Digital Meets Legal: V4 and Ukraine Exchange Best Practices in Mediation at DIGARD V4U Study Visit

Twenty delegates from Ukraine, Poland, Czech Republic, Hungary, and Slovakia gathered in Košice to discuss real-world cases of digital tool implementation in mediation and to learn from Slovakia’s experience.

On February 4-5, a study visit took place as part of the international project “Digital Innovations for Alternative Dispute Resolution in Visegrad Countries and Ukraine” (DIGARD V4U), implemented with the support of the International Visegrad Fund. The event was hosted by the European Information Society Institute (EISI) in partnership with Pavol Jozef Šafárik University. The overall project is coordinated by SET University.

The study visit marked the concluding stage of the online course “Digital Tools for Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR).” The 20 participants who gathered in Košice were the most active attendees of the online course, along with members of the project team. Ukraine and SET University were represented by four specialists:

– Nadiia Bondarenko-Zelinska — mediator, Professor at the Department of Private Law, Kharkiv University of Law named after Leonid Yuzkov;
– Tetiana Novytska — mediator, supervisor, lecturer at Kyiv-Mohyla Academy;
– Bohdana Babak — lawyer, attorney, mediator;
– Alla Chaika — corporate lawyer at Kühne + Nagel, expert in IP, corporate and contract law, mediator.

The two-day programme focused on the practical implementation of digital innovations in mediation and arbitration. Participants discussed the use of online platforms in dispute resolution, the prospects and risks of applying artificial intelligence in ADR, as well as data protection and cybersecurity issues in online proceedings.

“I thoroughly enjoyed the friendly atmosphere and the exchange of valuable experience with colleagues. The programme offered by EISI included an in-depth discussion of practical use cases for digital tools and online platforms in mediation and ADR, as well as the prospects of AI adoption and approaches to ensuring cybersecurity in online environments,” shared Nadiia Bondarenko-Zelinska.

Fellow Ukrainian participant Tetiana Novytska emphasized that the study visit served as a platform for genuine professional dialogue among experts from Slovakia, Poland, Hungary, Czech Republic, and Ukraine:

“It was fascinating to learn about the specifics of mediation implementation in other countries and the use of modern technologies. I found it particularly valuable to see how rapidly auxiliary professions are developing and how much they are in demand across different societies — regardless of context or circumstances.”

During the visit, Ms. Novytska also delivered a presentation on improving mediation skills among law students in Ukraine, sharing her experience of working with students in legal programmes.

The first day of the programme opened with expert panels and introductory sessions, concluding with an official dinner in the historic centre of Košice. The second day was devoted to in-depth discussions, presentations of participants’ findings, and the planning of future collaboration steps, ending with a networking lunch.

The next event in the project will be the closing summit of ADR practitioners and digital technology experts, scheduled for March 9-10, 2026, in Budapest. The summit will be held in a hybrid format with online streaming of sessions. Further details are available on the event page.

You can register to participate via Google Form

The organisers stress that building a community of practitioners working at the intersection of law and technology is a key step toward modernising ADR across the Visegrad region and Ukraine — and Košice has become an important milestone in that process. Following the successful implementation of this project, SET University is committed to supporting further initiatives aimed at advancing the digitalisation of this vital field in Ukraine.

This DIGARD V4U initiative is co-financed by the governments of the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, and Slovakia through Visegrad Grants from the International Visegrad Fund, and supports Ukraine’s efforts to reform its justice system while promoting best practices from the Visegrad region.