Ukrainian flag flying over city

Loughborough to host roundtable discussion supported by the Fund of the President of the Ukraine

Loughborough is proud to be hosting one of the ‘World Academic Talks’ events, a series of roundtable discussions supported by the Fund of the President of the Ukraine.

The initiative has been established to discuss the key issues raised by the ongoing conflict in the Ukraine and foster long lasting research partnerships between Ukrainian and international universities.

The online ‘Intersections of Geopolitics and Political Communication: Lessons from the War in Ukraine’ roundtable will take place on Monday December 5, from 12 noon until 1.30pm. It is being hosted by Loughborough’s ‘Challenges to Democracy and the Public Space (CHADS)’ research group, from the School of Social Sciences and Humanities, and the Department of International Relations at Odesa I.I. Machnikov National University (ONU) in the Ukraine.

Speaking about the event, Loughborough’s Dr Ali Bilgic said: “The conflict in the Ukraine has yet again shown that political communication is a central element of geopolitical contestation between states. Communication strategies in mainstream and social media not only reflect but also promote states’ geopolitical interests. How these strategies are received is largely shaped by the geopolitical and security considerations of the global audience.

“Exploring intersections of geopolitics and political communication, the roundtable participants will discuss why the respective political communication strategies of Ukraine and Russia, since the beginning of the war, have been more successful in some contexts than others and how geopolitics, including energy security concerns, influences political communication strategy, tactics, and reception.”

The roundtable will be introduced by Professor Andriy Smityukh, Vice-Rector for Scientific and Pedagogical Work and International Cooperation, and Professor Yurii Hrinchenko, Head of the Office for International Relations at ONU, and Professor Steve Rothberg, Loughborough University's Ukraine Response Lead.

Participants at the discussion will also include: 

  • Professor Olga Brusylovska and Dr Iryna Maksymenko from the Department of International Relations, Odesa I.I. Machnikov National University, Ukraine
  • Dr Madhavi Ravikumar from the Department of Communication, University of Hyderabad, India
  • Professor John Downey, Communication and Media, Loughborough University
  • Dr Duncan Depledge, International Relations, Politics and History, Loughborough University
  • Dr Ali Bilgic (moderator), CHADS Research Lead, Loughborough University

To book a place at the event please click here.

Notes for editors

Press release reference number: PR 22/210

Loughborough is one of the country’s leading universities, with an international reputation for research that matters, excellence in teaching, strong links with industry, and unrivalled achievement in sport and its underpinning academic disciplines.

It has been awarded five stars in the independent QS Stars university rating scheme, named the best university in the world for sports-related subjects in the 2022 QS World University Rankings – the sixth year running – and University of the Year for Sport by The Times and Sunday Times University Guide 2022.

Loughborough is ranked 7th in The UK Complete University Guide 2023, 10th in the Guardian University League Table 2023 and 11th in the Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2023.

Loughborough is consistently ranked in the top twenty of UK universities in the Times Higher Education’s ‘table of tables’, and in the Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2021 over 90% of its research was rated as ‘world-leading’ or ‘internationally-excellent’. In recognition of its contribution to the sector, Loughborough has been awarded seven Queen's Anniversary Prizes.

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