UWC’s IECC co-organizes national conference on Ukrainian schooling in France

A nationwide conference in France titled, “Ukrainian Diaspora School: Opportunities, Challenges, and an Effective Educational Path” took place in Nice, France, on May 9-11.

The event was organized at the initiative of the UWC’s International Educational Coordinating Council (IECC), in partnership with the Franco-Ukrainian Association in Nice (AFUCA) under the patronage of the Ukrainian Embassy.

Participants discussed a range of pressing issues related to the development of Ukrainian education abroad, exchanged experiences and best practices. Special attention was given to the challenges faced by diaspora schools amidst Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine, the preservation of national identity, and the implementation of effective teaching methods.

Over the course of three days, the conference featured plenary sessions, panel discussions, workshops, and presentations of successful projects from Ukrainian schools across France.

The goal of such teacher conferences is to unite Ukrainian schooling efforts in France. Only a unified voice representing Ukrainian education “can become an effective tool in defending the interests of Ukrainian schooling abroad,” said Lyuba Lyubchyk, IECC’s chair.

“The luxury of in-person communication, the exchange of cutting-edge pedagogical experience, the discussion of current educational needs, joint creative initiatives and projects, and the expansion of the Ukrainian-language educational space will become a catalyst for the comprehensive development of Ukrainian education on French soil,” she said.

Now is the time to act together to preserve Ukrainian identity and national consciousness, Lyubchyk added.

Ukrainian Deputy Education Minister Nadiia Kuzmychova addressed the participants with a speech. Among the attendees was Liudmyla Tabolina, a Ukrainian language and literature teacher from Kharkiv and a top 50 finalist for the 2023 Global Teacher Prize.

The next conference of Ukrainian educators in France will take place in Cannes in 2026, Lyubchyk said.

“Annual teacher gatherings in France are becoming a cherished tradition. Ukrainian schooling is uniting for a common path forward,” she said.