Senior Research Fellow of the Institute Participates in an International Side Event at the Ukraine Recovery Conference 2026
On 24 June 2026, the international side event “Human Resource in Recovery: Her Dimension” took place in Gdańsk, Poland, within the framework of the Ukraine Recovery Conference 2026 (URC-2026). The event focused on the role of human capital and women’s leadership in Ukraine’s post-war recovery.
The event was attended by Dr. Anastasiia Dehterenko, Associate Professor and Senior Research Fellow at the Department of Ethnopolitics of the Kuras Institute of Political and Ethnic Studies of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, who also represented the NGO Academy of Resilient Development of Ukraine.
The side event brought together representatives of academia, public authorities, international organizations, civil society, and the expert community to discuss one of the key challenges facing post-war Ukraine—the preservation and development of human capital as the foundation for the country’s sustainable recovery.
Group photo of the participants of the international side event Human Resource in Recovery: Her Dimension held within the framework of the Ukraine Recovery Conference 2026, Gdańsk, Poland.
Participation in the event was made possible through the support of the Ukrainian Women’s Fund under the programme “Women’s Voice and Leadership – Ukraine: New Strength”, implemented with the financial support of the Government of Canada. This support enabled the presentation of Ukrainian academic expertise at one of the leading international platforms where contemporary approaches to Ukraine’s post-war recovery are being discussed and developed.
One of the central conclusions of the discussions was the recognition that Ukraine’s future depends first and foremost on its people, while human capital represents the country’s most valuable resource for sustainable recovery. Consequently, women’s leadership, professional empowerment, support for Ukrainian women abroad, and their contribution to Ukraine’s reconstruction have emerged as issues of strategic importance.
Particular attention was devoted to ensuring the meaningful participation of women in decision-making processes. Effective post-war recovery cannot be achieved without women’s representation in leadership positions and in the institutions where public policies are formulated, strategic priorities are defined, and decisions about Ukraine’s future are made. Inclusive leadership is therefore one of the key prerequisites for the country’s sustainable, democratic, and people-centred recovery.
Participants of the international side event Human Resource in Recovery: Her Dimension, dedicated to the role of human capital and women’s leadership in Ukraine’s post-war recovery. Ukraine Recovery Conference 2026, Gdańsk.
During the event, two major analytical studies were presented. The first demonstrated that 67% of Ukrainian women who have been forcibly displaced to European Union countries since 2022 are already actively contributing to Ukraine’s recovery through professional engagement, economic activity, international advocacy, and volunteer initiatives. The second examined the economic potential of women’s labour market participation, concluding that greater integration of economically inactive women into the workforce could become one of the key drivers of Ukraine’s economic recovery.
Particular attention was devoted to presentations by Kateryna Levchenko, Ella Libanova, Nataliia Karbovska, Melinda Simmons, Mirosława Keryk, Sylvie Bratten, and other distinguished international experts. The speakers emphasized that human capital should be viewed not merely as an economic asset but, above all, as the cornerstone of social resilience, democratic governance, and post-war transformation.
Anastasiia Dehterenko (second from the left) together with participants of the international side event “Human Resource in Recovery: Her Dimension” during the discussion on strengthening partnerships with women’s organizations. Gdańsk, Poland, 24 June 2026.
Participation in the event provided an opportunity to present the Institute’s research expertise in ethnopolitical resilience, human capital, migration, and social cohesion while engaging with emerging international analytical approaches to post-war recovery policies. The analytical findings and professional discussions will contribute to the further development of the Institute’s research on ethnopolitics, public governance, societal resilience, and Ukraine’s post-war recovery.
The participation of the Institute’s researchers in international expert discussions strengthens international academic cooperation, facilitates the integration of Ukrainian scholarship into the European Research Area, and enhances the international visibility of Ukrainian research. Such international platforms create valuable opportunities for building long-term partnerships, exchanging expertise, and jointly developing evidence-informed approaches to support Ukraine’s sustainable recovery and long-term development.
Anastasiia Dehterenko with Anka Feldhusen, Business Ombudsman of Ukraine, during the international side event “Human Resource in Recovery: Her Dimension” held within the framework of the Ukraine Recovery Conference 2026 (URC-2026), Gdańsk, Poland, 24 June 2026.
Anastasiia Dehterenko with Olesia Bondar, Director of the Ukrainian Women’s Fund, during the international side event “Human Resource in Recovery: Her Dimension” held within the framework of the Ukraine Recovery Conference 2026 (URC-2026), Gdańsk, Poland, 24 June 2026.