First Ladies and Gentlemen delivered lectures at universities and met Ukrainian schoolchildren

Guests of the Fifth Summit of First Ladies and Gentlemen, held under the theme ‘Education Shaping the World’ and initiated by the First Lady of Ukraine, Olena Zelenska, delivered lectures and held meetings at Ukrainian educational and cultural institutions. The initiative was joined by First Ladies and Gentlemen from Austria, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, and Lithuania.

The Fifth Summit of First Ladies and Gentlemen became a global platform for dialogue on a future that begins with education. Almost all participants joined the summit in person.

The First Gentleman of Denmark, Bo Tengberg, gave a lecture at Karpenko-Karyi Kyiv National University of Theatre, Cinema and Television on the impact of film education on a culture of peace.

The First Lady of Estonia, Sirje Karis, delivered a lecture at the National Art Museum of Ukraine on educational initiatives in museums. Sirje Karis shared the experience of Estonian museums, which not only preserve historical memory, but also serve as active centres of learning and shaping civic awareness. The First Lady of Estonia has many years of experience in museum work.
She has headed the Tartu City Museum and the Estonian History Museum, worked on methodological guides for collection care, and contributed to strategic programmes for the development of the museum field.

The First Lady of Lithuania, Diana Nausėdienė, spoke at Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv on the theme of access to quality education for all. She emphasised that in Ukraine education has become a daily act of resistance that strengthens democracy, safeguards truth, and shapes civic consciousness. “Education is not only the foundation of democracy, it is its lifeline. It protects truth from lies, justice from corruption, and peace from war. Ukraine is a vivid illustration of this, where learning continues even under shelling. This is not merely education; it is resistance, democracy in action, and proof that knowledge and justice cannot be destroyed by missiles or propaganda. Supporting Ukraine means defending the truth and the very principles on which democracy stands,” Diana Nausėdienė underlined.

Summit guests also visited educational institutions that their countries had helped to restore. The First Lady of Austria, Doris Schmidauer, visited the “Znayko” Kindergarten in Irpin. The First Lady of Germany, Elke Büdenbender, visited Specialised School No. 40 with advanced study of German and Kindergarten No. 334, while the First Lady of Finland, Suzanne Innes-Stubb, visited Kyiv School No. 96.

The First Lady of Ukraine, Olena Zelenska, expressed her gratitude to the guests for their visit to Ukraine and participation in the extensive programme of public lectures and educational visits.

“I am grateful to the Summit’s experts, Nobel laureates, scholars, and thinkers who, through their work, shape both knowledge and a culture of dialogue. It is precisely such a culture that builds durable peace and recovery. We can all contribute to education. And we can all contribute to humanity. And it is very important to combine the two,” Olena Zelenska noted.

Read more about the Fifth Summit of First Ladies and Gentlemen at this link.