SCIENCE UNITES: PARTICIPATION IN THE INTERNATIONAL HUMANISTIC ECONOMIC FORUM IN LATVIA
On March 5–7, 2026, the 8th International Humanistic Economic Forum “Innovative Economy in Times of Geopolitical Change” was held in Riga, Latvia, organized by the Institute of Economics of the Latvian Academy of Sciences (LZA Ekonomikas Institūts). The forum served as a respected international platform for discussing contemporary challenges of economic development, the role of humanistic values in science, and prospects for international academic cooperation.
The forum brought together scholars, researchers, and experts from Latvia, Ukraine, the United States, Italy, Norway, Romania, Switzerland, Germany, Austria, Kazakhstan, and Bulgaria, creating a space for meaningful dialogue on the development of humanistic economics, the role of science in ensuring sustainable development, and strengthening international scientific collaboration.
Scientists from the National Academy of Agrarian Sciences of Ukraine actively participated in the forum, presenting research findings, engaging in scientific discussions, exchanging experience, and exploring new directions for academic partnership. During the opening ceremony, in the presence of Viktors Valainis, Minister of Economics of Latvia, Kaspars Melnis, Minister of Climate and Energy of Latvia, and the President of the Latvian Academy of Sciences, Ivars Kalviņš, academician of NAAS Valerii Zhuk participated in the ceremonial signing of bilateral memoranda of cooperation between Ukrainian and Latvian research institutes. On this occasion, he also presented a symbolic gift - a spent artillery shell casing decorated with traditional Ukrainian Petrykivka ornament, symbolizing the victory of good over evil.
During the Forum, presentations by representatives of the Institute of Accounting and Finance of the National Academy of Agrarian Sciences of Ukraine and the National Scientific Centre Institute of Agrarian Economics were delivered and actively discussed:
Zhuk V., Vasylishyn S. “Pro-European Transformation of Ukraine’s Agrarian Structure in the Context of the Application of Bioeconomic and Digital Technologies”; Zhuk V., Bezdushna Yu., Trachova D. “Methodology for the Analytical Assessment of the Losses of Ukrainian Agricultural Enterprises Caused by the War”; Hryshova I., Nezhyd Yu., Voloshyna O. “Development of the Capital Concept in the Context of Identifying the Subject and the Synergy of Human and Natural Capital.”Special thanks are extended to the moderators — the Secretary General of the Latvian Academy of Sciences, academician Dr. Baiba Rivža, and the Head of the Information Management and Analysis Department of the National Armed Forces of Latvia, Col. Māris Tūtins for the engaging discussion and lively debate on the research results presented by Ukrainian scholars. Colonel Māris Tūtins emphasized the exceptional relevance of the presented studies, noting that the Russian aggressor will inevitably be held accountable for the damage inflicted on the Ukrainian economy.
We express our sincere gratitude to our Latvian colleagues, in particular to the Director of the Institute of Economics of the Latvian Academy of Sciences, Dr. Nina Linde, for supporting the Ukrainian scientific community, for the kind invitation to participate in the forum, and for the atmosphere of solidarity, cooperation, and support that surrounded us during this international academic event.
