Europe without Barriers, ewb

	Public Initiative “Europe without Barriers” (EWB)
	NGOs - Founders of EWB:
	Center for Peace, Conversion and Foreign Policy of Ukraine
	Regional Branch of National Institute for Strategic Studies in Uzhgorod
	Lviv Legal Society
	Donetsk regional NGO “Institute for Social Studies and Political Analysis”
	Local Democracy Public Foundation (Kharkiv)
	Association for Youth Rights Protection in Volyn region
	Information-Research Center “Global” (Odesa)

EWB managers and experts

Iryna Sushko is the EWB Head since its registration, in 2009. By her education Iryna is a teacher of history and ethnology. Within the last five years Iryna has combined her public activity with the work at Kyiv University on Economics and Law (KROK) and at Kyiv Business Lyceum. Together with teaching work she was involved as a project manager and analyst of the Center for Peace, Conversion and Foreign Policy of Ukraine.

Iryna was the leader of numerous international and all-Ukrainian research and advocacy projects aimed at supporting the European integration of Ukraine. She managed all EWB monitoring projects.

Iryna is the author and co-author of policy papers on freedom of movement and human contacts, monitoring assessments of visa policies and practices.

Her activity is mainly aimed at removal the administrative barriers, that prevent Ukrainian and of other European countries' citizens from the freedom of communication and travel.

Contacts:

Oleksiy Vradiy is an expert and one of the fEWB founders. By profile Oleksiy is a specialist in international relations, PhD in polittical science (international relations).

The last five years Oleksiy works in the Institute of World Economy and International Relations of National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine as a research fellow, in the Department on International Relations Theory.

Combining with the scientific work, Oleksiy works as an analyst of the Center for Peace, Conversion and Foreign Policy of Ukraine. He is an author an co-author of numerous publications on the EU and the European integration of Ukraine.

Contacts:

Oleksandr Sushko is an associate expert (non-staff). Since June 2006, Oleksandr works as a Research Director of the Institute for Euro-Atlantic cooperation (Kyiv). He has a PhD in political science (international relations) since 1998 recieved in the Institute of World Economy and International Relations of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine. .

Previously he worked as a political analyst, coordinator of the monitoring program (1998-2000), and Director of the Centre for Peace, Conversion and Foreign Policy of Ukraine (2000-2006). He had a fellowship in the Research Center for Non-Proliferation Studies, Monterey, USA (2002).

Oleksandr is a member of Public Expert Council at the Ukrainian part of the EU-Ukraine Cooperation Committee, as well as member of the Public Council at the MFA of Ukraine

Author of more then 100 publications in Ukraine and abroad. His professional activities cover the wide range of international and domestic political issues, including European integration, EU-Ukraine relations, NATO, transatlantic relations, internal, external and security policy of Ukraine.

Contacts:

Svitlana Mytryayeva, is a director of the Regional branch of the National Institute for Strategic Studies in Uzhgorod, a PhD (history), the senior researcher on the profile "Fundamentals of the national security". She is an Honoured Scientist of Ukraine, professor of international law and international relations in Transcarpathian State University, chevalier of Princess Olga order of the degree III, a president of the Centre for Strategic Partnership. She is an initiator of a number of international and Ukrainian projects on European integration in the Transcarpathian region and in the countries of Carpathian Euroregion, including:

The Head of Ukrainian part of Ukrainian-Slovak Project “The Carpathian region: prospects and challenges "- 2000-2002;

The Head of three monitoring investigations of practice of issuing visa by a Consulate General of the Republic of Hungary in Uzhhorod, a Consulate of the Republic of Hungary in Bereghove and the Consulate General of Slovakia in Uzhgorod - 2008-2009;

The Head of Ukrainian part of Ukrainian-Slovakian project “Open the door between the two sides of the border» (NPOA) - 2009-2010;

The Head of Ukrainian part of the joint Slovak-Ukrainian project «SUREC» - 2009-2011;

The Head of Ukrainian part of the joint Hungarian-Ukrainian project "Development of the Hungarian-Ukrainian Cooperation in 2010

She is the author of over 100 scientific publications issued in Ukraine, Slovakia, Hungary, including 4 individual monographs, the latest of which is the “European Security and Ukraine” (2008), a co-author of the expert report “Ukraine in 2009: internal and external situation and prospects of the development” (The Statement of the President of Ukraine to the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine) and the previous four years. The subject of publication is an analysis of integration processes in Ukraine, particularly, the impact of EU enlargement on the socio-economic development and cooperation of Ukraine with the neighbouring states, participation of neighbouring countries to the Schengen area and minimization of the negative consequences of the introduction of visa regime.

Contacts: [email protected]

Iryna Omelchuk, is the project coordinator of the Association for Youth Rights Protection in Volyn Region. She has received a Masters of Political Science in the Volyn State University named after Lesya Ukrainka.

She coordinates the projects (including monitoring of the visa and border policy) since 2007.

Previously she served as an executive director of Association.

Contacts:

Olga Miroshnyk, is the president of Local Democracy Foundation, the head of the Kharkiv European club, the member of enterprising group for creation networks of pro-European organizations of Ukraine, she is the head of European Information Centre in Kharkiv, the chairman of the Committee for European Integration at the head of the Kharkiv Regional State Administration. The Activity about the theme of European and Euro-Atlantic integration:

The Coordinator of three monitoring research of practice for issuing visas by the Consulate General of Poland in Kharkov 2007-2009

She is a co-author of a manual for teachers "The ABC of European integration" - in 2006.

The conducting of survey: "What we know about the EU and NATO: the idea of Kharkiv" -2008.

Preparation and organization of four international conferences on problems of European and Euro-Atlantic integration, 2005-2009

Teaching the special course for teachers "The European integration of Ukraine"

The Project manager of "Euro-Atlantic Spring - 2008", in the context of which about 30 events were held - conferences, roundtables, discussions, forums, 12 live broadcasts were held on TV.

She is a member of many Ukrainian and international conferences, forums, congresses on European issues.

Contacts:

Denys Kuzmin, from Odessa, is the researcher and coordinator of European projects for the Center for International Studies, the lecturer on international relations in Odessa National University named after Illya Mechnikov. He is a member of the NGO Center Global.

He took part in a number fellowships and workshops on European Studios and the development of the third sector in Ukraine and Europe, particularly, in the University of Tampere (Finland, 2000), in the International University of Economics (London, 2001), the Central European University (Budapest, Hungary, 2002), Centre of Transit Nations in the University of Minnesota (Minneapolis, USA, 2005), Centre for Russian and East European Studios at the University of Toronto (Canada, 2005). He was a co-organizer and coordinator of a number of projects such as "The study of European Integration in Odessa" (TEMPUS / TACIS), (1997 - 2001), Centre for Contemporary Studies and Teaching (CART) in European Studios in the mega project "Higher Education: the leadership for Progress" of the International Renaissance Foundation (2001-2002), Regional Seminar on Higher Education (ReSET) "The European security and the NIS: A New Education for a New Europe "(2005-2008), (OSI-HESP), The Jean Monnet Programme of the European Union" Europe in Odessa, Odessa in Europe (1 September 2007 - August 30, 2008).

Now the IDC Global together with the Institute of Social Sciences of Odessa National University are the official partners of the Ukrainian side in the project “The enhancing o mutual understanding and cooperation between the EU and Ukraine, Belarus, Moldova and Russia (2008-2012)”, which implements with the support of the European Commission of the Institute for Ethnic and Regional Studios (Slovenia)

Contacts:

Volodymyr Kipen is a chairman of the Donetsk Regional NGO Institute for Social Research and Political Analysis. He graduated from the Philosophy Faculty of Kiev State University. He is a PhD (phylosophy), an associate professor of political science at Donetsk National University.

He is the author of over 120 scientific publications, including monographs and textbooks. He works on issues of foreign policy orientations of elites and society of Ukraine, political sociology, political culture and civic engagement, modernization of the post-totalitarian society, philosophical and sociological problems of higher education, and policy analysis in the education area. He was awarded an honorary sign of "The A-student of Ukrainian education" (2000).

He has an experience of successful implementation of many research and practical projects, including international ones. He leades monitoring of the EU Member States consulates in Donetsk region.

Author of publication: "Public support for non-visa regime with the EU: Monitoring of Czech Republic and Greek consulates in Donetsk region, 2009

Contacts:

Andriy Lepak is an Executive Director of the Lviv Legal Society since 2009, the President of the Centre "Our Right" since 2006. He took a Masters Diploma in Sociology at Lviv National University.

He is a coordinator of three monitoring researches of practice of issuing visa by consulates of the Republic of Poland and the Czech Republic in 2007-2009, Lviv. In 2008 he is one of the founders of the Centre for Sociological Studies “Socialine” in Lviv. He is engaged in strategic planning and development of social research methodology.

Professional interests: fulfillment of the right for the freedom of movement, local governance and public control, municipal consulting.

Contact:

The EWB sociologists

Sergiy Buryakov, from Kharkiv, works in publishing-consulting corporation "Factor", which concentrates on consulting services and publishing reports on taxation, business, law, case management as Head of Marketing and Advertising Department.

In 2005 he studied at the Higher School of Sociology at the Institute of Sociology of Ukraine "program packages SPSS and OSA in sociology and marketing”. Since 2008 he was involved by the EWB to the development of methodology of monitoring of the EU visa policy.

He actively participates in various researches conducted by EWB, particularly he deals with: the calculation of sampling, questionnaire design, briefing interviewers, preparing the analytical reports, analysing data in SPSS software and OSA, creates databases on their basis.

Contacts: [email protected]

Stanislav Demchuk, works in association of Association for Youth Rights Protection in Volyn Region since August 2009, as a sociologist. He was enlisted to the projects of the Association of the Volyn Youth Rights Protection in 2008. In 2009 he has received a Masters Diploma in Sociology at the Volyn National University.

He is actively involved in various studies commissioned by public authorities and business corporations.

Since July 2008 he is involved by the Association for the monitoring of visa process in the consulate of Poland in Lutsk. During 2008-2009 he guidelined and observed standard interviews, in-depth structured interviews and other components of the monitoring.

Contacts: sociolog.lutsk @ mail.ru