Students speak directly with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy
15 Jun 2022
Students from our University posed questions to the Ukrainian President during a live question and answer session
President Zelenskyy spoke to a number of UK universities over a direct stream during the event on Friday 10 June 2022.
In a wide-ranging session, President Zelenskyy pledged to the students that he would not give up or concede territory to Russia, and urged Ukrainian students to use their skills to help rebuild his country - he told them that they are ambassadors for the country, and that he needs them to build a "comfortable state” after the war has ended. He also said public support from people and institutions in other nations is vital to Ukraine.
There was a high demand for tickets for the event, which was moderated by Professor Dimitris Papadimitriou of the Manchester Jean Monnet Centre of Excellence and our University’s Ukrainian Society.
“We were delighted to have co-hosted the Ukrainian President here in Manchester, and the reaction from our students was amazing,” said Professor Papadimitriou. “At present there is no bigger issue in the world than the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and this event gave our students the opportunity to engage live with the person who is at the forefront of these historic times.”
“The responses of President Zelenskyy were informal and very engaging. There is no doubt he is a charismatic communicator, and this is a precious quality in the battle of the Ukrainian government to win hearts and minds around the world”.
“We were excited to speak to our President at such a difficult time, and to unite our voices with the struggle of the people of Ukraine,” added Mariia Horb, President of the University’s Ukrainian Society.