{"id":6575,"date":"2025-08-13T11:07:18","date_gmt":"2025-08-13T08:07:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/iro.khmnu.edu.ua\/?p=6575"},"modified":"2025-08-13T12:23:37","modified_gmt":"2025-08-13T09:23:37","slug":"hmelnyczkyj-naczionalnyj-universytet-na-national-eisteddfod-u-reksemi-mova-kultura-ta-partnerstvo-shho-poyednuyut-ukrayinu-j-uels","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/iro.khmnu.edu.ua\/en\/hmelnyczkyj-naczionalnyj-universytet-na-national-eisteddfod-u-reksemi-mova-kultura-ta-partnerstvo-shho-poyednuyut-ukrayinu-j-uels\/","title":{"rendered":"Khmelnytskyi National University at the National Eisteddfod in Wrexham: Language, Culture and Partnership Connecting Ukraine and Wales"},"content":{"rendered":"

On 6 August 2025, Khmelnytskyi National University took part in the official programme of the National<\/strong> Eisteddfod<\/strong> \u2013 Wales\u2019s largest cultural festival, celebrating language, identity and creativity. This year, the festival was held in the picturesque city of Wrexham, surrounded by rolling hills, green meadows and ancient Welsh castles that symbolise the region\u2019s centuries-old history and culture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The central event of the day was a joint presentation by Khmelnytskyi National University and Bangor<\/strong> University<\/strong>who have been collaborating for three years within the framework of the UK<\/strong>\u2013Ukraine<\/strong> The Twinning<\/strong> Initiative<\/strong>. Launched during the full-scale war, this initiative brings together UK and Ukrainian universities to strengthen academic, scientific and cultural ties, support Ukrainian higher education institutions, safeguard the quality of teaching and expand international opportunities for students and staff.<\/p>\n\n\n

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The session was moderated by Dr Llion Jones, Director of Canolfan Bedwyr \u2013 the Centre for Welsh Language and Culture at Bangor University. He introduced the speakers and outlined a programme that combined official addresses, video messages, success stories and symbolic acts of cooperation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Welcoming remarks were delivered by Professor Oliver Turnbull, Vice-Chancellor of Bangor University, and Professor Kateryna Skyba, Vice-Rector for Academic Affairs at KhNU. Her address in Ukrainian was translated into Welsh by Dr Jones, allowing the audience to feel both the meaning and the emotional depth of her words.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The participation of Professor Kateryna Skyba carried particular significance. During the visit of the KhNU delegation, led by Rector Serhii Matiukh and Vice-Rector for Research Oleh Syniuk, to Bangor six months ago, she and her colleagues came up with the idea of honouring the Ukrainian and Welsh languages on the same stage. It became clear that the historical paths of these languages are strikingly similar: they endured oppression, bans, attempts to be excluded from education and public life, yet both survived because their speakers refused to forget their mother tongue, preserved it and carried it through the centuries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A special place in the programme was given to the video message of Olena Ivanovska, Commissioner for the Protection of the State Language of Ukraine, which was prepared especially for this event at the request of Khmelnytskyi National University. Welsh subtitles made the video accessible to everyone present. Ms Ivanovska emphasised:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOur languages \u2013 Ukrainian and Welsh \u2013 have a common trait: they endured. Despite centuries of oppression, they preserved their uniqueness and today resound with renewed strength\u2026\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

She also thanked Welsh society for supporting Ukrainians who have found refuge in the UK due to the war:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe Ukrainian people are sincerely grateful to Welsh society for its solidarity, support and warm welcome of Ukrainians\u2026\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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