On Wednesday, 11 January, 2023, Torbjörn Becker, Beatrice Weder di Mauro and Veronika Movchan presented their framework for Ukraine’s post-war reconstruction from their book "Rebuilding Ukraine: Principles and policies" at the Stockholm School of Economics (SSE). This event was co-organized together with the Centre for Economic Policy Research (CEPR).

Watch the recordings (here) if you missed the chance to attend the book launch event. See photos from the event down below!

About the book

This book offers a comprehensive analysis of what Ukraine should become after the war and what tools policymakers can use to fulfill these goals. It provides perspectives from leading scholars and practitioners: each chapter of the book covers a specific sector, but there is a natural overlap across the chapters because Ukraine’s reconstruction should be a comprehensive transformation of the country. With such a complex task, it is important to have a clear vision of the goals. The leitmotif of this book is clear: reconstruction is not about rebuilding Ukraine to the pre-war state, it is about a deep modernization of the country. All critical elements of the economy and society will have to leapfrog and undergo reforms to help Ukraine escape the post-Soviet legacy and become a full-fledged democracy with a modern economy, strong institutions, and a powerful defence sector.

The book repeatedly emphasizes that allies’ aid will be absolutely essential but, to make the reconstruction a true success story, Ukraine’s future should be decided by the Ukrainian people: Ukrainians should own this process. The State is no longer some hostile and alien construct which is there to repress them: people are starting to realize that they need to own it, i.e., protect their rights and fulfill their responsibilities as citizens. Building on the wave of patriotism, establishing mechanisms for genuine citizen participation will help prolong national unity and volunteer enthusiasm of Ukrainians beyond the war, but more importantly, it will ensure democratic development of the country.

Read the free digital book here >>

List of particpants

• Beatrice Weder di Mauro (President at Centre for Economic Policy Research, Professor of International Economics at Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies)
• Torbjörn Becker (Director of the Stockholm Institute of Transition Economics, SITE)
• Veronika Movchan (Research Director at Institute for Economic Research and Policy Consulting)
• Moderator: Anders Olofsgård (Deputy director of SITE)

Photos from the event

Photo of Anders Olofsgård as he welcomes particpants and guests to the event.

Photo of Beatrice Weder di Mauro as she introduce the overall concept and idea of the book.

Photo of Beatrice Weder di Mauro.

Photo of Torbjörn Becker as he presented the book chapter "Anti-corruption policies in the reconstruction of Ukraine".

Photo of the audience together with Torbjörn Becker.

From right: Veronika Movchan as she presented the book chapter "International trade and foreign direct investment".

From left: Torbjörn Becker, Beatrice Weder di Mauro and Anders Olofsgård during the Q&A session.

On screen: Veronika Movchan. At SSE, from left: Torbjörn Becker, Beatrice Weder di Mauro and Anders Olofsgård during the Q&A session.

Vector image by Vlasov_38RUS, Shutterstock.com