The Embassy of Ukraine in South Africa was pleased to support and facilitate the visit of Dr Maksym Yakovlyev, Professor of Comparative Politics at the National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy, and Dr Oksana Pyatkovska, researcher at the International Institute for Education, Culture and Diaspora Relations (MIOK) at Lviv Polytechnic National University, to Pretoria on 11–12 August. The visit marked another important step in strengthening academic dialogue between Ukraine and South Africa. During their stay in Pretoria, the Ukrainian scholars held meetings with representatives of UNISA and the University of Pretoria, discussing opportunities for further academic cooperation, joint research and the development of Ukrainian Studies in South Africa.

 The engagements also contributed to the practical implementation of the Memorandum on cooperation within the Global Coalition of Ukrainian Studies, signed during the visit of President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy to South Africa on 24 April 2025. A particular highlight was Prof. Maksym Yakovlyev’s lecture on the concept and role of “middle powers” in contemporary international relations, delivered to students at the University of Pretoria. The lecture sparked an engaging discussion on the changing international order and the role that countries such as Ukraine and South Africa can play in shaping it. 

The visit followed the Winter School “Ukraine and Southern African Futures”, organised and hosted by the Ukrainian Association of South Africa (UAZA), which brought together scholars and experts from Ukraine and across Southern Africa. The Winter School was held as part of the Lysiak-Rudnytsky Ukrainian Studies Programme, implemented by the Ukrainian Institute and the Cultural Diplomacy Foundation, with financial support from the International Renaissance Foundation and the Mnozhyna Foundation.