Kyiv National Economic University (KNEU)

Working Group
on the Global Economy
and Ukraine Reconstruction Strategy

(WG-GEURS)

Announcement - 02.03.2026

The Kyiv National Economic University is pleased to announce the establishment of the Working Group on the Global Economy and Ukraine’s Reconstruction Strategy (GEURS) - an interdisciplinary initiative dedicated to advancing research and practice at the intersection of international economics and law.

The Working Group focuses on critical priorities, including the reconstruction of Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, the sustainable transition of regional and global trade, digital transformation, and innovative approaches to financing sustainable development. By bringing together scholars and practitioners from Ukraine, the United Kingdom, the European Union, and globally, the Group seeks to foster collaborative research, training, academic activities, and policy-relevant dialogue.

The Working Group aims to contribute actionable insights to both national recovery efforts and broader global economic resilience. The Group covers four thematic areas, including Energy Infrastructure and Critical Minerals; Global Value Chain Dynamics; Innovation and Digitalisation; and Financing for Sustainable Development. 

The Group is led by Co-Chairs 

  • Dr Yuri Solodkovsky, Dean of the Faculty of International Economics and Management, and Associate Professor at Kyiv National Economic University;

  • Dr Alessandro Spano, Lecturer in Law, Department of Public International and EU Law, The Dickson Poon School of Law, King's College London.

  • Prof Leila Choukroune, Professor of International Law, Theme Professor (Democratic Citizenship) at the University of Portsmouth.

  • Prof Evangelos Markopoulos, Senior Fellow and Visiting Professor in Knowledge Management and Artificial Intelligence at the University of Turku, Faculty of Technology, Finland.

____________________________________________

Київський національний економічний університет радий оголосити про створення Робочої групи з питань глобальної економіки та стратегії відбудови України (GEURS) — міждисциплінарної ініціативи, спрямованої на розвиток досліджень і практики на перетині міжнародної економіки та права.

Робоча група зосереджується на ключових пріоритетах, зокрема на відбудові енергетичної інфраструктури України, сталому переході регіональної та глобальної торгівлі, цифровій трансформації та інноваційних підходах до фінансування сталого розвитку. Об’єднуючи науковців і практиків з України, Сполученого Королівства, Європейського Союзу та інших країн світу, Група прагне сприяти розвитку спільних досліджень, навчання, академічних заходів і політично релевантного діалогу.

Робоча група має на меті напрацювання практично орієнтованих рекомендацій як для національних зусиль із відновлення, так і для зміцнення глобальної економічної стійкості. Діяльність Групи охоплює чотири тематичні напрями: енергетична інфраструктура та критичні мінерали; динаміка глобальних ланцюгів доданої вартості; інновації та цифровізація; фінансування сталого розвитку.

Групу очолюють співголови:

  • д-р Юрій Солодковський, декан факультету міжнародної економіки і менеджменту та доцент Київського національного економічного університету;

  • д-р Алессандро Спано, викладач права кафедри публічного міжнародного та права ЄС, Школа права Діксона Пуна, Королівський коледж Лондона.

  • проф. Лейла Шукрун, професорка міжнародного права, професорка тематичного напряму «Демократичне громадянство» Університету Портсмута.

  • Проф. д-р Евангелос Маркопулос, старший науковий співробітник та запрошений професор з управління знаннями та штучного інтелекту
    Університетy Турку, факультет технологій, Фінляндія.

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Dr Yuriy Solodkovskyy

Dean, Faculty of International Economics and Management
Kyiv National Economic University named after Vadym Hetman

Dr Yuriy Solodkovskyy is the Dean of the Faculty of International Economics and Management at KNEU. Under his leadership, the Faculty has expanded its international presence through double-degree programmes and strategic partnerships with leading institutions, including SGH Warsaw School of Economics, University of Economics in Bratislava, University of Redlands, and State University of New York.

He holds a PhD in International Economics. His research focuses on energy security and transparency of international investment processes within the broader context of global economic transformation. Dr Solodkovskyy also has international academic experience, having studied at the Centre for Trade Policy and Law in Ottawa, Canada, and completed an academic internship at Charles University in Prague, Czech Republic.

He actively promotes international research cooperation and the integration of global academic standards into Ukrainian higher education.

Dr Alessandro Spano | alessandro.spano@kcl.ac.uk

Lecturer in Law, Department of Public International and EU Law
The Dickson Poon School of Law, King's College London

Dr Alessandro Spano is a Lecturer in Law at the Department of Public International and EU Law at The Dickson Poon School of Law at King's College London. Dr Spano conducts research in the areas of EU law, international trade and investment law, and Chinese law.

His recent research activities have also been focused on cyberlaw and digital innovation. Dr Spano holds a PhD in Chinese law and EU law from King’s College London (KCL), an MA in Advanced European Studies (College of Europe, Natolin) and a degree in law (Paris X Nanterre). 

Dr Spano is an Adjunct Professor in Law at the City University of Hong Kong, where he lectures on cyberlaw and digital governance.

He is also a Visiting Professor at the Kyiv National Economic University and Advisory Board Member on Business Law and Innovation at Oxford’s innovation incubator, OX1 Incubator.

Prof Leila Choukroune | leila.choukroune@port.ac.uk 

Professor of International Law, Theme Professor (Democratic Citizenship),
University of Portsmouth

Leïla Choukroune is Professor of International Law and Director of the Global Justice and Rights Centre of Excellence of the University of Portsmouth (UK).

Her research focuses on the interactions between international trade and investment law, human rights, development studies, jurisprudence, and social theory. It is applied to the Global South (India, South Asia, China and East Africa). She has published more than 150 scientific articles and book chapters in English, French, Spanish or Mandarin Chinese and authored more than 15 books, including recently, Judging the State in International Trade and Investment Law (2016), and Exploring Indian Modernities (2018), Handbook of International Investment Law and Policy (2020-21), Adjudicating Businesses in India, (2021), International Economic Law (2021 and Second Edition in 2026), The SDGS and International Investment Law, Handbook of the Law and Policy of the Blue Economy (2026).

She is the Editor of  International Law and the Global South, Human Rights, Citizenship and the Law, Journal of International Trade Law and Policy, Blue Economy Journal  and is in the Editorial Board of Journal of World Investment and Trade. Together with Professor James Nedumpara, she is the co-Chair of the South Asia International Economic Law Network (SAIELN).

Professor Leïla Choukroune is regularly solicited as an independent expert. She is a listed arbitrator and mediator. She is an independent board member for Trademark Africa. She is Officer of “l’Ordre du mérité”. She was Director of the Centre for Social Sciences and Humanities (CSH), a research unit of the CNRS based in New Delhi (India), Associate Professor at the Law Faculty of Maastricht University (Netherlands); Deputy Director of the Institute for Globalisation and International Regulation (IGIR) and Director of the Advanced Master in international economic law; Assistant Professor at HEC Paris; Consultant for the OECD, Lecturer at Paris I Panthéon-Sorbonne and Researcher at the CEFC a unit of the CNRS in Hong Kong.

Prof Dr. Evangelos Markopoulos | evangelos.markopoulos@utu.fi

Senior Fellow and Visiting Professor in Knowledge Management and Artificial Intelligence.
University of Turku, Faculty of Technology, Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, Turku Finland. 

Dr Eng. Evangelos Markopoulos is an expert, entrepreneur, and scholar specialising in Applied Knowledge Management and Artificial Intelligence, Strategic Management, Project and Operations Management, and Social and Sustainable Innovation. He holds a BA in Computer Science, an MSc in Computer Science (Artificial Intelligence), and a PhD in Management Information Systems and Project Management. He also holds a Postgraduate Certificate in Higher Education and is a Fellow of the UK Higher Education Academy.

He began his career as a Computer Scientist, working extensively in the United States, including roles at IBM (Software Engineer), Siemens (Systems Engineer), and Bell Laboratories of AT&T (Artificial Intelligence Expert and Fuzzy Systems Engineer). Dr. Markopoulos has taught at business schools in the United Kingdom, including University College London (UCL), Queen Mary University of London (QMUL), London School of Economics (LSE), University of Essex, Royal Holloway University of London (RHUL), and SOAS University of London.

In addition to teaching, he has conducted extensive research for these institutions as well as internationally, including collaborations with Turku University of Applied Sciences (TUAS), the University of Turku (UTU) in Finland, and Zayed University in the UAE. Dr. Markopoulos has made significant contributions to academic literature, with over 100 publications in double-blind peer-reviewed journals and conferences, and more than 1,200 citations. His notable research contributions include the ARIADNE Methodology and the Company Democracy Model (CDM).

For 18 years, Dr. Evangelos Markopoulos served as the CEO of EMPROSS Strategic IT Consultants, leading the design, implementation and management of innovative, large-scale projects in banking, finance, technology, and digitization at both national and international levels.