Lecture by the Deputy Director of the State Protocol Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, Mr. Oleksandr DZYOMA

On April 9, 2026, with the assistance of the Department of International Organizations and the Diplomatic Service of Educational and Scientific Institute of International Relations of Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, a practical-oriented professional meeting was held with Mr. Oleksandr DZYOMA, Deputy Director of the Department of State Protocol – Head of the Department of Foreign Diplomatic Institutions of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine. This master class was held with students of higher education in the fourth year of the "Bachelor" OP "International Relations", specialization "Diplomacy and Diplomatic Cooperation", in the format of the academic discipline "Industry Diplomacy" (Assoc. Roman PETYUR, Assoc. Viacheslav TSIVATYI). Topic of the master class: "Establishing diplomatic relations between states and opening diplomatic missions."

The lecture was devoted to the establishment of diplomatic relations between states and the process of opening diplomatic missions of foreign states in Ukraine. The lecturer described in detail the main stages during the opening of the newly established diplomatic representation of a foreign state in Ukraine. Mr. Oleksandr DZYOMA presented the stages of institutionalization of relations between states in the audience, in particular – agreement, exchange of ambassadors, handing over letters of credence (letters of revocation), diplomatic and information activities of ambassadors in the host country. Also, the original documents of faith and letters of revocation were demonstrated, with which students of higher education got to know in person ("touched the unique documents with their own hands").The lecturer placed special emphasis on sectoral diplomacy (public diplomacy, cultural diplomacy, humanitarian diplomacy, sports diplomacy, crisis diplomacy, valeological diplomacy, gastronomic diplomacy, culinary diplomacy, image diplomacy, cyber diplomacy, etc.), the tools of which are actively used in their diplomatic work by ambassadors of foreign countries in Ukraine. 

The lecturer drew the attention of those present to such important aspects as the appointment and recall of the head and members of the diplomatic mission, the arrival of the head of the mission to the host country, the handing over of copies and originals of credentials. Of particular interest and value for those seeking higher education during the discussion is the lecturer's twenty-year practical experience in the central office of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine and during his long-term foreign missions (the Kingdom of Spain, Latin American countries, etc.), especially in the conditions of martial law in Ukraine.

The lecture was made possible thanks to the long-term practice of cooperation between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine and the Educational and Scientific Institute of International Relations of Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, within the framework of which diplomats-practitioners join the teaching of academic disciplines. In this way, students of higher education receive invaluable knowledge and professional competences in the field of practical diplomacy in order to be better prepared for their future profession.

The students of higher education thanked Mr. Oleksandr DZYOMA with thunderous applause for an interesting lecture, and received comprehensive answers to all their questions. See you again at the Center for Public and Cultural Diplomacy of the National Institute of Foreign Studies, which functions under the Department of International Organizations and Diplomatic Service (Prof. Viktor MATVIENKO, Associate Professor Viacheslav TSIVATYI)!

Many thanks to the methodologist-coordinator of this project, Mrs. Natalia POLYN! See you soon!