Lecture Series by the Experts of DNU: Fostering Ukrainian Studies in the Czech Republic

Recently, faculty members from Oles Honchar Dnipro National University (DNU) once again served as special guests at Charles University in Prague. As part of the Global Coalition for Ukrainian Studies, representatives from DNU delivered a series of thematic lectures at the Institute of East European Studies (Faculty of Arts, Charles University) from October 26 to 30.

The guest lectures—covering both the history and contemporary reality of Ukraine—were prepared for Czech colleagues by Natalia Diachok, Head of the Department of General Linguistics and Slavic Studies (Doctor of Philology, Professor), and Svitlana Kaiuk, Associate Professor at the Department of the History of Ukraine (Candidate of Historical Sciences). The lecture program integrated seamlessly into the academic environment of Charles University, as the topics were selected by the academic community of the partner university.

Studentsof bachelor and master degrees as well as faculty members in Prague, attended a series of lectures focused on current linguistic issues, as well as the history and culture of the Crimean Tatars. Natalia Diachokpresented a scholarly study titled „Contemporary Trends in the Development of the Ukrainian Language within the European Linguistic Context“ (examining the evolution of Ukrainian slang, including military slang, during the war), while Svitlana Kaiuk delivered a presentation on „Crimean Tatars: History, Memory, and Cultural Worlds.“Following the presentations, Czech students specializing in Ukrainian studies had an excellent opportunity to consult with our lecturers regarding their thesis projects.

It is worth noting that the lecture series delivered by the experts from Dnipro was coordinated by Associate Professor Tereza Chlaňová, Head of Ukrainian Studies at Charles University.

Staff from the Institute discussed prospects for academic cooperation with the experts from DNU. After all, one of the core activities of the Institute of Eastern European Studies is the study of Ukraine within a broader regional and international context. Specifically, the Department of Ukrainian and Slavic Studies examines our country through both philological and historical-cultural lenses.

Furthermore, a year ago, the Faculty of Arts at Charles University joined the Global Coalition for Ukrainian Studies—an international network designed to unite centers of Ukrainian studies and foster high-quality research into the history and culture of Ukraine. Consequently, our Czech colleagues are genuinely interested in collaborating with DNU, and our specialists remain ready to continue sharing their expertise in the fields of Ukrainian language and literature, history, and culture.