Vanderbilt University’s Dialogue Vanderbilt initiative, with support from the Vanderbilt Project on Unity and American Democracy, is hosting conversations that bring ambassadors from some of the most geopolitically important countries in the world to offer an in-depth look into international diplomacy and politics, featuring each guest’s firsthand perspective on global affairs.
A conversation between Oksana Markarova, Ukrainian ambassador to the United States, and Morgan Ortagus, former spokesperson for the U.S. Department of State, will be Tuesday, March 19, at 4 p.m. CT at the John Seigenthaler Center. Markarova’s participation will provide attendees with an invaluable opportunity to learn about Ukraine’s challenges and geopolitical stance.
Anyone may register to attend the event in person; a recording will also be available following the event.
Markarova, a prominent Ukrainian politician, has been Ukraine’s ambassador to the United States since February 2021. Her tenure has been marked by efforts to strengthen Ukraine’s ties with the U.S. administration and support Ukrainian business interests. Since July 5, 2023, she also has been ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary of Ukraine to Antigua and Barbuda.
Before her ambassadorship, Markarova was Ukraine’s minister of finance in the cabinets of prime ministers Volodymyr Groysman and Oleksiy Honcharuk. She was instrumental in creating the E-data open data portal to increase transparency in public finance, and she founded UkraineInvest, the Investment Support Office and the Ukrainian Startup Fund.
Earlier in her career, Markarova was president of ITT Investment Group, an economic policy adviser, and manager for external and corporate communications at Western NIS Enterprise Fund. She interned at the World Bank. Markarova earned a master’s degree in ecology at the Kyiv-Mohyla Academy in 1999 and completed a master’s degree in public finance and trade at Indiana University in 2001.
This event is part of Vanderbilt University’s broader commitment to fostering space for civil discourse, free expression and the exchange of ideas about pressing global issues. Each session aims to improve understanding and encourage exploration of international relations and diplomacy.
It is sponsored by the Vanderbilt Project on Unity and American Democracy, in keeping with one of its seven “pillars” of influence: To Keep the Republic: Strengthening Democratic Principles at Home and Abroad.
