Associate Professor Roksolana Ivanova Successfully Passed the Competitive Selection and Took Part in the European Union Visitors Programme (EUVP)

The Department of International and European Law is proud to announce that Associate Professor of the Department Roksolana Ivanova successfully passed the competitive selection and took part in the European Union Visitors Programme (EUVP). Her individual visit took place on 5–9 February 2024 and included working meetings in Brussels, as well as thematic trips to Luxembourg (an introduction to the work of the Court of Justice of the EU and attendance at an open court hearing) and Strasbourg (the parliamentary dimension of EU policy communication).
The EUVP is a joint initiative of the Secretariat-General of the European Parliament and the European Commission's Service for Foreign Policy Instruments. The programme is designed for leaders from the academic, public and civil society sectors of EU partner countries and provides individually tailored (tailor-made) study visits to EU institutions. Participants are nominated by EU Delegations, after which the selection is made by the programme's steering committee; the invitation is valid for one calendar year. The typical format includes five working days in Brussels, with the possibility of thematic trips to Strasbourg during a plenary session of the European Parliament and/or to Luxembourg to visit the Union's institutions. The aim of the programme is to give participants first-hand understanding of EU law and policies and the mechanisms for their preparation and implementation, and to create a lasting network of professional contacts. During the visit, Roksolana Ivanova worked to an intensive schedule of individual briefings and consultations with representatives of EU institutions in Brussels, discussing in particular the rule of law, transparency of public finances, EU education and youth policy, external relations and the Eastern Partnership. A particular highlight was attending an open court hearing at the Court of Justice of the EU in Luxembourg, which made it possible to see the practice of interpreting and applying the acquis in action, as well as an introductory programme in Strasbourg devoted to parliamentary procedures and policy communication. Joint sessions provided an interdisciplinary exchange with other EUVP participants – representatives of universities, think tanks, public authorities and the civil society sector – which strengthened networking and set further directions for cooperation. The results of the visit are already being integrated into the university's international activities: partnership interaction with EU institutions and expert networks is expanding for guest lectures and joint webinars; current cases and practical formats of work (policy brief, legal memo, compliance tools) are being introduced into courses on international and European law; and new topics for joint research on the implementation of EU standards, transparency of public finances, good governance and post-war recovery have been outlined. Thus, Associate Professor Ivanova's participation in the EUVP has strengthened the international capacity of the Department and the University and has created added value for students through access to current EU practices and expert contacts. We congratulate Roksolana Ivanova on her excellent result in the competition and on worthily representing our University at the level of the European Union institutions.