International Expert Forum on Ukraine

Program

of the

International Expert Forum on Ukraine (ForUA) 2025

Jointly organized by

ERGOSUM, ForumKonstanz and University of Konstanz

Date: 31 October 2025

Venue: Senate Room, University of Konstanz, Universitatstr. 10, 78464 Konstanz

10:30 – 11:00 Arrival

11:00 – 11:30 Greetings Address by Dirk Leuffen, Vice Rector for Research, Innovation and Impact, University of Konstanz

11:30 – 13:00 Panel Discussion I: "Redefining Defence and Security: Ukraine, Europe and Shifting Transatlantic Order"

The war is reshaping European security, as shifts in the United States’ strategic priorities are altering the entire transatlantic security architecture. Changes in U.S. engagement are prompting Europe to confront new responsibilities, consolidating its defence capabilities and pursuing greater strategic autonomy. The discussion focuses on how war in Ukraine accelerates these transformations, driving the EU to rethink collective security, strengthen defence integration, and assume a more proactive role in safeguarding the continent.

Host: Roman Goncharenko (Deutsche Welle, Bonn)

Keynote:

Participants:

· Anastasia Shapochkina (SciencesPo)

· Taras Kuzio (National University of Kyiv Mohyla Academy)

· Christian Egenhofer (CEPS)

· Andrea Gawrich (Justus-Liebig-Universität Gießen)

· Jaroslava Barbieri (Chatham House)

13:00 – 14:00 Lunch

14:00 – 15:30 Panel Discussion II: "Rethinking Enlargement: Between Geopolitics, Values and Institutional Reform"

Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine has disrupted traditional EU enlargement strategies, creating both urgent challenges and new opportunities. The discussion examines how a candidate country at war tests existing EU norms and explores the potential for a new wave of enlargement, highlighting the reforms the EU may need to undertake to accommodate future members. Attention is given to balancing democratic values with strategic imperatives, while lessons from Ukraine’s accession process provide insights for the evolution of European enlargement and institutional adaptation.

Host: Iryna Shulikina (Vitsche e. V.)

Keynote: Adam Janczak (Policy Officer Ukraine, European Union External Action Service)

Participants:

· Milada Vachudova (University of North Carolina )

· Antoaneta Dimitrova (Leiden University )

· Gabriele Abels (University of Tübingen)

· Kataryna Wolczuk (University of Birmingham)

· Daniel Kelemen (Georgetown University)

15:30 – 16:00 Coffee Break

16:00 – 17:30 Panel Discussion III: "Shaping the Future Together: Ukraine’s Tomorrow and Europe’s Identity "

This panel explores Ukraine’s post-war trajectory in the context of Europe’s democratic renewal and evolving identity. Particular attention will be given to the resilience of democratic institutions, the role of civil society, and the reconstruction of governance under conditions of profound social change. The discussion will also consider how Ukraine’s experience of resistance and transformation can enrich Europe’s collective identity, helping to redefine European values, civic participation, and the cultural foundations of democracy in the twenty-first century.

Host: Oksana Huss (Research Center Trustworthy Data Science and Security)

Keynote: Taras Kachka (Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration of Ukraine)

Participants:

· Eugen Finkel (SAIS Johns Hopkins University)

· Tomila Lankina (The London School of Economics and Political Science)

· Susann Worschech (Europa-Universität Viadrina)

· Laszlo Bruszt (Central European University)

· Mykhailo Minakov (Europa-Universität Viadrina)

· Oxana Shevel (Tufts University)

17:30 – 18:00 Concluding Remarks by Oleksiy Kandyuk, Chairman, ERGOSUM

18:00 Adjournment

19:00 Reception

Program

of the

“First International Expert Forum on Ukraine” (ForUA) 2023

Jointly organized by

Universität Hamburg and Hamburg Institute for Advanced Study(HIAS)

Date: 20 December 2023

Venue: Warburg-Haus, Heilwigstr. 116, 20249 Hamburg

10:30 – 11:00 Arrival

11:00 – 11:30 Inaugural Session

11:30 – 13:00 Panel Discussion I: "Ukraine's EU Odyssey: Opportunities and Challenges for Ukraine’s Accession to the EU"

This panel explores the evolving dynamics of EU-Ukraine relations since Ukraine's formal bid for EU membership. It delves into the unique aspects of Ukraine's accession process, particularly within the context of the ongoing war. The discussion extends to address the EU's capacity for enlargement and extracts valuable lessons from past expansions, discussing the potential balancing act arising from the need to uphold democratic and legal standards internally and the ambitions to become a more geopolitical actor externally.

Host: Miriam Kosmehl (Bertelsmann Stiftung, Berlin)

Keynote: Vsevolod Chentsov (Head of the Mission of Ukraine to the European Union and the European Atomic Energy Community)

Participants:

· Dirk Leuffen(Universität Konstanz)

· Markus Kotzur (Universität Hamburg)

· Antje Wiener (Universität Hamburg)

· Roman Petrov (National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy / BIICL)

· Tanja Börzel (FU Berlin) (remote)

· Frank Schimmelfennig (ETH Zürich) (remote)

13:00 – 14:00 Lunch

14:00 – 15:30 Panel Discussion II: "EuropeanSecurity Redefined: Ukraine's Potential Accession Amidst Russia's Full-Scale War"

This session seeks to dissect the implications of Ukraine's potential accession to the EU on European security. Panelists will engage in discussions on broader regional and global security challenges, emphasizing Ukraine's strategic importance. The panel will also consider the impact of the ongoing war on the EU's security policies and the imperative to redefine security frameworks in the face of new geopolitical realities.

Host: Laura Christoph (IEP, Berlin)

Keynote: Anna-Carin Krogstäde (Deputy Head of the Ukraine Division, European Union External Action Service)

Participants:

· Ben Tallis (DGAP, Berlin)

· Richard Whitman (University of Kent)

· Alexander Libman (FU Berlin)

· Julia Kazdobina (Foreign Policy Counsil ''Ukrainian Prism'', Kyiv)

· Helene Sjursen (ARENA – Centre for European Studies / UiO, Oslo) (remote)

15:30 – 16:00 Coffee Break

16:00 – 17:30 Panel Discussion III: "Beyond the Horizon: Ukraine's Road towards Post-War Recovery and Development"

Focusing on the (post-)conflict landscape of Ukraine, this panel assesses scenarios for Ukraine’s future relations with the EU. The panel shifts the focus towards Ukraine’s urban development challenges and the roles that local governance and civil society play in the country’s reconstruction. The panel explores how the EU can support these initiatives, fostering cooperation and empowering regional entities and civil society in Ukraine.

Host: Roman Goncharenko (Deutsche Welle, Bonn)

Keynote: Maria Mezentseva (Head of Ukrainian delegation to the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly) (remote)

Participants:

· Josip Glaurdic (University of Luxembourg)

· Susan Stewart (SWP, Berlin)

· Maria Repko (Center for Economic Strategy, Kyiv)

· Viktoriya Sereda (National Academy of Science of Ukraine)

· Maria Popova (McGill University, Montreal) (remote)

· Veronica Anghel (John Hopkins SAIS, Washington D.C.) (remote)

17:30 – 18:00 Concluding Remarks by Dorothea Rüland, Secretary-General HIAS

18:00 Adjournment

19:00 Reception at HIAS

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