In Romania, First Lady of Ukraine Olena Zelenska held a meeting with the leadership of the universities of Bucharest, Cluj-Napoca, and Suceava and took part in the signing of memoranda on these institutions’ accession to the Global Coalition of Ukrainian Studies.
“Today, the aggressor state Russia is waging a bloody war against Ukraine, attempting to destroy Ukrainians. Russia has pursued the same aggressive policy in previous centuries as well, seeking to erase Ukrainian identity. In times of these difficult challenges, cooperation between academic communities and universities helps counter disinformation and enemy narratives,” the First Lady noted.
In particular, the University of Bucharest runs programs in Ukrainian language, literature, culture, history, and civilizational studies. Babeș-Bolyai University of Cluj-Napoca has maintained a Ukrainian language and literature program for over 20 years. Ștefan cel Mare University of Suceava offers a bachelor’s program in Ukrainian language and literature.
“Participation in the coalition will expand their opportunities: new academic partnerships, research, programs, and initiatives will emerge. The result is that Ukraine will be better known and better understood. And at the same time, those studying these programs will gain a better understanding of the history of Europe and the world,” the First Lady emphasized.
Olena Zelenska also met with First Lady of Romania Mirabela Grădinaru and thanked her country for its consistent support for Ukraine since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion.
“Romania, in particular, provided water purifiers after Russia’s destruction of the Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Plant, joined the Warmth for Ukraine initiative during this difficult winter, and contributed to the Olena Zelenska Foundation within the project aimed at providing students with devices for distance learning,” the First Lady noted.
The First Lady of Ukraine invited Mirabela Grădinaru to the 6th Summit of First Ladies and Gentlemen, which will be held in Kyiv this autumn.
“Each time, we take the most important issues for all our societies for discussion: security, education, mental health, and then do everything to turn them into concrete, useful results for our societies. We will be glad to cooperate with Romania in this as well,” said Olena Zelenska.
The First Lady of Ukraine also visited the exhibition Colors of the Mind. It features works by children and teenagers participating in the Madrigal for Hospitals program, which supports art therapy.
“For the young authors, this is art therapy. But seeing these works is also useful for external viewers. Because they show important things: the importance of a sensitive societal approach to children’s mental health, our need for mental health support in general, the necessity of open discussion of the most painful topics, because only when they are spoken about, drawn as in these paintings, can solutions and relief be found,” the First Lady of Ukraine noted.