Natalia Slobodian is an expert in the Ukrainian oil and gas market working in the International Center of Modern Studies. In spring 2015 Natalia participated in the study tour in the Czech and Slovak Republics called “Energy Efficiency through Restructuring Gas Transportation System and Building Capacity among Ukrainian Professionals, ” funded by USAID under the Participant Training Program (PtP). . The ultimate goal of the study tour was to improve efficiency in Ukrainian gas transportation through restructuring and capacity building.
Conference “Is there a future for Ukraine gas production?”, March 2015
Immediately after returning to Ukraine Natalia organized a conference, “Is There a Future for Ukraine Gas Production?” that brought together managers of the Czech gas production company MND and top management of national gas production companies including Naftogaz, as well as high-level government officials. This effort fulfilled a secondary goal of the study tour, which was to build relationships between Ukrainian gas transportation companies and their European counterparts. Sharp debates during the conference helped to identify problems and potential solutions for the Ukrainian gas sector. Natalia presented key ideas for further reform and development of the national gas industry in a number of publications in Ukrainian media.
After the conference, Natalia maintained close contact with the company that hosted her study tour, KNO Cesko, and partnered with them to receive financial support from the Vishegrad Fund to implement the new joint project called “Unified Gas Market and Energy Security of Vishegrad Countries: Models, Challenges and Perspectives”. This project will study Vishegrad cooperation in the gas market with a focus on opportunities for Ukraine’s participation in regional cooperation projects.
Sharing her impressions, Natalia, says: “Participation in the USAID-funded PtP study tour organized by World Learning (US) and Consortium for Enhancement of Ukrainian Management Education (Ukraine) provided me with a unique opportunity to see from ‘inside’ how reformed oil and gas systems operate in the neighbor countries. ”For me, participation in this training program was, first of all, a unique chance to gain invaluable practical experience and establish professional contacts that enhanced my ability to design and implement new projects for the benefit of Ukraine. Today, Ukraine’s agenda in oil and gas sector includes not only internal reform of energy sector, but also promotion and lobbying of the national energy interests in the geopolitical space. “