During her visit to France, Ukraine’s First Lady Olena Zelenska, together with Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba and Director General of the Ukrainian Institute Volodymyr Sheiko, met at the Sorbonne with the country’s academic community and leaders of leading educational institutions. The First Lady thanked them for their support of Ukrainian students and researchers.
“I am also grateful to France for a new step. Twelve distinguished French educational institutions are joining the Global Coalition for Ukrainian Studies – a project dedicated to the academic study of Ukraine,” she emphasized.
The institutions joining include: Sorbonne Université, Université de Lorraine, Université Rennes 2, INALCO (Institut National des Langues et Civilisations Orientales), Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne, Nantes Université, HEIP (Hautes Études Internationales et Politiques), CEDS (Centre d'Études Diplomatiques et Stratégiques), Université Paris Panthéon-Assas, Université de Rennes (letter of intent), and Sciences Po Rennes (letter of intent). The coalition now counts 44 members from 15 countries worldwide.
“Social media and sensational headlines have replaced genuine knowledge for many people. We aim to counter this with deep, academic knowledge. We want to offer students objective facts and analysis, covering our full history, culture, and social sciences, so everyone can receive complete information and draw their own conclusions,” said the First Lady.
Olena Zelenska also presented the global education campaign “Every Generation Leaves Its Mark. Education Shapes Its Legacy,” launched following the 5th Summit of First Ladies and Gentlemen. The campaign now covers 32 countries, including France.
Additionally, at the Sorbonne, the Ukrainian delegation presented the installation “Dual Desk,” with the damaged half symbolizing the impact of war and the intact half representing the power of education.
“All of us, all countries, need humane and quality education as an antidote to prejudice, intolerance, and contemporary barbarism. This is not just about today. It is about what Europe will be like in ten, twenty, fifty years,” concluded Olena Zelenska.
