Ukrainian Talk Series draws US security expert panel

Hosted by Dr Markian Prokopovych, Associate Professor at our History Department, the discussion focused on the geo-security dimensions of the war in Ukraine.

The session was organised jointly by Durham University, our twinned Ukrainian university Zaporizhzhia National University (ZNU) and Durham County Council, attracting a panel of diverse and interdisciplinary experts covering Ukraine, the broader regions of East Central Europe, the Near East, and Eurasia, and organisations such as NATO and the US government. 

VIP panellists

We were delighted to welcome Bob Jensen, Senior Managing Director at Strat3 LLC, and Mark Pfeifle, President at Off the Record Strategies, to Durham to take part in the panel discussion in person.

Mark served as deputy assistant to the president and deputy national security advisor for strategic communications and global outreach at the White House from 2006 to 2009, while Bob is considered the U.S. Government's go-to crisis communications executive with demonstrated success and results for the toughest assignments in challenging environments.

Geo-security dimensions of the war in Ukraine  

The global significance of Ukraine has become obvious in the recent times, and we continue to be deeply concerned and saddened by the war taking place in Ukraine.

The topical discussion in this latest talk explored security concerns and the sharing of security information, cyber warfare and drone use, while also drawing on the panellists’ diverse expertise.

Summary of the series and beyond

The Ukrainian Talk Series is a series of public-facing, hybrid events, which to date have explored Ukraine’s complex history, and the many ways in which the ongoing war has changed and will continue to change the lives of so many people. The series has attracted hundreds of people both locally and internationally.

Inspired and hosted by Dr Markian Prokopovych, the talks are part of a series of collaborative projects and continued work with ZNU.

New funding from Universities UK International (UKKi), announced in March, will support a range of pan-University research collaborations across law, history, geography, psychology, finance and biosciences, this summer. This will include summer schools focusing on topics such as enhancing legal research and rebuilding leadership, workshops on oral history, urban recovery, and mental health in times of war.

We also look forward to welcoming some Ukrainian visiting fellows and students to Durham from ZNU to collaborate later this year.

Image caption (left to right): Prof Anoush Ehteshami, Nasser al-Mohammad al-Sabah Chair in International Relations, Durham University, Bob Jensen, Senior Managing Director, Strat3 LLC, former Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Dr Markian Prokopovych, Associate Professor (Modern European Cultural History), Durham University, Dr Igor Kotsiuba, CARA Fellow, Durham University, Mark Pfeifle, former Deputy National Security Advisory for Strategic Communication and Global Outreach National Security Council, Deputy Assistant to the President of the United States

Find out more:

• Find out more about Dr Markian Prokopovych
• Visit our War in Ukraine news and events page  
• Re-visit our previous Ukraine-related events here (click ‘Show full events archive’ to see past events) 
• Learn more about studying history at Durham 

Set within the magnificent location of Durham’s World Heritage Site, the Department of History at Durham has established itself firmly as one of the top three in the UK. 

Our research and teaching extend from late antiquity and the Middle Ages to contemporary history; from the British Isles and continental Europe to the USA, Africa and East Asia; and across social, cultural, gender, visual, scientific, political and economic history. 

Feeling inspired? Visit our History webpages for more information on our undergraduate and postgraduate programmes.