The Higher School of Lobbying has opened a practical season: the first lesson with Serhiy Vlasenko was the start of a new professional tradition

The Ukrainian National Lobbyists Association has officially launched a new practical format of professional education – a series of applied meetings of the Higher School of Lobbying, which brings together business, experts and lawmakers in an open dialogue.

The first practical session, held on December 5 in the format of an “educational coffee with a member of parliament,” demonstrated that a qualitatively new culture of interaction between stakeholders is being formed in Ukraine, based on transparency and professionalism.

The guest of the first meeting is Serhiy Vlasenko

The first speaker was Serhiy Vlasenko, MP of Ukraine, one of the co-authors of the Law on Lobbying, a well-known lawyer and long-time architect of legal reforms.

His participation set a high standard for future events of the Higher School of Lobbying.

Key topics of the discussion

The participants discussed the fundamental issues of developing the lobbying profession in Ukraine:

• the line between advocacy and lobbying;
• launching a full-fledged self-regulation of the profession;
• correlation of American and European approaches to regulation;
• practical steps that should be taken by specialists today after the adoption of the relevant law.

The discussion was as frank and practical as possible – without pathos, without formalities, with real questions and equally honest answers.

“It’s about the development of the profession”: experts’ reaction

Yaroslav Kuts, a member of the Ukrainian National Lobbyists Association, emphasized the importance of the event:

“Professional discussions with carriers of practical knowledge are always about development. In this case, it is about the development of the lobbying profession and the formation of a new, honest and open history of state-building. I am grateful to the EBA for introducing new practices. Long live honest lobbying!”

The new format will continue

The next meeting of the Higher School of Lobbying will take place on December 15, and the participants will have a new guest from the parliamentary corps.

The Higher School of Lobbying was created as a space where:

• Theory turns into practice,
• practice shapes standards,
• standards set the quality of the new lobbying industry in Ukraine.

Acknowledgments

The Ukrainian National Lobbyists Association expresses its gratitude:

• To Serhiy Vlasenko for his openness, professionalism and readiness for dialogue;
• to the participants of the event for their activity and high level of discussion.