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LCC International University > News and Events > ROMAN HROMYK: A SUCCESSFUL LCC ALUMNUS DISCUSSES VALUE-DRIVEN POLITICS

ROMAN HROMYK: A SUCCESSFUL LCC ALUMNUS DISCUSSES VALUE-DRIVEN POLITICS

2021-03-04

Roman Hromyk graduated LCC in 2012 with a BA in Business Administration and continued with his master's studies at the University of Bologna. Since 2015, he has been pursuing a career in the Ukrainian human rights and political sphere. Roman’s experience at LCC brought a foundation of values, which the alumnus carries on through his work now.

In 2008, Roman changed his initial plan to study at a Ukrainian university and picked LCC International University in the hope of a transparent and corruption-free environment. Back then, his home country was infamous for bribery in higher education, and Roman refused to stay among people who did not find that problematic. He came to LCC knowing what their values were and quickly realized that they would make good on their promise.

At the university, Roman explored his interest in International Relations and Foreign Affairs by using LCC’s Liberal Arts education system to take classes outside his major. For graduate studies, he decided to move beyond business and change his specialization to Political Science. “My LCC diploma allowed me to make that transfer without any difficulty,” says Roman.

The LCC alumnus is grateful for experiencing contrasting environments: an Italian public university with 55,000 students was drastically different from LCC, a private North-American-style institution. He credits LCC for equipping him to deal with the conflicting views and ideologies that he often met while studying in Italy. “LCC taught me that differences can be different. You have to prioritize the important things, and that’s a good way of finding common ground. I was able to have meaningful and friendly conversations with people with different backgrounds because a lot of the important things were shared, like respect for human dignity or opposition to violence,” he adds.

After completing his Master’s degree, Roman spent two years in Ukraine working as a Parliamentary Assistant and an Advisor in the Committee on Foreign Affairs. This job helped him to adapt to Ukrainian politics after years abroad. “There were plenty of challenges and opportunities in the country, all because of the expectation for a major change in the society,” shares Roman, highlighting how the start of his career coincided with political volatility after the Revolution of Dignity in 2014. Roman is currently working at the Human Rights Centre ZMINA, primarily focusing on international advocacy and human rights in occupied Crimea.

In between his political endeavors, Roman also managed to return to LCC as an instructor for three semesters in 2018. “Teaching was never my plan, but it was always something exciting,” shares Roman. He taught a number of classes, including Advocacy and NGOs. His extensive experience of working with civil society in the Parliament came in handy to teach how non-governmental organizations can impact decision-making in the country.

Roman is passionate about discussing the role of values in politics. He believes that identical political systems produce different outcomes due to the politicians’ values. One has to be there for “the right reason” as a positive change, and not monetary enrichment or an impressive career. Thus, he carefully picks his projects and people to work with. “When my professional career started, I knew what my values were and I had a moral compass inside. It helped me to make proper choices and not too many mistakes,” Roman explains. When asked about the types of values he holds, the alumnus talks about environments and communities, emphasizing higher education as the most influential.

Now, the ambitious alumnus is in the midst of another career transition. He became a support officer for the United Kingdom’s presidency in Group of Seven (G7). In Ukraine, Roman will support communication between the embassies and governments of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States on one side and the government and civil society representatives of Ukraine on the other. He is excited about the opportunities that will bring a positive change. “When the embassies of seven major economies are talking unanimously, that’s a stronger voice. My job is to make sure that this voice is heard and listened to.”

Roman shares advice with current students on building a value-driven career in politics. He suggests taking initiative and networking. He encourages students to observe elections with NGOs, participate in European Youth Parliament conferences, or simply collect and share information that might be helpful for civil society decision-making. “As LCC students, you will get noticed both for speaking good English and an active position of caring about others,” encourages Roman. With more exposure, it will be clear which organizations share your values.

In case you’ve missed the Coffee with Alumni discussion with Roman Hromyk, here is the full video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UOIfgzJGc4k&t=2094s&ab_channel=LCCInternationalUniversity

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