On May 15, 2025 as part of Science Days at the National University of Ostroh Academy, a roundtable discussion titled “Cultural Dialogue in the Age of Post-Truth: European Lessons for Ukraine” was held. TThe roundtable was held as part of the project titled “European Studies of Intercultural Communication: the EU experience for Ukraine” (Project number: 101126800; Call: ERASMUS-JMO-2023-HEI-TCH-RSCH). he meeting was moderated by Dmytro Shevchuk, Vice Rector for Scientific and Pedagogical Work, Doctor of Philosophy, and Professor.
“I welcome all participants to this roundtable, which is dedicated to the extremely timely and important topic of dialogue in the context of post-truth. The speakers at our event represent various fields: journalism, anthropology, ethnography, religious studies, and philosophy. Thanks to this, we will be able to discuss and present the issues of post-truth in the modern world in greater detail,” said Dmytro Shevchuk.
The speakers at the event were:
Viktoria Romanyuk—director of the Mohyla School of Journalism, associate professor;
Stefan Izhak—Ph.D. from the University of Saints Cyril and Methodius in Trnava (Slovakia);
Roman Shulyk – Head of the Department of Journalism and PR Management at the National University of Ostroh Academy, Candidate of Philological Sciences, Associate Professor;
Zoryana Godunok – Candidate of Philological Sciences, Associate Professor in the Department of Journalism and PR Management at the National University of Ostroh Academy;
Serhiy Shturkhetskyi – Candidate of Sciences in Public Administration, Associate Professor in the Department of Journalism and PR Management at the National University of Ostroh Academy;
Yaroslav Lukasik – Director of the Christian Open Academy, graduate student in the Department of Philosophy and Cultural Management at the National University of Ostroh Academy.
During the roundtable, participants discussed Russian narratives in intercultural communication amid the information war, AI-generated disinformation as a challenge to intercultural communication, the role of public broadcasters in supporting a values-oriented cultural dialogue, and Russian information influence in Slovakia.
“The topic of post-truth has long since moved beyond academic discussions and become part of our everyday reality. That is why we, as the Department of Journalism and PR Management, consider it necessary to initiate platforms for reflecting on these challenges in an interdisciplinary setting. The roundtable brought together experts from various fields of the humanities, which allowed for a deeper understanding of how communication, the perception of truth, and trust in society are changing. “Events like this are a step toward developing critical thinking and media literacy, which are essential competencies not only for journalists but for all participants in today’s information landscape,” noted Roman Shulyk.
Olena Shershnova, the rector’s assistant for project activities, Ph.D. in Public Administration, and associate professor in the Department of Journalism and PR Management, shared her impressions of the event:
“In the context of war, information terrorism, and society’s growing fatigue, understanding the mechanisms of post-truth is not only an academic challenge but also a matter of national security. The roundtable provided a space for a deep exploration of the nature of post-truth as a complex sociocultural phenomenon that distorts reality, blurs the lines between truth and fiction, and undermines trust in traditional institutions. Holding such an event is not merely an important occasion, but one of the steps toward building an information-resilient and responsible civil society.”