Joint lecture with a stakeholder, green economy expert Olena Burger-Samonova for applicants for the second (master's) level of higher education in the Business Economics programme, speciality 051 Economics

On 3 October 2024, Professor of the Department of Economics Nataliia Andrusiak invited a foreign stakeholder, a well-known scientist Olena Burger-Samonova, to give a lecture on the subject: ‘Green Economy and Agribusiness’ for students of the second (master's) level of higher education, speciality 051 Economics, Business Economics. The lecture was held in English.
Stakeholder Olena Burger-Samonova, MSc, MA, Dipl., has two master's degrees: in international management from the University of Buckingham (UK) and the International Business School in Vienna (Austria). She also holds a master's degree in English and German and is a certified trainer at the BFI Institute for Professional Training in Vienna. She specialises in clean energy solutions, in particular hydropower consulting. She manages projects focused on renewable energy and climate resilience. Her activities include capacity building for green projects, export-import operations, and stakeholder engagement in the CIS and Eastern European markets.

With more than 38 years of international experience, she has worked with companies such as PwC, KPMG, Pöyry Energy GmbH and AFRY Austria GmbH in the fields of energy, environment, education and consulting. Ms Burger-Samonova is fluent in English, German and several Slavic languages.
During the lecture, Ms Burger-Samonova shared her knowledge on the topic of ‘Strategic vectors of the green economy as a prerequisite for social transformation’. The meeting covered key issues such as clean energy solutions, hydropower consulting, and gender inclusion in sustainable projects. Ms Burger-Samonova emphasised the importance of the green economy for the development of society and discussed strategies to increase climate resilience. Students also had the opportunity to ask questions and discuss the practical aspects of applying these strategies in Ukraine and beyond.

This meeting provided students with invaluable knowledge in the field of environmental sustainability and international project management, as they were able to learn from an industry leader who works with leading companies such as PwC, KPMG and AFRY Austria GmbH.
The students actively participated in the lecture, asked questions, took part in discussions and were fascinated by the combination of theory and European practice.
Many thanks to Professor Nataliia Andrusiak for the opportunity to involve an international stakeholder in the class.

Alla REVUTSKA, Guarantor of the Business Economics Department