29 September 2025
Borys Grinchenko Kyiv Metropolitan University

On 29 September 2025, Grinchenko University hosted the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Argentine Republic to Ukraine, Ms. Elena Leticia Teresa Mikusinski, along with a long-time friend of our University — journalist, public figure and head of the Ukrainian diaspora in Argentina, Mr. Jorge Balanda, with his wife.

The distinguished guests were welcomed by Oleksandr Turuntsev, Acting Rector, Nataliia Vinnikova, Vice-Rector for Research and International Affairs, Head of Academic Council of the University, Valentyna Yakuba, Dean of the Faculty of Romance and Germanic Philology, Rusudan Makhachashvili, Head of the Department of Germanic Philology and Anastasiia Kopytina, Head of the Department of Romance Philology.
At a meeting with university students studying Spanish, the Ambassador shared her admiration for the resilience of Ukrainians and their ability to look ahead and build their own future.
The translation work of teachers and students from Grinchenko University, who translated Jorge Balanda's book “Nashi Llude” (“Our People”) from Spanish into Ukrainian, received enthusiastic support. This book is dedicated to four generations of Ukrainian emigrants in Argentina and is in fact the first comprehensive overview of the fate of Ukrainian emigrants from the beginning of the 20th century to the present day. For this documentary work, its author, Jorge Balanda, received an award from the President of Ukraine for his contribution to the development of Ukrainian studies in the world. Today, this book, translated by teachers and students of Grinchenko University, is in the personal libraries of the Presidents of Ukraine and Argentina.
In conversation with the honoured guests, students were interested in their views, learned about the guests' Ukrainian roots, their values and love for Ukraine. A wonderful gift for everyone was the world-famous Argentine “Libertango” by Astor Piazzolla, performed by Kostiantyn Kukushkin, a graduate of the Faculty of Music Art and Choreography at Grinchenko University and now a well-known musician and composer.
The visit of the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Argentine Republic to Ukraine, Ms. Elena Leticia Teresa Mikusinski, was meaningful and dynamic, and the friendly conversation about further cooperation left a pleasant anticipation of future meetings and reliable prospects.

Materials provided by SRL of Internationalization of Higher Education