First Ladies and Gentlemen Summit Brings Lectures to Students Across Ukraine

First ladies, first gentlemen, Nobel laureates, and leading scholars from more than ten countries brought their voices to classrooms and cultural institutions across Ukraine as part of the Fifth Summit of First Ladies and Gentlemen, initiated by Ukraine’s First Lady Olena Zelenska.

The Gaze reports this, referring to the Office of the President of Ukraine.

This year’s gathering focused on how to transform learning amid global challenges.

“Our Summit is dedicated to education that changes the world. And therefore, to how we can change education itself. In addition to new technologies, it must include humanity, skills of empathy, and dialogue,” Zelenska noted.

The educational program spanned five Ukrainian cities – Kyiv, Ivano-Frankivsk, Kharkiv, Ostroh, and Dnipro, and reached 18 locations, including 12 universities, the National Art Museum, the National Academy of Sciences, schools, and kindergartens. More than 2,000 students, teachers, and academics participated in lectures and discussions.

Among the speakers were Nobel Prize winners, university professors, historians, and researchers from the UK, Germany, Poland, the United States, and France. Topics ranged from science and innovation to human rights, history, and inclusive education.

Distinguished voices from around the world contributed to the program. Denmark’s First Gentleman Bo Tengberg spoke in Kyiv about the role of film education in shaping a culture of peace. 

Estonia’s First Lady Sirje Karis highlighted the potential of museums as centers of learning. 

Lithuania’s First Lady Diana Nausėdienė addressed the importance of equal access to education. 

Finland’s President Alexander Stubb, meanwhile, delivered a keynote lecture at Taras Shevchenko National University on the shifting balance of values, interests, and power in global politics.

Nobel laureates also took part: Sir Paul Nurse (UK) lectured at Kyiv Polytechnic Institute, Shirin Ebadi (Iran) at Ostroh Academy, and Ouided Bouchamaoui (Tunisia) at Dnipro Polytechnic.

Guests also visited educational institutions that their home countries helped to rebuild. Austrian First Lady Doris Schmidauer met children and teachers at a kindergarten in Irpin, German First Lady Elke Büdenbender visited a Kyiv school specializing in the German language, and Finland’s First Lady Suzanne Innes-Stubb toured a local school in the capital.

Zelenska expressed gratitude to all participants for fostering dialogue and advancing knowledge, saying that such a culture not only strengthens education but also builds the foundations of lasting peace and recovery. 

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy noted that hosting the summit in Kyiv during wartime demonstrates that Ukraine continues to be an integral part of global conversation and exchange.

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