Based on over thirty years of experience advocating for the betterment of Polish-Ukrainian relations, Professor Hnatiuk will present her views oncontemporary issues between these two countries, focusing specifically on reconciliation attempts since 1990 and on today's new virtual/symbolic battles over history and memory. The span of her presentation will extend over the last thirty years, beginning with the historic meeting between Polish and Ukrainian parliamentarians in Jabłonna near Warsaw in April 1990 and continuing until the events of recent months.
Ola (Aleksandra) Hnatiuk is a professor at the Centre for East European Studies, University of Warsaw, and a visiting professor at the National University of "Kyiv-Mohyla Academy." She served as First Counsellor and as head of the Education and Culture Division at the Embassy of the Republic of Poland in Ukraine (2006-10). She has received numerous awards, including the Order of Polonia Restituta and the Antonovych Foundation Award for fostering Polish-Ukrainian cultural co-operation.