Associate Professor Olena Motuzenko led an international seminar at the University of Brescia as part of the Europe Days by WUNU
As part of the celebrations for Europe Days at West Ukrainian National University, Olena Motuzenko, Associate Professor of the Department of International Relations and Diplomacy at the B. Havrylyshyn Institute of International Relations, who is currently serving as a visiting professor at the University of Brescia (Italy), held an international academic seminar on 6 May 2026 entitled ‘Ricostruire il Futuro: Strategie Sostenibili per la Rigenerazione Post-Conflitto’ (‘Rebuilding the Future: Sustainable Strategies for Post-Conflict Regeneration’).
The event was held at the Department of Civil Engineering, Architecture, Planning, Environment and Mathematics (DICATAM) at the University of Brescia as part of the Master’s programme in Engineering and Architecture, and was organised in collaboration with Professor Michèle Pezzagno.
Olena Motuzenko presented contemporary approaches to the sustainable post-war reconstruction of Ukraine as a process of comprehensive territorial and institutional transformation. Drawing on international and Ukrainian experience, she analysed key models of post-conflict territorial regeneration, focusing on the European dimension of Ukraine’s reconstruction, the implementation of EU standards, principles of energy efficiency, decentralisation, transparent governance and the green transition in the construction sector.
During the seminar, the speaker also addressed the issues of revitalising historic centres, preserving cultural heritage and the role of communities in building territorial resilience. She paid particular attention to the international case studies of Syria and Gaza in the context of comparing models of post-conflict regeneration.
The seminar was given special significance by a remote presentation from a leading Ukrainian expert, Professor Olena Bondar – a specialist in the field of digital construction and infrastructure restoration in Ukraine. In her presentation, she outlined modern digital tools for managing reconstruction processes, in particular the implementation of BIM technologies in Ukraine’s public sector, and highlighted the role of digitalisation in improving the efficiency of the design, reconstruction and management of infrastructure facilities in line with European approaches.
The seminar attracted considerable interest among undergraduates and postgraduates at the University of Brescia and served as a platform for international academic dialogue on contemporary approaches to the sustainable post-war reconstruction of Ukraine.
Thanks to the systematic international efforts of Olena Motuzenko, Associate Professor in the Department of International Relations and Diplomacy, and the development of the partnership between WUNU and the University of Brescia, international academic cooperation is being strengthened and Ukrainian academic expertise is being integrated into the European higher education area.
