Lecture by Dmytro Dovhopoloh for students of the Institute of International Relations

On 9 October 2025, a lecture was given by Dmytro Dovhopolyi, diplomat, candidate of historical sciences, and employee of the UN Secretariat (1987-2019).

Mr. Dovhopolyi outlined the main milestones in the development of diplomacy: from its origins in the states of the Ancient World to the modern dynamics of multilateral diplomacy within international organisations. Students also learned more about the formation of the UN, the creation of its Charter, and the role of Ukrainians in these historical processes. The guest shared his own research on the dynamics of the Cold War through the prism of international organisations: how ideologically opposed blocs tried to assert their interests in the then newly formed UN and how the organisation's voting system turned from a mechanism for establishing justice into a real Gordian knot.

Students of the International Relations Department had the opportunity to ask questions and gain unique insights into the functioning of the United Nations. Mr. Dovhopoloh's experience and examples from his professional life confirmed that, despite the sometimes imperfect systems of global governance, a true diplomat has a real opportunity to influence the course of history.