The KNU School of International Law: sixty years of shaping the elite for Ukraine and the world!

On 2 December 2025, Vsevolod Mytsyk, Head of the Department of International Law, Professor, and Head of the Scientific School, presented a report on the activities of the Scientific School "International Law" at a meeting of the Scientific and Expert Council of Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv.

During the meeting, the key results of the school's work were discussed and its certification was carried out, confirming the decisive role of the scientific centre in the development of international legal science in Ukraine and the training of specialists who represent the state on the world stage.

The school is the successor to the traditions of St. Vladimir's University and brings together leading researchers, teachers and practitioners who shape contemporary legal discourse. It was here that renowned international lawyers began their academic careers: Professors Volodymyr Vasylenko, Volodymyr Butkevych, Oleksandr Zadorozhniy and others.

"We have educated a generation of people who shape Ukraine's image on the international stage, from international judges to authors of key legislative decisions," say the school's administrators.

Key achievements:

Training of judges for the European Court of Human Rights, the Constitutional Court, and the Supreme Court of Ukraine

Scientists provide expertise for state policy and diplomacy

Students are winners of leading international legal competitions

Created Ukraine's first industry standard for the specialty "International Law"

The professional achievements of our graduates are the best evidence of the school's authority and global influence, which shapes the international image of the state.

Notable alumni:

Volodymyr Vasylenko — judge of the International Court of Justice, diplomat

Volodymyr Butkevych — judge of the European Court of Human Rights

Oleksandr Zadorozhniy — leading expert on Ukraine's defence in international courts

Oleksandr Vodyannikov — judge of the Constitutional Court of Ukraine

Yulia Chernyak — judge of the Supreme Court of Ukraine

Mykola Gnativsky — judge of the European Court of Human Rights

Dmytro Kuleba — former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine

Serhiy Kyslytsya — Permanent Representative of Ukraine to the UN

Their achievements are the best confirmation of the school's authority in the world.

The KNU School of International Law plays a key role in shaping Ukraine's modern legal and foreign policy strategy. Representatives of the school are actively involved in:

building a case against the Russian Federation's crimes of aggression

developing international humanitarian and criminal law

reforming the legal system and integrating Ukraine into the EU and NATO

developing mechanisms for compensation for damages, transitional justice and bringing the aggressor to justice

International law is Ukraine's intellectual shield, and schools like this are its mainstay.