East Europe Foundation, with financial support from the Embassy of Ireland in Ukraine has introduced a free course, “Ukraine’s Accession to the EU”, on the Zrozumilo! educational online platform.

This course explains the specifics of the negotiation process for Ukraine’s accession to the European Union, outlines the negotiation clusters, and outlines the reforms that Ukraine must implement to advance its European integration.

“We are now facing one of the greatest challenges and opportunities in the history of independent Ukraine – the negotiation process for EU accession. We have never been so strongly motivated. The way we act now will determine the fate of our state for decades to come. Ukraine is part of Europe – geographically, mentally, and in terms of values. Now, we must ensure the effectiveness of every step toward full membership in the European Union as an institution,” said Vira Nedzvedska, Vice President for Strategic Partnerships at East Europe Foundation, during the course presentation.

Ukraine’s path to EU membership is rooted in the country’s historical belonging to the European community. This process began with Ukraine’s independence and continues to this day. In recent years, the country has made a significant and determined leap forward, choosing European integration as the sole direction for its future development.

“This online course is a step toward Ukraine’s European integration. We supported East Europe Foundation in its creation to help Ukrainians better understand both the integration process and the fundamental values of the EU. Ireland was among the first countries to support Ukraine from the very beginning. While the path of reform is always challenging, Ukraine is progressing through it remarkably fast. We continue to support the capacity of Ukrainian society on this journey and hope that Ukraine will become a member of the European Union in the near future,” emphasized Jonathan Conlon, Ambassador of Ireland to Ukraine, during the course presentation.

Daria Haidai, Deputy Head of the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration of Ukraine, noted that a course with updated information on Ukraine’s integration process is highly relevant:

“Many partners have confirmed it. It’s additional way to maintain a dialogue with society and move Ukraine closer to the EU,” she affirmed.

Over the course of 13 lectures, participants will:

• gain a deeper understanding of the nuances and stages of the negotiation process
• learn about the reforms already underway in the country and those still required
  understand the importance of democratic transformation and the affirming of European values in Ukrainian society

The lectures are accompanied by expert commentary in political science, education, journalism, the civic sector, as well as representatives of the Government Office for Coordination of European and Euro-Atlantic Integration and the Embassy of Ireland in Ukraine.

The course is hosted by Marichka Padalko, TV presenter and journalist. The lecture materials were prepared by faculty from the Educational and Scientific Institute of International Relations at Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv.

After successfully passing the course’s quizzes, participants can receive a certificate awarding 0.2 ECTS credits or six academic hours, recognized as self-education.

Register for the course here: https://bit.ly/4laeD0x

An online course developed within the framework of the “Towards the EU” Programme implemented by East Europe Foundation with the financial support of the Embassy of Ireland in Ukraine.