Nobel laureates and leading scholars from more than ten countries held meetings and open lectures at Ukrainian educational and cultural institutions

As part of the Fifth Summit of First Ladies and Gentlemen, held on 10-11 September 2025, First Ladies and Gentlemen, Nobel Prize winners and leading scientists gave open lectures and held meetings at Ukrainian educational, scientific and cultural institutions. The initiative brought together representatives from Austria, Denmark, Estonia, France, Finland, Germany, Lithuania, Poland, Tunisia, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The programme spanned five cities: Kyiv, Ivano-Frankivsk, Kharkiv, Ostroh, and Dnipro. Summit guests visited 12 universities, the National Art Museum, the National Academy of Sciences, two schools, and two kindergartens. In total, the lectures and meetings were attended by more than 2,000 students, educators, and scholars.

Among other institutions, distinguished guests visited Mariupol State University and Kherson State University, which have been temporarily relocated to Kyiv and Ivano-Frankivsk respectively.

Sir Paul Nurse, Nobel Laureate in Physiology or Medicine (2001) and President of the Royal Society, delivered a lecture and engaged with students of the Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute. He expressed solidarity and support for the Ukrainian people in these difficult times. The Nobel laureate noted that, depending on motivation, science has the power either to improve lives or to bring destruction. “Science is truly fascinating. It is a privilege to study science, to conduct research, and to follow one’s curiosity throughout life. It is a wonderful profession, but only if you have a passion for science – that is critically important; without it, nothing will work,” Sir Paul Nurse emphasised.

Ouided Bouchamaoui, Nobel Peace Prize Laureate (2015), met students of the National Technical University “Dnipro Polytechnic”. The topic of her lecture was “Education, Peace, and the Ukrainian Context: Building a Shared Future”. “Education is the only way to build and to rethink the world. Peace is forged at the school desk,” she stressed.

The President of the Republic of Finland, Alexander Stubb, also delivered a lecture at the Educational and Scientific Institute of International Relations of Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv. He noted that a new world order will be shaped over the next five to ten years, and that it is important to maintain close ties between Europe and the United States. “The good news is that a just and lasting peace will ultimately come. And without question, Ukraine will become an integral part of Europe and of the European Union,” the Finnish President underlined.

Iryna Lysova, a scholar from the University of Strasbourg and the French National Institute of Health and Medical Research (INSERM), delivered a lecture at V. N. Karazin Kharkiv National University. She presented modern approaches in medicine, particularly the use of 3D technologies to create implants, artificial tissues, and organoids.

Serhii Plokhii, Harvard University Professor of Ukrainian History, gave a lecture at the Kyiv-Mohyla Academy on the Russian-Ukrainian war. The historian highlighted the unchanging Russian disregard for human life. “The reason Ukraine has become the barrier to Russian expansion lies in ourselves – in our resilience and in Western support,” he remarked.

Professor Dominik Brodowski of Saarland University (Germany) delivered a lecture at Mariupol State University on the role of education in strengthening the rule of law. “The rule of law depends on us all – on our trust, our support, our commitment to abide by, challenge, and improve the law. Basic legal education is essential to sustaining the rule of law, and the rule of law is necessary for resolving conflicts, upholding peace, and securing freedom – both individually and at state level,” the professor stressed.

Within the framework of the Fifth Summit of First Ladies and Gentlemen, two memoranda of cooperation were signed between Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute and Aalborg University (AAU), as well as the University of Southern Denmark (SDU). The document provides for cooperation in three areas: education and mobility (academic exchanges, professional development, curriculum renewal); science and innovation (joint research, publications, participation in scientific events, partnership development within Sikorsky Challenge); project activity (preparation of joint applications for Erasmus+, Horizon Europe, and so on).

In addition, Katrine Topholt Mau, Director General at the Ministry of Higher Education and Science of Denmark, together with Per Michael Johansen, President of Aalborg University, and Jens Ringsmose, President of the University of Southern Denmark, visited the electronics laboratory opened by Ajax Systems at the National Aviation University. During the visit, the company presented its partnership with the university, its educational initiatives, and showcased the laboratory where students not only study but also develop their own projects. As part of the Ajax Next initiative, the company is fostering engineering education in Ukraine, offering students pathways to internships, specialised events, elective courses, and hands-on work with modern equipment – enabling them to take their first career steps even while still at university.

Reference: The Summit of First Ladies and Gentlemen is an annual event aimed at overcoming global challenges through cooperation and soft power, organised by the Summit of First Ladies and Gentlemen Global Platform at the initiative of Ukraine’s First Lady Olena Zelenska. This year’s event brought together 13 First Ladies and Gentlemen, Nobel laureates, educators and guests from 20 countries around the theme of ‘Education Shaping the World’. Read more about the Summit at this link.