In Nice, France, from May 9 to 11, a conference on Ukrainian schooling took place, titled “Ukrainian School in the Diaspora: New Opportunities and Challenges”, reported the World Congress of Ukrainians.

Details on the Ukrainian Education Conference in France

The event gathered educators to discuss crucial aspects of Ukrainian education development abroad and share experiences.

The conference was organized by the World Coordinating Educational Council (WCED) of the World Congress of Ukrainians (WCU). The Franco-Ukrainian Association in Nice (AFUCA) partnered in the event, with the Embassy of Ukraine in France providing patronage.

Conference participants addressed several pressing issues regarding the development of Ukrainian education outside Ukraine. Particular attention was paid to the challenges faced by Ukrainian diaspora schools amid the ongoing war in Ukraine.

Key topics also included the preservation of national identity among Ukrainian children abroad and the implementation of effective educational methodologies. Over the three days of the conference, plenary sessions, panel discussions, workshops, and presentations of successful projects by Ukrainian schools in France were held.

According to the Chair of WCED WCU, Lyubov Liubchik, the goal of such teacher conferences is to strengthen Ukrainian schooling in France.

She emphasized that only a united voice from educators can become an “effective tool in defending the interests of Ukrainian schooling abroad”.

“The luxury of in-person communication, sharing advanced pedagogical experiences, discussing urgent educational requests, and joint creative educational initiatives will propel the comprehensive development of Ukrainian education on French soil”, – noted Lyubov Liubchik. She also stressed the necessity for collective actions to preserve Ukrainian identity and national consciousness.

Welcoming remarks were made by Deputy Minister of Education and Science of Ukraine, Nadiya Kuzmychova. Among the participants was also Liudmyla Tabolina, a Ukrainian language and literature teacher from Kharkiv, who made it to the list of the top 50 teachers in the world in 2023.

According to Lyubov Liubchik, the next conference of educators from Ukraine in France will take place in 2026 in Cannes.

“Annual teacher meetings in France are becoming a good tradition. Ukrainian schooling is uniting for a common forward movement”, – concluded the head of WCED WCU.