On October 7, 2025, during the first meeting of the Board of Trustees of the National Association of Lobbyists of Ukraine (NALU), the official launch of the Higher School of Lobbying was announced in Kyiv — the first educational platform in Ukraine designed to cultivate a new generation of professionals in lobbying and government relations (GR).
The initiative is being implemented by NALU with the support of Yurydychna Praktyka CEO Rustam Kolesnyk. Its goal is to lay the foundation for professional training in lobbying, promote high standards of integrity, and foster a European culture of transparent and ethical advocacy in Ukraine.
According to Oleksii Shevchuk, PhD in Law and Chair of NALU, the creation of the Higher School of Lobbying is a logical continuation of the sector’s institutionalization following the launch of the Transparency Register and the entry into force of Ukraine’s Law “On Lobbying.”
“We have established an Association that brings together the leading experts in advocacy and lobbying. Now, our next step is to develop professional education, research, and ethical standards for the profession,” said Shevchuk.
During the event, a memorandum of cooperation was signed between NALU and Yurydychna Praktyka, officially launching the Higher School of Lobbying. Rustam Kolesnyk emphasized that the creation of such an educational center will provide a systematic approach to training specialists and promoting lobbying as a legitimate and transparent component of the democratic process.
Professor Liudmyla Kozhura, Doctor of Law and Director of the Law Institute at Kyiv National Economic University named after Vadym Hetman, presented the academic program “Lobbying and Advocacy: The Art of Influencing Public Policy.” It consists of seven modules, including the history and essence of lobbying, practices in the EU, USA, and UK, the organization of government institutions, legal regulation, campaign planning, ethics, and oversight of lobbying structures.
According to Kozhura, this is the first program of its kind in Ukraine, opening the way for the creation of a professional lobbying community modeled on European standards.
During the meeting, Oleksii Shevchuk also addressed Viktor Pavlushchyk, Head of the National Agency on Corruption Prevention (NACP), calling for the formal recognition of NALU as a professional self-regulatory body for the industry.
“The Association should become a guiding light for this new profession. We are building a self-regulating community that will have its own economic activity code — lobbying with integrity,” he noted.
The launch of the Higher School of Lobbying marks an important stage in developing a transparent and civilized lobbying market in Ukraine, aligned with European ethical and professional standards.
GR Consulting welcomes this initiative by NALU, viewing it as further evidence that lobbying in Ukraine is becoming a professional, education-based field that contributes to building a mature and balanced system of interaction between business and government.
