The General Assembly of the National Academy of Pedagogical Sciences of Ukraine elected Oleg Topuzov as president of the Academy for a five-year term—from September 18, 2026, to September 17, 2031.
According to the results of a secret ballot, 185 assembly members supported his candidacy, nine voted against, and two ballots were deemed invalid. Topuzov was the only candidate for the position.
He succeeded Vasily Kremen, who had led the academy since 1997. The General Assembly unanimously elected Kremen as honorary president of the National Academy of Pedagogical Sciences for life.
In presenting the academy’s development program, Topuzov outlined four core principles of operation: continuity, competence, openness, and effectiveness.
“My task is not to start from scratch. My task is to preserve the best of what we have and, together with you, to usher in a new phase of our academy’s development,” he stated.
Among the main areas of focus for the new leadership, Topuzov highlighted strengthening the influence of educational science on the formation of state education policy, rebuilding human capital, overcoming educational gaps, supporting young scholars, and researching the impact of artificial intelligence on the education system.
One of the key initiatives is to be a systematic foresight study on the development of education in Ukraine through 2035. It will cover possible scenarios for the development of preschool, K-12, vocational, higher, and adult education, taking into account demographic changes, labor market needs, technological development, and European integration.
“Our research should not end with just monographs, articles, or recommendations. It must influence government decisions,” Topuzov emphasized.
He identified scientific support for education during wartime and postwar reconstruction as a separate priority. This refers, in particular, to the psychological resilience of children and youth, support for educators, inclusion, and the reintegration of veterans and Ukrainians returning from abroad.
According to the new president of the National Academy of Pedagogical Sciences, Ukraine’s recovery must begin with the restoration of human capital.
Topuzov also proposed launching a university-wide program titled “Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Education.” Research should cover changes in the role of teachers, approaches to assessing knowledge, issues of academic integrity, and the competencies students will need over the next 10–20 years.
The NAPN’s European integration will involve expanding joint research, participating in international consortia and programs such as Horizon Europe, Erasmus+, and COST, promoting academic mobility, and increasing the number of joint international publications.
For young researchers, there are plans to create the “Young Scientist of the National Academy of Pedagogical Sciences of Ukraine” program, which will provide grant support, mentorship, international mobility, and participation in major research projects.
During the annual meeting, the results of the NAPN’s activities for 2017–2026 were also presented. During this period, the Academy’s institutions completed 163 fundamental and 195 applied research projects, produced more than 14,000 scientific articles, and published over 250 monographs, preprints, and other scientific works.
The NAPN’s electronic library collection has grown to 40,000 full-text resources, and the number of downloads has reached 19 million. The Academy’s institutions participated annually in nearly 50 international scientific and educational projects and programs.
During the meeting, the Academy’s new leadership was also formed. Volodymyr Lugovoy and Vitaliy Panko were elected vice presidents of the National Academy of Pedagogical Sciences, and a new presidium was formed consisting of 29 members, 22 of whom had not previously served on it.
The National Academy of Pedagogical Sciences of Ukraine conducts fundamental and applied research in the fields of education, pedagogy, and psychology; participates in the development of educational standards, curricula, and textbooks; and provides scientific support for reforms in the education system.
As of September 23, Ukrainian farmers had planted 741,400 hectares with winter grains, or 14.2% of the projected area, and 958,800 hectares with winter rapeseed, or 86.7% of the projection, according to the press service of the Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food.
Specifically, 662,400 hectares (14.6% of the forecast) have been planted with wheat and triticale (a hybrid of wheat and rye – IF-U), 53,100 hectares (8.9%) with barley, and 25,800 hectares (33.6%) with rye.
The largest areas of winter grains have been planted in the Mykolaiv region—101,000 hectares, including 79,000 hectares of wheat and triticale and 22,000 hectares of barley.
In the Poltava region, 91.3 thousand hectares have been planted, of which 87.3 thousand hectares are wheat and triticale, and 4 thousand hectares are rye.
In the Dnipropetrovsk region, 86,300 hectares have been planted with winter grains, including 84,000 hectares of wheat and triticale, 2,100 hectares of barley, and 200 hectares of rye.
Indonesia is ready to expand practical cooperation with Ukraine, particularly in trade, investment, critical minerals, science, and the country’s future recovery, said Arif Muhammad Basalamah, Ambassador of the Republic of Indonesia to Ukraine.
“Indonesia is ready to explore practical areas of cooperation that can contribute to recovery and reconstruction, while opening up new opportunities for our bilateral partnership,” he said during a diplomatic reception in Kyiv marking the 81st anniversary of Indonesia’s independence.
The reception took place on September 22 and was attended by representatives of the Ukrainian government, the diplomatic corps, international organizations, the business community, and the Indonesian community. In his speech, the ambassador specifically congratulated Andriy Dronyuk, Ukraine’s Deputy Minister of
Foreign Affairs for Digital Development, Digital Transformation, and Digitalization, and Artem Kunaev, chair of the Ukraine-Indonesia Interparliamentary Friendship Group.
Basalamah noted that, despite the war, political dialogue between the countries remains active, and cooperation continues to expand. At the same time, bilateral trade in 2025 fell to $492.6 million compared to a peak of $1.45 billion in 2021.
“We see opportunities to develop new areas of cooperation and to more fully realize the potential of a mutually beneficial economic partnership,” the ambassador emphasized.
According to him, one such new area could be critical minerals and rare earth elements, where the parties see opportunities for research, technological cooperation, and future business projects. The Indonesian side is also interested in more active interaction between businesses from both countries in trade, investment, and joint production.
The ambassador invited Ukrainian companies to participate in Trade Expo Indonesia 2026, which will take place October 14–18 and is expected to serve as a platform for establishing contacts with Indonesian exporters and potential investment partners.
Basalamah identified tourism as another area for expanding ties. According to him, more than 18,000 Ukrainian citizens had already visited Indonesia by 2026.
“We hope that as transportation links improve and when circumstances permit, more Ukrainians will have the opportunity to discover Indonesia—its natural beauty, cultural heritage, and diverse culinary traditions,” the diplomat said.
The ambassador also highlighted the intensification of educational and scientific ties. He noted that in 2026 alone, the Indonesian Embassy in Kyiv facilitated the signing of four agreements between universities in Ukraine and Indonesia. Ukrainian students can also study in Indonesia through the Darmasiswa and KNB Scholarship programs.
In addition, Indonesia’s National Agency for Research and Innovation and Ukraine’s National Antarctic Scientific Center recently signed an agreement on cooperation in the field of Antarctic and tropical research. The document opens up opportunities for joint research projects and scientific exchange.
Speaking about the war, Basalamah noted that Indonesia continues to advocate for the use of dialogue and diplomacy to achieve lasting peace, as well as adherence to the principles of the UN Charter.
“Peace means that people can live in safety, rebuild their communities, provide education for their children, and look to the future with hope,” he said.
Diplomatic relations between Ukraine and Indonesia were established on June 11, 1992, several months after Indonesia recognized Ukraine’s independence on December 28, 1991.
The Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia in Kyiv began operations in January 1994. Currently, Arif Muhammad Basalamah serves as Indonesia’s Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Ukraine.
The Embassy of Ukraine in Jakarta was opened in the second half of the 1990s; the official opening of the diplomatic mission took place on May 16, 1997. Currently, the position of Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Ukraine to Indonesia is vacant. Following the conclusion of Vasyl Hamyanin’s mission, the
Ukrainian Embassy in Jakarta has been headed by Yevheniia Shynkarenko, Chargé d’Affaires ad interim of Ukraine. As of September 2026, she continued to serve as the head of the Ukrainian diplomatic mission in Indonesia.
The Ukrainian documentary project “The Summit of Freedom,” which focuses on rehabilitation and the return to a full life after severe war-related injuries, has received a number of awards and has been selected to participate in international film festivals.
According to the project team, the film has already been named an Award Winner, Official Selection, and Semi-Finalist at festivals in various countries and cities around the world.
“Every festival award means a new independent jury, a new audience, and yet another confirmation that this story resonates across borders,” the project’s creators noted.
The film’s team emphasizes that its main themes are freedom, resilience, courage, and human dignity.
The documentary film “The Summit of Freedom” was released in 2026. The film was directed and produced by Maria Springis, founder of the London-based production company Dreams Into Reality Production. In her filmography, the project is listed as a 2026 documentary.
One of the film’s confirmed international selections was the Los Angeles Film and Documentary Awards, where “The Summit of Freedom” was included in the Official Selection.
The project tells the story of Ukrainian veteran Stepan Korobkin, who lost his arm as a result of a war injury and underwent 32 surgeries, after which he climbed Kilimanjaro alongside Ukrainian mountaineer Tetiana Yalovchak. The expedition became part of a documentary exploring physical and psychological recovery from a severe injury.
According to the filmmakers, the film tells not only the story of climbing Africa’s highest peak but also of a person’s return to an active life, overcoming the consequences of an injury, and finding a new purpose.
Tetyana Yalovchak previously reported that the film “The Summit of Freedom” has already received more than two dozen international nominations.
The film’s team notes that its festival tour is ongoing, and new screenings and results will be announced later.
Tetyana Yalovchak is a Ukrainian mountaineer, volunteer, and Ukrainian record-holder—the first Ukrainian woman to complete the “Seven Summits” program, which involves climbing the highest peaks on every continent, including Everest.
DOCUMENTARY FILM, film festival, The Summit of Freedom, UKRAINE, ветеран
As of September 21, Ukraine had exported 4.662 million metric tons of grains and legumes since the start of the 2026/27 marketing year (MY, July 2026 – June 2027), had exported 4.662 million metric tons of grains and legumes as of September 21, which is 22% less than the 5.979 million metric tons recorded as of September 24, 2025, according to the press service of the Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food.
At the same time, corn exports rose by 103.4%—to 1.841 million metric tons, compared to 905,000 metric tons as of September 24, 2025.
Wheat exports since the start of the 2026/27 marketing year totaled 2.337 million metric tons, a 43.9% decrease compared to 4.168 million metric tons as of September 24, 2025. Barley exports totaled 420,000 metric tons, down 46.9% from last year’s figure of 791,000 metric tons.
Wheat flour exports since the start of the 2026/27 marketing year totaled 6,800 metric tons, down 48.9% from 13,300 metric tons as of September 24, 2025. Exports of other types of flour remained at 0.6 thousand metric tons. Overall, flour exports fell by 46.8%—to 7.4 thousand metric tons, compared to 13.9 thousand metric tons as of September 24, 2025.
According to Serbian Economist, 815,916 tourists visited the Budva Riviera in Montenegro from January through August 2026, a 17% increase compared to the same period last year, with Ukrainians remaining one of the most prominent groups of foreign visitors to the resort.
This was reported by Milan Tičić, director of the Budva Tourism Organization, in an interview with the Montenegrin publication Vijesti, published on September 18. According to him, tourists from 205 countries visited Budva over the course of eight months.
Serbia and Russia remain the resort’s largest traditional markets. The number of tourists from Serbia has increased by approximately 19% since the beginning of the year, while the flow of Russian tourists has grown by as much as 34%.
Some Western European markets are growing even faster in 2026. The number of visitors from Poland increased by 83%, from Italy by 59%, from the Netherlands by 51%, from Spain by 46%, from the United Kingdom by 25%, and from Germany and France by approximately 15%. Thus, the geography of foreign tourism in Budva is gradually diversifying, although Serbian and Russian tourists still hold the leading positions.
Ukrainians are also among the key tourist groups. According to data from the Budva Tourism Organization, during the peak season on August 7, 2026, Ukrainian citizens were among the top ten largest groups of guests in group accommodations, alongside tourists from Serbia, Russia, Israel, the United Kingdom, Germany, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Poland.
In the private sector, Ukrainians’ presence is even stronger. In early August, they were the fourth-largest group after tourists from Serbia, Russia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina. In hotels and group accommodations, Ukrainians also consistently ranked among Budva’s top ten source markets.
By the end of August, the pattern remained similar. Among the most numerous guests at hotels and other collective accommodations, the Tourism Organization listed tourists from Serbia, Russia, Israel, the United Kingdom, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Ukraine, Germany, Poland, Turkey, and China.
The importance of the Ukrainian market is also confirmed by Montenegro’s national statistics. According to MONSTAT, in 2025, Ukrainians accounted for 4.3% of all overnight stays by foreign tourists in the country, tying with tourists from Turkey in this regard. The largest shares of overnight stays were accounted for by visitors from Serbia (23.4%), Russia (16.4%), Bosnia and Herzegovina (8.1%), and Germany (4.6%).
In the segment of private apartments and other private accommodations, the share of Ukrainians was even higher—4.7% of all overnight stays by foreign visitors. Serbian tourists accounted for 25.6%, Russian tourists—22.1%, citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina—9.4%, and Turkish tourists—4.9%. At the same time, 94.8% of all overnight stays in Montenegro’s private sector occurred specifically at seaside resorts.
In 2025, a total of 2.729 million tourists visited Montenegro, accounting for 15.367 million overnight stays. Foreign visitors accounted for 95.8% of all overnight stays, and coastal resorts accounted for 92.6%, underscoring the critical importance of Budva and other coastal cities to the country’s tourism economy.
The growth in tourist traffic is already having an impact on Budva’s revenues. From January through August 2026, revenue from the tourist tax collected by the city’s tourism organization reached a record 2.477 million euros, which is 6% more than the previous year. In July, revenue increased by 16%, and in August, by 13%.
Budva remains one of Montenegro’s main tourist centers and is particularly popular among citizens of Serbia, Russia, Ukraine, and countries in Central and Western Europe. At the same time, the rapid growth in tourist arrivals from Poland, Italy, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom indicates a gradual reduction in the resort’s dependence on a few traditional markets.
