On December 11, 2025, the Laboratory for Hybrid Threats Research in National Security of the Department of National Security and Political Science at the National University of Ostroh Academy, within the framework of the projects "WARN: Academic Counteraction to Hybrid Threats" and "Modeling and Analysis of Information Warfare Processes as a Tool for Protecting Democracy in the EU and Countering Threats," held the All-Ukrainian Student and Postgraduate Research-to-Practice Conference "Hybrid Wars and Global Politics."
Students and postgraduate participants from various educational-professional and educational-scientific programmes of Ostroh Academy, Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, Borys Hrinchenko Kyiv University, and Petro Mohyla Black Sea National University took part in the scientific event. The event took place online via Zoom.
The opening remarks were delivered by the Head of the Laboratory for Hybrid Threats Research in National Security at the NaUOА, Doctor of Science (History), Full Professor Alla Atamanenko; the Director of the Educational and Scientific Institute of International Relations and National Security at the NaUOА, Doctor of Science (Economics), Full Professor Olha Demianchuk; and the Head of the Department of National Security and Political Science at the NaUOА, Doctor of Science (Law), Full Professor, Senior Research Fellow, retired Colonel Mykola Romanov.
“Today, not only for Ukraine but for the world as a whole, many threats are anticipated for 2026 across various sectors: not only the danger of a Third World War or a recession, which will deepen, among other things, the debt dependence of some countries, but also threats from the use of innovative technologies and AI, which can also intensify the global crisis. […] I wish you success and fruitful discussions today, and I will be glad to join your debates and conversations. Wishing you productive work!”
"Our conference is significant. Our enemy carries out attacks not only on the front lines, but also in the information space, the economic sphere, and other socio-political aspects of our lives, including at the international level. Therefore, countering such actions is always relevant."
During the plenary session, two reports by practitioner experts were presented: project manager of the 'Serhii Prytula Foundation' and lecturer of philosophy at Kyiv School of Economics, Olha Kryvitchenko ("Soft Power as a Tool of Hybrid Warfare: Its Influence on the Activities of the 'Serhiy Prytula Foundation'") and the head of the Independent Media Trade Union of Ukraine, Cand. Sc. (Public Administration), Associate Professor Serhiy Shturkhetskyi ("The Intensity and Narratives of russian Disinformation Plants in 2022–2023: Research Methodology").
Subsequently, the event proceeded within the framework of three section meetings: "Information Countermeasures against Hybrid Threats. International and Regional Security in the Context of Hybrid Conflicts" (moderator – D.Sc., Prof. Alla Atamenko); "Challenges to National Security in the Context of Hybrid Warfare. Tools for Countering Hybrid Threats" (moderator – lecturer of the Department of National Security and Political Science at the NaUOA, Nazar Martyniuk); "Information and Cyber Components of Hybrid Conflicts" (moderator – postgraduate student of the Department of International Relations at the NaUOA, Taras Stryhotskyi).
Overall, the presentations and lively discussions focused on the role of various actors on the international stage (the United States, China, the European Union, Turkey, India, Nepal, and others) in countering hybrid threats and shaping the contemporary security architecture; on different instruments for effectively countering hybrid influences (crisis management systems, diplomacy, national resilience, strategic planning, etc.); and on the information and cyber domains as modern "battlefields." The event served as a platform for discussing the research findings of young scholars, both those who had already participated in similar events and those for whom it was, in a sense, a successful "scientific debut."
"Thank you to the colleagues who moderated the sessions for organising the work so effectively, thank you to the participants for the high-quality preparation of their reports and their presentations, and thank you to our guests for their talks and for sharing their experience. Our conference demonstrated that the study of hybrid confrontations and their impact on global political processes is important and requires further research and more detailed analysis."
"The conference 'Hybrid Wars and Global Politics" demonstrated the high potential of the Ukrainian academic community. During the sessions, the participants presented reports outlining forecasts regarding future challenges in the field of communications and in countering hybrid threats."
Following the conference, a collection of participants' abstracts is planned for publication.
On behalf of the Conference Organising Committee, we sincerely thank all participants for their insightful presentations, discussions, and reflections on the prospects for further research and collaboration!
