During her visit to Copenhagen, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya met with Denmark’s Minister for Education and Science, Christina Egelund, to discuss possible cooperation in education and scientific research. Pavel Barkouski of the United Transitional Cabinet and Lizaveta Dubinka-Hushcha of the Belarusian diaspora in Denmark also joined the meeting.
Ms. Tsikhanouskaya thanked Denmark for its support of the European Humanities University and student exchanges, as these initiatives help prepare a new generation of professionals who will lead the country towards change.
The parties discussed the following areas of cooperation:
- Inclusion of Belarus in EU, Nordic, and Danish university educational programs;
- Opportunities for humanitarian and regional studies for Belarusian scholars, including on the Nordic-Baltic region;
- Denmark’s assistance for teacher training;
- Possible translations of educational materials into Belarusian and opportunities for publications by Belarusian scholars affected by repression;
- Cooperation with Belarusian society and youth rather than with the regime’s state institutions.
Pavel Barkouski presented a number of practical ideas in the fields of education and culture, while Liziaveta Dubinka-Hushcha shared the challenges faced by Belarusian researchers in Denmark, including those caused by the war in Ukraine and its aftermath.
As a gesture of gratitude, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya presented Minister Egelund with the book Ord fra Belarus (Words from Belarus) – a collection of contemporary Belarusian essays and poetry in Danish, published in 2023 by the BELADANIA Culture Society. This is the first translation of Belarusian literature into Danish, reflecting Belarusians’ struggle for freedom and national identity.
