An online meeting was held between representatives of the Research Service of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine and the Institute of Educational Equality (Oslo, Norway). The meeting focused on potential collaboration to offer online language courses in English and several other official languages of the European Union for the people’s deputies of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, their assistant consultants, and the staff of the Secretariat of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine.

Lesia Vaolevska, Head of the Research Service of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, emphasized the urgent need to enhance English language skills among public officials, given Ukraine’s firm European and Euro-Atlantic orientation and in line with the Law of Ukraine No. 3760-IX “On the Use of the English Language in Ukraine,” enacted on June 4, 2024.

Henrik Røine, Director of the Institute of Educational Equality, highlighted the importance of language learning in integration processes and supported the Research Service’s initiative to provide free online language courses as part of the “Together for Ukraine” project.

As a result of the meeting, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed.