The Symposium was opened by the Rector of ONU, Professor Vyacheslav Truba. The plenary session, chaired by Vice-Rector Professor Andrii Smitiukh, featured seven presentations addressing the geological history of the Black Sea, educational resilience, international security, oceanographic research, marine microbiology, marine environmental modelling, and private international law.
The Symposium continued with two parallel sessions. The Natural Science Studies session was chaired by Professor Valeriya Ovcharuk, while the Socio-Economic Studies session was chaired by Professor Yurii Hrinchenko.
The Natural Science Studies session addressed climate change, hydrometeorological processes, the state of marine ecosystems, microplastic pollution, the environmental consequences of military activities, and modern methods for monitoring the Black Sea. The Socio-Economic Studies session covered international relations, maritime law, navigation safety, economics, history, cultural heritage, and the arts of the Black Sea regions.
Interdisciplinarity was a defining feature of the Symposium. By bringing together natural sciences, social sciences, and humanities, the event provided an opportunity to examine the Black Sea as an interconnected environmental, economic, and geopolitical system.
