The second scientific conference «USA: Politics, Society, Culture» at Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv

Abstract

The strong support of the United States during the Russian war against Ukraine highlights the significant scholarly problem of the comprehensive study of American history (particularly foreign policy), culture, and US-Ukrainian relations. The mentioned directions define the activities of the educational program «American and European Studies (with the advanced program of foreign languages)» of the Department of Modern and Contemporary History of Foreign Countries at the Faculty of History of the Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv. In January 2023, the Department held the second All-Ukrainian scientific conference «USA: Politics, Society, Culture,» dedicated to various aspects of the social, political, and cultural development of the United States of America. The conference took place online on the «Zoom» platform. It was primarily aimed at the participation of young researchers – students and graduate students who study the history, politics, society, and culture of the United States. At the same time, more experienced Americanists also participated, presenting their latest research developments. The main keynote speech at the plenary session was delivered by Valeriy Prystaiko, The main keynote speech at the plenary session was delivered by Valeriy Prystaiko, the Chief Consultant of the Military Policy Division at the Center for Security Studies of the National Institute for Strategic Studies (NISS), Candidate of Sciences in public administration. His report was focused on specific aspects of cooperation between Ukraine and the United States in the context of the full-scale war. The main work of the conference was organized into four sections: U.S. Foreign Policy and Relations with World States in the 21st Century; U.S. Foreign Policy and Relations with World States in the 20th Century; U.S. Foreign Policy Strategy; American Society and Culture. The conference materials have been published on the website of the Department of Modern and Contemporary History of Foreign Countries of the Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv. Video recordings of the most interesting reports are also available on the Department’s YouTube channel «American, European, and Oriental Studies». The experience gained from the conference «USA: Politics, Society, Culture» convincingly demonstrates the importance of such scientific forums for the development of Ukrainian American studies, the engagement and professional growth of young Americanist researchers, and the expert discussion and exchange of experience between younger and older generations of Ukrainian Americanists. In our opinion, scientific and cultural diplomacy plays a crucial role in deepening mutual understanding and cooperation between the Ukrainian and American peoples, particularly in countering Russian aggression in Ukraine and rebuilding our state. Therefore, we hope for the continuation of the tradition of annual conferences and other events that will contribute to the development of Ukrainian American studies.