmus+ programme, and the Jean Monnet Actions.
More detailed information can be found on the project website.
