Who we are | “EuroAtlantic Course”

Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze

Chairman of the Supervisory Board of the NGO “Euro-Atlantic Course”

Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze is a Member of Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine and holds position of a Chair Parliamentary Committee of Ukraine’s integration into European Union. Before being elected as Member of Ukrainian Parliament she served from 2016 to 2019 a Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic integration.

From 2014 to 2016 she was a Member of the Ukrainian Parliament, served as a First Deputy Chairperson of Foreign Affairs Committee and led Ukraine’s Parliamentary Delegation to NATO PA.

Since mid-2011 was heading Yalta European Strategy – an independent international network promoting the development of fair, democratic and prosperous Ukraine and supporting reforms necessary for Ukraine’s European integration.

Since October 2007, Ivanna worked as a Deputy Director of Programs, and later – as a Director of the International Charity Organization “Open Ukraine Foundation”. She worked on strategic planning and operational implementation of Foundation`s programs, focusing on support Ukraine’s international cooperation, public diplomacy, country’s positive image promotion, international security dialogue.

For 5 years (2002-2007) Ivanna was the Radio BBC Ukrainian Service correspondent in the USA (Washington D.C.) and in the Caucasus (Tbilisi).

From 1998 till 2002 she worked for the East-West Institute’s Kyiv Center as a Project Manager and for one year carried out the responsibilities of EWI KC’s Acting Director.

Ivanna began her career in 1993 year as a Project Manager at the Ukrainian Center for Independent Political Research (UCIPR) in Kyiv, and later became the Head of the Department of International Relations in UCIPR.

Mrs. Klympush-Tsintsadze is co-editor of the book: “Black Sea Region: Cooperation and Security Building”.

Education:

Ivanna has Master`s degree in speech therapy, from Mykhaylo Dragomanov State Pedagogical University, graduated in 1994, as well as Bachelor`s degree and Master`s degree in International Relations from Taras Shevchenko National University, graduated in 1998.

In 1993 Mrs. Klympush – Tsintsadze studied International Relations at State University of Montana, USA.

In 1992 she completed the course “History of Ukraine. Ukrainian Literature” at summer school of Harvard Ukrainian Research Institute of Harvard University (USA).

Ivanna is fluent in Ukrainian, English, Russian, understands and speaks Polish, Hungarian and Georgian languages.

Mrs. Klympush – Tsintsadze was born on July, 5th, 1972 in Kyiv. She is married and has two daughters.

Matthew Bryza

Ambassador Matthew Bryza is a Non- Resident Senior Fellow at the Atlantic Council’s Global Energy, Eurasia, and Turkey Centers and Board Member of the Jamestown Foundation, both located in Washington, DC. He was Director of the International Center for Defence and Security in Tallinn, Estonia, during 2012-2015, where he founded the Center’s energy security and cyber security programs…

Bryza resides in Istanbul, where he serves on the Board of Turcas, a publicly-traded energy company in fuel distribution and power generation. He is also CEO of Lamor Turkey, a Turkish-Finnish joint venture in environmental solutions. And, he serves on the Board of Nobel Upstream, an oil exploration and production company based in London.

In 2012, Bryza completed a 23-year career as a U.S. diplomat, culminating as Ambassador to Azerbaijan.

Earlier, he served as Deputy Assistant Secretary of State (2005-2009) and Director on the National Security Council Staff at the White House (2001-2005) for U.S. relations with Turkey, Cyprus, Greece, Central Asia, and the South Caucasus (including mediation of the region’s separatist conflicts).

During 1998 to 2001, Ambassador Bryza was the Deputy Special Advisor to the President and Secretary of State on Caspian Basin Energy Security.

He also served in the U.S. Missions to Russia (1995-1997) and Poland (1989-1991).

Bryza is a frequent commentator in media outlets that have included CNN, Al Jazeera, The BBC, Fox News, The Financial Times, Washington Post, New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg, and Chicago Tribune, as well as numerous outlets in Turkey and the South Caucasus.

He is the recipient of Estonia’s Cross of Terra Mariana (Fourth Class) and Georgia’s Order of St. George.

Ambassador Bryza received his bachelor’s degree in international relations from Stanford University and his master’s degree from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy.

Natalie Jaresko

Natalie A. Jaresko is an accomplished leader with transformational experience in public service, non-governmental organizations and the private sector. She has over 25 years of successful management experience. For the last four years, as Executive Director of the Financial Oversight and Management Board for Puerto Rico she has managed the sustainable negotiated exit from the largest municipal bankruptcy in U.S. history, while working to restore the Island’s fiscal health and accountability, enabling a return to capital markets…

Prior to her territorial service, she served as Minister of Finance of Ukraine (2014-16) at one of the most difficult times in Ukraine’s history, rocked by a deep recession, foreign occupation, and war on part of its territory.

Prior to this period of public service, she spent two decades in the private equity industry focused on small and medium-sized business in the region, as co-founder and CEO of Horizon Capital, a fund manager with over $600 million under management, and as President and CEO of the Western NIS Enterprise Fund.

She began her career in Federal government serving in the U.S. State Department in Washington, D.C. from 1989-92, and as Chief of the Economic Section of the U.S. Embassy in Ukraine from 1992-95, where she was responsible for building a new economic relationship between the United States and newly-independent Ukraine.

Ms. Jaresko has done extensive public speaking and media appearances, including CNN and CSPAN. She has guest lectured at Stanford Business School, Harvard Kennedy School of Government, Ukrainian Catholic University, Notre Dame, Cambridge University, University of Michigan.

Two Presidents of Ukraine have awarded her for her service to Ukraine. She serves on multiple not-for-profit boards, including as Chairperson of Aspen Institute Kyiv.

She received her Master’s Degree in Public Policy from the Harvard University Kennedy School of Government, and her Bachelor of Science Degree in Accounting from DePaul University in Illinois.

Andrius Kubilius

Andrius Kubilius Member of the European Parliament Co-President of the Euronest Parliamentary Assembly Head of the EPP Lithuanian delegation. Former Prime Minister of Lithuania Born December 8, 1956, in Vilnius (Lithuania). Graduated from Vilnius State University, Faculty of Physics. Secretary-in-Charge of the Lithuanian Proindependence Reform Movement Sajūdis in 1990-1992. Chairman of the Homeland Union – Lithuanian Christian Democrats (2003-2015)…

Member of the Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania (1992-2019). Served as the First Deputy Speaker of Seimas, Chairman of Committee on European Affairs, Leader of Opposition. Twice the Prime Minister of Lithuania (1999-2000 and 2008-2012).

In this term of the European Parliament (2019-2024), he is the Member of the Committee on Foreign Affairs (AFET), the Committee on Industry, Research and Energy (ITRE), Chair of the European Parliament Delegation to the Euronest Parliamentary Assembly.

Member of other EP bodies: the Conference of Delegation Chairs, the Delegation to the EU-Ukraine Parliamentary Association Committee.

Andrius Kubilius is the Head of the EPP Lithuanian delegation, Chairman of various intraparliamentary groups in the European Parliament: Lithuania Caucus in the EP, Baltic Caucus in the EP, EU Neighbourhood East Forum, Friends of European Russia Forum.

Author of international Initiatives “Marshall Plan for Ukraine” (later — “European Plan for Ukraine”), “Trio Strategy For the Future of Eastern Partnership”, “Western Strategy Towards Russia”.

Vitaly Portnikov

Vitaly Portnikov Ukrainian publicist, TV host and writer. Was born on May 14, 1967 in Kyiv. Studied at Dnipro National University of Olesa Gonchara, graduated Moscow State University of Mikhailo Lomonosov faculty of journalism. During his studies, he contributed to Kyiv newspaper Molod’ Ukrainy, and was its Moscow correspondent…

In 1990 was one of the founders of first independent newspaper in Soviet Union – Nezavisimaia Gazeta. Starting from 1991 cooperated with Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, hosts several programs of this media.

He is the author of many publications in Ukrainian, Russian, Polish, USA, Baltic States, Israeli and various other country mass-media outlets. He is the host of several TV programs. Presently he is the host of the program Politclub on Espesso TV channel.

Published journalistic trilogy Bohoroditsa v Sinagozi, Tiurma dlia Angelov, Dzvin Maidanu. He is Ukrainian Pen-club member.

Kataryna Wolczuk

Kataryna Wolczuk is Professor of East European Politics at the Centre for Russian, European and Eurasian Studies (CREES), University of Birmingham. She is Associate Fellow at Chatham House (Russia and Eurasian Programme)…
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Her research has focused on a) state building processes in the post-Soviet countries b) relations between the EU and the post-Soviet states and c) Eurasian integration and its impact on EU’s eastern policy.

She has published a number of books, including Eurasian Economic Integration: Law, Policy, and Politics, Edward Elgar, 2013 (with R. Dragneva); Ukraine between the EU and Russia: the Integration Challenge, 2015 (with R. Dragneva) and The Ukraine Conflict : Security, Identity and Politics in the Wider Europe, 2017 (with D. Averre).

Prof. Wolczuk has extensive experience of working with the European Union, think-tanks, governments and international media and has researched extensively the post-Soviet countries. She frequently contributes to publications, conferences and events related to the Eastern Partnership and Eurasian integration, as well as domestic and foreign policies of Ukraine.

Alexander Vershbow

Ambassador Alexander “Sandy” Vershbow is a Distinguished Fellow at the Atlantic Council’s Scowcroft Center on Strategy and Security and Eurasia Center in Washington DC, where he works on both transatlantic issues and relations with Russia and Ukraine. He is also the Wolk Distinguished Visiting Fellow at the University of Pennsylvania’s Perry World House in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania…
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Ambassador Vershbow was the Deputy Secretary General of NATO from February 2012 to October 2016, the first American to hold that position. He was directly involved in shaping the Alliance’s political response to Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, in adapting NATO’s strengthened deterrence and defense posture, and in deepening NATO’s partnerships with non-Allies in Europe, the Middle East and Northeast Asia.

Prior to his post at NATO, Ambassador Vershbow served for three years as the US Assistant Secretary of Defense for international security affairs. In that position, he was responsible for coordinating US security and defense policies relating to the nations and international organizations of Europe (including NATO), the Middle East, and Africa.

From 1977 to 2008, Vershbow was a career member of the United States Foreign Service. He served as US Ambassador to NATO (1998-2001); to the Russian Federation (2001-05); and to the Republic of Korea (2005-08). He held numerous senior positions in Washington, including Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for European affairs at the National Security Council (1994-97) and State Department Director for Soviet Union affairs (1988-91). During his career, he was centrally involved in strengthening US defense relations with allies in Europe and Asia and in transforming NATO and other European security organizations to meet post-Cold War challenges. He also was involved in efforts to support democracy and human rights in the former Soviet Union.

Alexander Vershbow is a long-time student of Russian Affairs and international relations. He received a B.A. in Russian and East European Studies from Yale University (1974) and a Master’s Degree in International Relations and Certificate of the Russian Institute from Columbia University (1976).

During his U.S. government career, Ambassador Vershbow received numerous awards including the Department of Defense’s Distinguished Civilian Service Medal (2012) the State Department’s Cordell Hull Award for Economic Achievement for his contributions to negotiations on the Korea-U.S. Free Trade Agreement (2007); the American Bar Association’s Ambassador’s Award for his advocacy of the democracy, human rights and rule of law in Russia (2004); the State Department’s Distinguished Service Award for his work as Ambassador to NATO (2001); the Department of Defense’s Joseph J. Kruzel Award for his contributions to peace in the former Yugoslavia (1997); and the Anatoly Sharansky Freedom Award of the Union of Councils of Soviet Jews for his work in advancing the cause of Jewish emigration from the USSR (1990).

At NATO, Ambassador Vershbow was awarded the NATO Distinguished Service Medal, and he received state honors from the Presidents of Estonia, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Ukraine, Georgia and Finland and from the King of Belgium.

Kostiantyn Bushuiev

Konstiantyn Bushuiev is a statesman and public figure. Konstiantyn has over 15 years of experience in the field of law enforcement agencies.

Until December 2020, he was Deputy General Director for Security of the state-owned company “Ukroboronprom” (Ukrainian Defense Industry). From December 2015 to August 2019, Kostiantyn served as Deputy Chairman of the National Police of Ukraine.

In 2018, he was Deputy Commander of the Joint Forces in the Joint Forces Operation in eastern Ukraine. In 2015, he held the position of the head of the Joint Forces of the Ministry of Internal Affairs as part of the anti-terrorist operation in the Donbass region.

In addition, Mr. Bushuiev participated in the creation of many projects. Among which:

creation and coordination of the work of the Office of Reforms of the National Police of Ukraine;
organization of cooperation of the National Police of Ukraine with international organizations EUAM, ISITAR, Agriteam Canada, PTAP;
developing of the Strategy of the National Police of Ukraine;

interaction with public human rights organizations International Renaissance Foundation, Expert Center for Human Rights, Ukrainian Charitable Organization “Ukrainian Legal Aid Fund”, etc.

He specializes in law, jurisprudence. In 2005, Konstantin graduated from the National Academy of Internal Affairs of Ukraine. And in 2000, he graduated from the Kharkiv Institute of Fire Safety.

Natalia Chermoshentseva

Natalia Chermoshentseva is an expert in the field of gender equality. She has over 10 years of experience in the field of gender policy and gender mainstreaming in the work of executive authorities and local self-government.

As a national consultant in the field of gender equality and reforms, she cooperated with the Government and the parliamentary association “Equal Opportunities” of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine.

Natalia is the author of analytical reports and publications on gender equality and civil society development in Ukraine.

She is a candidate of Historical Sciences, a graduate of the Higher School of Sociology (Institute of Sociology of the Academy of Sciences of Ukraine).

Natalia is a certified trainer of the UN Program for Equal Rights and Opportunities for Women in Ukraine (2010-2011).

Dariia Gaidai

Dariia Gaidai is an analyst and specialist in the field of international public law.

Dariia assumes the position of the International Affairs Advisor to the Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration of Ukraine.

As an expert, she specializes in several areas. Among them: international relations, strategic international communications, Ukraine-EU political dialogue and Ukraine-NATO cooperation.

She worked at the analytical centers “New Europe Institute” and the “Institute of World Policy”. Dariia also worked as a news editor for the information and analytical portal “Obozrevatel.com”, in the period from 2011 to 2013.

Dariia Gaidai graduated from the National University “Kyiv-Mohyla Academy”.

She is the author of many publications in Ukrainian, English and other languages.

Yurii Holovashenko

Yurii Holovashenko is a Ukrainian military serviceman, retired colonel of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. He’s a participant in the Russian-Ukrainian War.

Yurii received his bachelor’s degree at the Odessa Military Academy.

He received his master’s degree at the National Defense University of Ukraine and the Ph.D. degree at the Bila Tserkva National Agrarian University.

Volodymyr Horbach

Volodymyr Horbach is a political scientist. Volodymyr holds the position of a political analyst at the Institute of Euro-Atlantic Cooperation, he is an expert on foreign and domestic policy of Ukraine.

Since 1990, Volodymyr was the chairman of the Chernihov student fraternity, then the head of the Chernihiv office of the Ukrainian Perspective Foundation. He has implemented a number of projects at the Institute of Politics, the Institute of Euro-Atlantic Cooperation.

Also, since 2000, he was the head of the information and analytical department of the executive committee of the party “Reforms and Order”, and in 2005-2006 he was a member of the political council and the head of the information and analytical department of the Civil Party “Pora”.

Volodymyr was a member of the Organizing Committee of the Civil Assembly of Ukraine, the Civic Constitutional Committee and the Public Expert Council under the Ukrainian part of the Committee on Cooperation between Ukraine and the EU.

In 2015, he was a member of the competition commission for the selection of candidates for administrative positions in the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (according to the quota of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine).

He graduated from the history faculty of the Chernihiv State Pedagogical University in 1993.

Ruslan Kavatsiuk

Ruslan Kavatsiuk is a public figure.
He is a deputy CEO Babyn Yar Holocaust Memorial Center responsible for academic research programs, Ukrainian and International Affairs.

Former Advisor to Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine for European and Euro-Atlantic integration of Ukraine, and advisor to Chief of General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (2015-2017).

In 2010-1014 Ruslan was Head of Corporate and Government Affairs and Board of management member of Mondelez Ukraine (former Kraft Foods Ukraine).

He led communication of Mondelez International in Ukraine, Moldova, Belarus, Armenia, Azerbaijan and in countries of Central Asia. Ruslan joined the team of PJSC “Mondelez Ukraina” with expertise and experience in journalism he gained over the five years of his activity as a reporter and then the editor of the political section of the «Gazeta po-ukrainsky» (“Newspaper in Ukrainian”).

When the «Kraina» (“The Country”) weekly magazine was launched he was in charge of the “News” section.

Ruslan graduated from the Ukrainian Catholic University in Lviv, specializing in theology.

Volodymyr Lapa

Mr. V. Lapa is an expert in the field of agrarian, regulatory policy and food safety.

Volodymyr Lapa has experience in the information and analytical business, a number of leading agricultural associations of Ukraine, the Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food and the State Food Service.

As head of the State Food Service for Food Safety (2016-2019), he helped bring food safety legislation closer to EU law and ensured the creation of a competent control body on a “from field to table” basis.

Viktoriia Ptashnyk

Viktoriia Ptashnyk is a deputy chair of the Competition Law Committee of the Ukrainian Bar Association. She is a lawyer. As an expert, she specializes in jurisprudence.

Mrs. Ptashnyk was a member of the Ukrainian parliament (2014-2019). In the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, she focused on improving antimonopoly and corporate legislation, initiated a number of projects aimed at creating a favorable business environment and improving the investment climate in Ukraine. At the initiative of Mrs. Ptashnyk, laws were adopted, in particular, on the publication of decisions of the Antimonopoly Committee of Ukraine (#782-VIII), on increasing the cost indicators in cases of concentration (# 935-VIII), on the elimination of administrative barriers to the export of services (# 1724- VIII), on increasing the level of corporate governance in joint-stock companies (# 1983 VIII), etc.

As a member of the Economic Policy Committee, she participated in the improvement of legislation on privatization, public procurement, the bankruptcy code, and was also involved in corporate governance, constitutional, judicial reform, improvement of intellectual property protection issues, and the like. The main task of her work in the Verkhovna Rada was to create a favorable environment for doing business in Ukraine and the development of competition.

During her career, she has received many awards.

Viktoriia graduated from the Taras Shevchenko Kyiv National University. She is also a graduate of the Ukrainian School of Political Studies, the Aspen Institute’s Seminar “Justice, Law and Society” and the Ukrainian Corporate Governance Academy.

Kateryna Shynkaruk

Kateryna Shynkaruk is a researcher.
Kateryna has many years of experience as a public figure and political analyst.

During 2013-2020, she worked as a lead local expert on internal politics and parliamentary affairs at the U.S. Embassy in Ukraine. Prior to that, she has been Senior Research Fellow in International Studies at the Kyiv based Institute for Economic Research and Policy Consulting.

Mrs. Shynkaruk received her Ph.D. in Global Political Affairs (2011) at Taras Shevchenko Kyiv National University.

She is teaching graduate courses in International Relations and Ukraine’s Foreign Policy as adjunct professor at the Ukrainian universities Kyiv Mohyla Academy and Taras Shevchenko Kyiv National University.

Ihor Stokoz

Ihor Stokoz is a statesman and public figure.
He has over 23 years of professional experience in the public and private sectors.

Since 2016, Mr. Stokoz has been holding the position of Deputy Chairman of the Donetsk Regional State Administration.

During his work in the public sector, he held the positions of Advisor to the Chairman of the Donetsk Regional State Administration, Advisor to the First Deputy Chairman of the Donetsk Regional State Administration (on a voluntary basis).

Before working in the public sector, Ihor Stokoz had extensive management experience as a private entrepreneur. So, for 10 years he was leading projects and programs in the field of material production, namely: reorganization of the Ukrainian manufacturer of building materials and the introduction of new construction methods; development of projects for the treatment and processing of solid household waste.

Ihor Stokoz by education is a teacher of the Ukrainian language and literature, a teacher for people with hearing disabilities. He speaks several languages.

Svitlana Taran

Svitlana Taran is a scientist, researcher and analyst in the field of economics.

Svitlana has over 10 years of experience as an analyst in international trade, trade policy, non-tariff barriers to trade, DCFTA with the EU, WTO.

During 2016-2018, she worked in the public policy sector in the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration of Ukraine.

During 2018-2019 she graduated from the G. Humphrey Program on Economic Development at Boston University. Svitlana received her Master’s degree in Economics, Economic Education and Research Consortium (EERC) at the Kyiv School of Economics.

She is a Researcher at KSE since 2019. Svitlana is currently researching economic policy in the field of international trade.

Viktoriia Yershova

Viktoriia Yershova is an expert in the field of European integration.
Viktoriia has many years of experience studying at the best universities in the world.

As an expert during 2016-2018, Mrs. Yershova has been developing the Action Plan of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine for the implementation of the Agreement and the online monitoring system “Pulse of the Agreement”.

She also worked at the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration of Ukraine.

She continued to work as a coordinator of the Program for attracting specialists to the EU project “Support for the implementation of the Association Agreement between Ukraine and the EU.”

Since 2019, she has been engaged in expert and coordination work for the Committee on integration into the EU of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine.

Viktoriia has a Master of Laws degree with knowledge of a foreign language from the Kyiv National Economic University. She also studied at Northumbria University (UK), Vienna University of Economics (Austria), School of Management. J. Kennedy at Harvard University (USA), participated in the John Smith program of the British Government, the events of the EU and NATO Delegations.