50 years of the Chair of Foreign Languages at the Institute of International Relations!

The history of the Chair of Foreign Languages at the Institute of International Relations began on 1 September 1976. Over half a century, successive generations of lecturers have established a strong tradition of language and translation training, as well as academic traditions that continue to this day.

Today, the Chair of Foreign Languages is headed by Professor Valentyna Viktorivna Daineko. Under Valentyna Viktorivna’s leadership, the department has been constantly developing, devising new courses, expanding educational opportunities for students, and strengthening research activities and international cooperation. An important focus remains the professional development of lecturers through work placements, academic mobility, participation in research and educational projects, and the study of modern teaching methods.

Today, the department combines many years of experience with modern approaches to the teaching of professionally-oriented foreign languages, research and collaboration with international partners. The results of the lecturers’ research are published in specialist Ukrainian and international journals, including those indexed in Scopus and Web of Science.

Nine foreign languages are taught at the Institute of International Relations. Students follow 15 original courses, developed using the department’s lecturers’ unique teaching methods; they master professional terminology, work with modern simultaneous interpreting equipment and acquire practical skills in oral and written translation. For future international relations specialists, such training is an important professional advantage, enabling them to communicate freely, engage in professional dialogue and work in an international environment.

The Chair is developing new educational programmes in line with contemporary professional requirements. In the context of Ukraine’s European integration, the ‘International Relations and Translation’ programme was launched in 2025, developed in accordance with the standards of the European Master’s in Translation (EMT). The programme includes, in particular, training in the professional handling of European Union legal documents and acts.

Over the past 50 years, approaches to teaching, technology and professional requirements have changed. What has remained constant is the most important thing: knowledge of foreign languages is one of the key components of an international relations graduate’s education and opens up opportunities for professional development.

The Chair’s 50th anniversary is a story of lecturers, students and alumni who represent Ukraine around the world in various languages.

We congratulate the Chair of Foreign Languages on its anniversary and thank all generations of lecturers for their knowledge, traditions and contribution to the training of world-class specialists.

May this story continue, combining strong academic traditions, modern education and the training of new generations of international relations specialists.