Uzhhorod National University takes part in working meeting on the development of the Carpathian Leadership Fellows program
On 11 December 2025, Uzhhorod National University representatives, namely vice rector Myroslava Lendel, joined the working meeting dedicated to the development of the Carpathian Leadership Fellows Program (CLFP). The initiative aims to unite emerging leaders from Hungary, Slovakia, Ukraine, Poland, and Romania and to strengthen cooperation across the Carpathian region. The meeting gathered academic experts, representatives of civil society, and partners from the Carpathian Foundation network and several universities.
The Carpathian Leadership Fellows Program is conceived as an eighteen-month leadership initiative. It is modeled on respected international programs such as the Henry Crown Fellowship of the Aspen Institute and the Central Eurasia Leadership Academy. According to the concept presented during the meeting, the program will include four intensive retreats in different Carpathian countries, a leadership curriculum based on classical texts and case studies, project development, and the establishment of a long-term alumni network. Forty participants are expected to be selected each year through a competitive process.
The meeting was initiated by Professor Robert Thomas of the Georgia Institute of Technology, former chair of the Institute’s Leadership Center. The working group also included distinguished experts representing academia, public policy, global leadership development, and regional cooperation across the Carpathian and transatlantic regions. Among the participants were General Philip Breedlove, former Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR) of NATO and Professor at the Georgia Institute of Technology, Professor Joe Hughes of Drexel University, and David Bridges, Vice President of the Georgia Tech Enterprise Innovation Institute.
The group also included Vazil Hudák, former Minister of Economy of Slovakia and former Vice President of the European Investment Bank, Dr. Bob Zuber, Director of Global Action to Prevent War and a United Nations, and Anjar Oewater. These international experts were joined by representatives of Carpathian academic and regional institutions, including Professor Jan Buleca of the Technical University of Košice, Bata Boglárka and Laura Dittel of the Carpathian Foundation network, Sándor Köles, former Executive Director of the Carpathian Foundation International, Professor Paul Șerban of Babeș–Bolyai University, Professor Tomáš Sabol of the Technical University of Košice.
Ukraine’s participation was also strengthen by the particшpaton of the director of the Carpathian Foundation in Ukraine, Associated Professor of the Department of the Sciology and Social Work Ruslan Zhylenko. Their combined expertise in regional development, leadership training, conflict prevention, innovation policy, and cross-border cooperation forms a strong foundation for advancing the Carpathian Leadership Fellows Program.
During the meeting, the participants discussed the broader need for a modern leadership program in the Carpathian region. They highlighted the importance of preparing a new generation of leaders capable of addressing demographic changes, youth outmigration, and the erosion of cross-border cooperation in recent decades. Several speakers noted that many connections established among Carpathian institutions in the 1990s have weakened, and new efforts are needed to rebuild trust and foster stable, constructive regional relationships.
Another part of the discussion focused on potential partnerships with existing regional initiatives. The group suggested exploring cooperation with Euroregion Carpathia in Poland, the Ukrainian Leadership Academy, and the Institute for Central European Strategy in Uzhhorod, as well as with international networks and leadership programs that have expressed interest in supporting the initiative. This approach would help avoid duplication and ensure coordination with ongoing cross-border activities.
Participants also addressed potential sources of financial support for the program. They mentioned the possibility of funding from national agencies in Ukraine and Romania, relevant European Union instruments, philanthropic organizations, and private sector partners engaged in regional development. Further analysis is expected in the next phase of the project.
The meeting concluded with an agreement on several follow-up actions. Members of the working group will identify individuals and institutions that should be involved in the program’s formation. They will determine who will take responsibility for contacting potential partners and donors, and they will begin compiling a list of organizations that can assist in the recruitment of future fellows. The group also agreed to prepare an in-person meeting in early 2026, with proposed dates, location, and a list of participants to be finalized soon.
Uzhhorod National University values its longstanding engagement in Carpathian regional cooperation and welcomes the opportunity to contribute to the formation of an initiative that aims to develop qualified, ethically grounded, and forward-thinking leaders for the future of the region.
Anastasiya Lendel
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