On November 8, during the 43rd session of the UNESCO General Conference in Samarkand, a resolution initiated by Ukraine was adopted to establish an annual International Day of Engagement with Science for Sustainable Development. From now on, this day will be observed on November 27.
The Ukrainian delegation, which included Olha Herasymiuk, Chair of the National Council, actively worked to promote initiatives highlighting the role of education, science, culture, and the information sphere in strengthening sustainable development and peace.
The majority of the Organization’s Member States supported Ukraine’s proposal. This decision opens a new chapter in international dialogue on science as a driving force for development, recovery, and mutual understanding among nations.
November 27 is a symbolic date in Ukrainian history. On this day, 107 years ago, in the midst of World War I, Hetman Pavlo Skoropadskyi founded the Ukrainian Academy of Sciences in Kyiv. It was headed by the prominent natural scientist and philosopher Volodymyr Vernadskyi, and its first secretary was the renowned orientalist and philologist Ahatanhel Krymskyi. Their work laid the intellectual foundation of modern Ukrainian science.
“This idea was nurtured in Ukraine for several years. It was born in the Junior Academy of Sciences of Ukraine – a community that brings together young researchers and teachers and has long held the status of the Copernicus Academy among European institutions. Its work has become an example of how a country, even without peace, can create meanings of global significance,” shared Olha Herasymiuk.
Ukraine, which has been resisting Russian aggression for more than eleven years, continues to develop science and preserve its research potential. Today, science is a space for interaction among people, states, and communities. It helps overcome the consequences of war, rebuild the country, implement innovations, and integrate into the global scientific community.
Ukraine invites UNESCO Member States, international partners, scientific and educational institutions to join in celebrating the International Day of Engagement with Science for Sustainable Development every year on November 27. This day is intended to serve as a platform for exchanging ideas and discoveries and fostering cooperation among science, education, culture, and civil society.
The National Council supports the aspiration for a sustainable, inclusive, and peaceful world – through science, knowledge, and shared responsibility.
