On 24–25 September 2026, Natalia Mamchenko, Chief Scientific Consultant of the Department of Legal Policy and Organisation of Public Authority of the Research Service of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, took part in the European Centre for Parliamentary Research and Documentation (ECPRD) seminar “Parliamentary libraries and research services: People, services and spaces”, held in London and hosted by the House of Lords, UK Parliament, in the year marking the 200th anniversary of the House of Lords Library.

The seminar brought together professionals from parliamentary research, library and analytical services from across Europe, including Germany, Denmark, Finland, Norway, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Italy, the Czech Republic and other countries.

During the thematic sessions, participants discussed contemporary approaches to developing services for parliamentarians, identifying user needs and gathering feedback, the use of digital tools and artificial intelligence, data visualisation, as well as the transformation of the physical and virtual spaces used by parliamentary libraries and research services. Considerable attention was also paid to staff development: the House of Lords Library shared its experience in developing a research skills strategy based on surveys, interviews and benchmarking.

As part of the session devoted to service delivery by parliamentary research services and libraries, Natalia Mamchenko delivered a presentation entitled “Transforming the Research Service of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine in Wartime: Building a Knowledge Base and Research Infrastructure for Parliament.” The presentation highlighted the development of the Research Service during the full-scale war, including the shift from a traditional model focused on producing individual analytical materials towards a comprehensive system of parliamentary decision support combining proactive research, practical analytical tools, knowledge bases, professional learning and digital solutions.

Participation in the seminar provided an opportunity to share Ukraine’s experience in developing parliamentary research infrastructure with the international parliamentary community and to learn about contemporary approaches used by European parliaments.

The Research Service of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine expresses its sincere gratitude to the European Centre for Parliamentary Research and Documentation, the House of Lords, UK Parliament, and the House of Lords Library team for the opportunity to participate in the seminar, the high standard of organisation, and for creating an open and welcoming environment for professional exchange and the sharing of ideas.