On a Friday evening in Kyiv, inside a bomb shelter, career diplomats lead the Academy’s final lecture, walking participants through geopolitical case studies as Ukrainian veterans debate each point in English. June 12 was graduation day, and a few participants are visibly nervous, hurrying to iron their suits before the ceremony. 

"We're finally stepping out into the big world!" the participants joke as they move from the shelter to the main hall. That evening, 25 veterans officially graduated from Ukraine's first Veteran Public Diplomacy Academy. 

A new diplomatic voice for Ukraine 

Ukraine faces one of the largest veteran reintegration challenges in the world. Many veterans are already media voices, community leaders, and public servants invited into international conversations about Ukraine's recovery, security, and democratic future. But personal experience is not always enough. High-stakes diplomatic settings require strategy, preparation, and the ability to deliver complex messages directly to global audiences. 

To help meet that need, IREX launched the Veteran Public Diplomacy Academy (VPDA) under the Ukraine Veteran Reintegration and Rehabilitation Program (UVRR), in cooperation with America House Kyiv and with support from the U.S. Department of State. More than a training course, the Academy brings veteran voices into international discussions and equips participants with the skills to help shape the narrative around Ukraine's recovery and global security, engaging international policymakers as peers. 

A demanding curriculum, a memorable send-off 

Across five intensive modules, participants studied public diplomacy, security and defense policy, European integration, human capital and economic development, and community recovery, working alongside senior Ukrainian and international leaders. Speakers included former Prime Minister of Ukraine Oleksiy Honcharuk on the country's evolving security architecture, Nobel Peace Prize laureate Oleksandra Matviichuk on strategic advocacy, and Ambassador of Poland to Ukraine Piotr Łukasiewicz on navigating sensitive communication. Participants also practiced responding to difficult questions and an English-language speaking club. 

Before traveling onward, each graduate created a short video introduction outlining the messages they plan to share with international audiences. Several finalists will next travel to Gdansk for the Ukraine Recovery Conference (URC 2026), where they will bring those messages into international cooperation. 

"The Academy's speakers inspired us and showed that Ukraine has a clear vision of our role in the state. We went far beyond ordinary meetings and basic knowledge," the graduates shared. 

The ceremony itself was anything but bureaucratic. Tables were stacked with wrapped books recommended by the Academy's lecturers, covering topics from geopolitics, strategy to personal growth, and the veterans quickly turned the room into an energetic book swap. Graduates then took the stage for flash interviews, answering questions that ranged from playful to pointed and required English fluency, presence, and quick diplomatic instinct. The evening closed with an Initiation into Diplomacy, as each graduate received a deep-blue tie or scarf symbolizing their new role and the veteran-diplomat community taking shape. 

What's next? 

Beyond new skills, the graduates leave with a strong professional network. At the ceremony, several began discussing future joint initiatives with Deputy Minister of Veterans Affairs Oleh Shymanskyi and foreign diplomats. The Academy's impact is already visible in practice: graduate Yaroslav Chornohor, who recently joined Ukraine's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, applied his VPDA training during his first official assignment welcoming Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya. He later reviewed the experience with fellow alumni, showing how the program's negotiation simulations translate directly into high-pressure diplomatic work. 

The Veteran Public Diplomacy Academy is implemented by IREX in Ukraine through the Veteran Reintegration and Rehabilitation Program in cooperation with America House Kyiv, with support from the U.S. Department of State. Partners include the International Renaissance Foundation, the European Union in Ukraine, the Ministry of Veterans Affairs of Ukraine, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine.