Cooperation in crisis management and disaster risk reduction (natural, man-made disasters, terrorism, conflict and conflict-related emergencies) is a priority and thematic platform of the Eastern Partnership and an important sphere of cooperation between Ukraine and EU within the Ukraine-EU Action Plan, but it is an almost completely neglected topic in the academic curricula on EU/European integration/security studies in Ukraine and other countries of the Eastern Partnership.

Similarly, very little research has been carried out on diplomatic and political/institutional aspects of this subject, which further diminishes the prospects of high-quality modules and courses and effective education and training of current and future academics and professionals working in this area. By organising a workshop bringing together national and international experts from a variety of professional backgrounds with young scholars and advanced postgraduate students and publishing the proceedings of the event, a contribution will be made to improving the breadth and depth of higher education provision in the area, a Ukraine-based subject-specific expert network will be established and consolidated, and interaction between professionals in the area with academics will be enhanced to enable better-informed, evidence-based practice of effective

and efficient crisis management and disaster risk reduction in Ukraine, the Eastern Neighbourhood and the EU.