The Harvard Kennedy School hosted the first Ukraine Symposium 2026, dedicated to the fourth anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The event brought together more than 140 students, scholars, experts, and civil society representatives to discuss the future of Ukraine, its role in world politics, and the path to recovery from the war.
This was reported by the organizers and participants of the event.
The symposium reportedly brought together representatives of the government, academia, human rights organizations, and the private sector. The main goal of the event was to strengthen Ukrainian voices in the international discourse and discuss the challenges facing the country in the context of war.
In particular, the panel discussion “Voices from the Ground: Civil Society and Everyday Resilience” featured the founder of “First Aid of the Soul” organization Natalia Tymchenko, Nobel Peace Prize laureate Oleksandra Matviychuk, creative video director of “The Kyiv Independent” publication Jason Blevins, and director of the International Human Rights Clinic at Harvard Law School Susan Farbstein. The panel was moderated by Anastasia Donets, head of the Ukraine legal team at the International Partnership for Human Rights.
During her speech, Natalia Tymchenko drew attention to the psychological dimension of war, emphasizing that today almost 80% of Ukrainians experience symptoms of trauma, depression, or chronic stress.
“The resilience of Ukrainians is extraordinary and deeply visible, but it should not become an excuse for complacency. It cannot replace the ongoing international support necessary to ensure Ukraine’s security and sovereignty,” she noted.
The symposium also featured a panel discussion titled “Ukraine and the World: Power, Security, and Global Order.” The panelists included former USAID Administrator Samantha Power, Harvard University historian Serhiy Plokhiy, nuclear policy expert Marianne Budzherin, and American-Ukrainian Strategic Partners CEO Davis Richardson.
Another panel discussion focused on the reconstruction of Ukraine, investment, and innovation. The panelists included Matteo Patrone, Vice President of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development; Marianna Bonechi, co-founder of Dnipro VC; Ksenia Semenova, President of the Kyiv Aviation Institute; and Ilya Tymchenko, security expert.
“We participated in the Ukraine Symposium 2026 and presented an approach to rebuilding Ukraine as an economy modernization. Key highlights of the speeches: how to build a system capable of implementing projects on a large scale and absorbing investments, combining financing, guarantees and the private sector, technologies (AI, modern project management tools, robotics) as a way to reduce risks and accelerate recovery, UA2USA as an economic bridge between Ukraine and the USA and the launch of the second edition of the study of Ukrainian business in America,” said Innovation Startup Entrepreneurship·
So, at the symposium, “Nova Ukraine” announced a new partnership with ISE to launch the second edition of the study of the economic impact of Ukrainian diaspora business in the USA. According to former Deputy Minister of Economy of Ukraine Oleksandr Romanyshyn, the study will help generate more accurate data for policy, investment and long-term economic partnership between Ukraine and the USA.
The participants in the discussions also emphasized that Russia uses mass atrocities as a deliberate tactic of war, and a just peace is possible only with full legal responsibility for war crimes.
“Ukrainian resilience arises from the existential threat posed by Russia’s invasion. Ukrainians understand that the survival of their nation ends where the occupation begins,” said representatives of the International Partnership for Human Rights (IPHR).
According to the organizers, the symposium should become a permanent platform for discussing Ukraine’s role in the global order, the development of democracy, and the formation of strategies for a just peace and the restoration of the country.
Photo: Nova Ukraine, International Partnership for Human Rights (IPHR), First Aid of the Soul
Author: Inna Mikhno