Polina Kamenchuk

I am a recent graduate of Kyiv National Economic University named after Vadym Hetman, holding a Bachelor’s degree in International Economics with honours. During my studies, I broadened my academic perspective through two exchange years: first at the University of Tartu (Estonia) and then at the Vienna University of Economics and Business (Austria), where I deepened my expertise in international trade, macroeconomics, monetary policy, and advanced quantitative methods. My academic interests lie at the intersection of international economics, EU integration, and data-driven policymaking. I am working as a research fellow at the Institute for Economic Research and Policy Consulting, an independent think tank in Kyiv, where I focus on Ukraine’s international trade and its negotiations for EU membership. I’ve also been awarded two research fellowships from Central European University, exploring the economic drivers of EU assistance to Ukraine and the euroization process in the Western Balkans. In summer 2024, I participated in an academic internship through the MITACS Globalink program at Concordia University (Montréal, Canada), researching NGO-sector regulation in Visegrad, the Baltic States, and Ukraine. In parallel with my academic path, I have been actively involved in civil society. From 2020 to 2022, I worked on youth non-formal education and social entrepreneurship projects, and was a member of Ukrainian Students for Freedom, advocating for free markets and EU-oriented reforms. Currently, I serve as a mentor in the 10:11 program, supporting high school students on their way to university. Passionate about evidence-based policymaking and Ukraine’s post-war development, I aspire to continue my education through a Master’s degree in quantitative methods in order to acquire advanced analytical tools and further contribute to building a more open, resilient, and globally integrated Ukraine.