Ukrainian lessons presented at the Baltic Sea Region Resilience meeting in Visby
From June 16 to 18 2025, a high-level follow-up meeting titled “Building a Resilient Baltic Sea Region – Perspectives and Possibilities” was held in Visby, Sweden. The gathering brought together policymakers, researchers, and civil society leaders from across Europe to discuss ways to enhance resilience, preparedness, and cooperation in the Baltic Sea Region in light of current geopolitical and environmental challenges.
Several high-level representatives and experts contributed their insights during the panel discussion, offering perspectives from national, regional, academic, and civil society institutions. The speakers included Ms. Anna Hagström, EUSBSR National Coordinator, Prime Minister of Sweden’s Office, Ms. Charlotte Petri Gornitzka, Governor of Gotland, Dr. Ieva Birka, University of Latvia, Mr. Sigge Eriksson, Acting President, The National Council of Swedish Youth Organisations, Ms. Annika Rinne, Finnish National Rescue Association, Mr. Lars-Göran Uddholm, Head of Security and Preparedness, Region Gotland.
The research team of the Swedish - Ukrainian project “Doc Stud Ukraine: Supporting PhD students as a significant element of strengthening the health system in deoccupied territories in Ukraine”, implemented in partnership with Karolinska Institutet and funded by the Swedish Institute, was represented at the event by Prof. Olesya Hulchiy, Principal Investigator from the Ukrainian side.
Prof. Hulchiy delivered a presentation highlighting the lessons learnt from Ukrainian experience of recent years to make the Baltic region better prepared and ready for emergencies. Additionally, the project's results were shared, including building of early-career researchers’ competencies for post-conflict recovery and health system strengthening, particularly in territories that suffered from combat actions or occupation.
Throughout the project (2024–2025), four joint seminars were held in Kyiv and Stockholm, uniting over 150 young researchers from Ukraine, Sweden, and beyond – including participants from China, Indonesia, Nigeria, Chile, and Greece. These engagements have fostered a new generation of healthcare professionals trained in international research practices and dedicated to integrating lessons from wartime into global scientific discourse.
For questions or more information, contact:
Nina Viberg
Tobias Alfvén