102. ESG Concerns in Ukraine's reconstruction

Today's discussion came from our archives and was recorded in November of 2023. Our talk is hosted by our Director of Education, Ibrahima Drame, who is joined our guest, Dr. Nataliia Bychkova.   Dr. Bychkova is currently a Karl Loewenstein Fellow at Amherst College, where she is also an associate professor of Political Science. She is also a visiting professor at the University of Bologna, in Italy, and Odesa Mechnykov National University, in Ukraine. Dr. Bychkova has also held positions at Odesa National Economic University and Kyiv National Economics University. She has written numerous books and journal articles on topics such as corporate governance, ESG, and economic development and transitions. The Russian invasion of Ukraine has plunged the nation into turmoil. Though Ukraine has made valiant attempts in its counter-offensive, much of the country’s future is uncertain. In March 2023, a joint report by the Ukrainian government, the United Nations, the World Bank, and the European Commission estimated costs to rebuild the country could be around $411 billion (€383 billion). Various sources of funding have been proposed, from using frozen Russian assets to war reparations. But funding sources, whatever it may be, are only one part of the conversation.   Much of the discourse around reconstruction has involved what the country will look like after the war. What will be different from pre-war Ukraine? Will its governance structure change? How will political institutions evolve? Will they address some of the corruption problems the nations faced before the war? How will the economy bounce back, or even improve from the old one?   To answer these questions, we’ll need to have a comprehensive understanding of the damage done by Russia, its environmental toll, and try to form what future goals should aim towards.   Dr. Bychkova received her bachelor’s degree and Ph.D from Odessa Mechnikov National University, both in economics.   Together, we discussed the war’s impact on educational outcomes and human capital, what post-war recovery efforts should look like, and some of the ESG concerns pre-war, and how to address them during reconstruction.