ODU KNOWLEDGE · The Dutch foundation OpenDoorUkraine.NL (ODU) will hold a special conference in The Hague on January 11 to assess the state of knowledge about Ukraine. Ukrainian experts from universities and think tanks in the Netherlands and Flanders, including several Ukrainian scientists, have been invited to this confidential meeting.
The discussion will take place under the title “ Mapping Ukraine expertise to meet future challenges: how can our knowledge about Ukraine support post-war reconstruction and reform?”
The brutal Russian invasion of February 24, 2022 has firmly and tragically placed Ukraine at the top of the news headlines for much of the past year. But how far does our understanding of Ukraine extend? Are there gaps in our knowledge and how can they be addressed?
Can better knowledge of Ukraine be mobilized to shape actions and policies that can help Ukraine overcome the damage of the war and support the reconstruction and reform process? These are the topics that will be discussed during the meeting.
This event is organized by OpenDoorUkraine.NL in collaboration with the Clingendael Netherlands Institute of International Relations . It is supported by the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the framework of the Russia & Eastern Europe Knowledge Alliance (REKA) managed by Clingendael.
As part of this project, ODU will present at the conference a summary bibliography of literature on Ukraine – books, reports, articles, novels, podcasts, etc. – that can provide basic information about Ukraine and the background to the current conflict. The bibliography will be posted on this website after the conference.
ODU views knowledge of Ukraine as crucial to continued Western support for Ukraine as a free, democratic and sovereign country in the face of military aggression. We therefore hope that this project can lead to further follow-up initiatives to increase knowledge and understanding of Ukraine.
by Diederik Kramers
Photo: Depositphotos