Alina Sviderska

About the interview

President of the Cambridge Community of Ukraine about personal development, master’s degree in Cambridge, activities of the Ukrainian graduate community, as well as new political realities. In the conversation, we did not leave aside questions of a value and motivational nature, which inspire Alina to daily achievements.

The beginning of the journey

— Hello, Alina! Introduce us to your hometown, tell us where you are from?

— I’m from Zaporozhye. She spent a significant part of her childhood in the most industrial part of the city – “Kickas”. This district is steeper than Troeshchyna. Probably, since childhood, I had a desire to deal with ecological topics, because industrial soot and orange pollen were etched in my memory and, apparently, in my lungs. Echoes of my childhood are the smell of factories and the place where rats walk around the district.

Echoes of my childhood are the smell of factories and the place where rats walk around the district.

— I wonder what kind of family you grew up in?

— I come from an ordinary family, we lived very simply. I remember that my mother worked a lot at several jobs when I was little: first at the factory, then at various companies. It was my mother who sent me to a school with an advanced study of English. Of course, when you’re six years old, you can’t know which school is best for you. My mother understood this, and the school she chose greatly pushed me to develop.

In general, my parents gave me enough freedom. They said: “Do what you think is necessary, we will always support you in everything reasonable.” Thanks to this approach, I felt what it means to be free. In my opinion, freedom is when you are given the opportunity to choose and do not impose your own decisions.

Freedom is when you are given the opportunity to choose and do not impose your own decisions.

University

— When entering the university, did you immediately know that you wanted to study law?

— When I joined, I was 16 years old, and I still didn’t quite understand what I wanted to do. I wanted to be a doctor even before entering the university. Then, at the same time, she applied for law, political science, and even the Chinese language. Actually, I wasn’t too aware of what I really needed.

It is because of my own uncertainty then that I now work with schoolchildren within the Cambridge community. We talk with them about different professions, about who wants to do what. We talk about the advantages and disadvantages of this or that profession in order to give children a little understanding of what they would really like to see themselves as, so that they are not afraid to try on different professional roles.

— What were your student years like?

— For me, Mohylyanka was a period of complete nerdiness. It so happened that at first I did not manage to enter the budget, and for the first six months I studied on a form called “free listener”. It’s such a risky thing when you pay half of the contract, but as soon as a budget spot comes up, you end up on budget, if the points allow, of course. It so happened that in the first half of the year I had the first rating, and one budget place became vacant, so I was immediately transferred to the budget.

All in all, I had a very academic undergrad. Already during my master’s degree in Cambridge, I learned what student life is like.

— When did you realize that you wanted to enter a top university?

— During my first year in Mohylianka, I saw an announcement that you could study in Oxford on a scholarship. It turned out that, in addition to high grades, you need to participate in student life, attend summer schools and win competitions. Since then, I set myself the goal of having a complete package in order to enter a top university on a scholarship.

— What was the first thing that caught your eye after entering Cambridge?

— In general, studying abroad really fosters a sense of responsibility. In the Ukrainian educational system, on the contrary, someone is constantly pushing you. In the UK, it seems like a given that you’re either paying for your education or you’ve got a scholarship – and it’s in your best interests to get decent grades and achieve something.

Photo from the hero’s personal archive

— What was your master’s degree like in Cambridge?

— My first six months in Cambridge were mostly about getting to know social and student life. The number of seminars and lectures made this process possible. At the same time, we were often asked to read professional literature and, in general, there was a lot of independent work.

Then, when after the New Year you start receiving assignments and realize what difficult exams await you, it becomes really scary. The thought runs through my head: I can’t let myself down and get bad grades. You have to prove that you can do something. Since then, you start studying intensively, structuring your time. In this way, self-discipline is formed in you.

— How would you describe the people who studied with you?

All of them were very special, each of them was a remarkable individual. Spending time with them makes you realize how many cool things people can do. In general, when you are constantly surrounded by a lot of cool and smart people who, at the same time, are also athletic, have seen a lot of the world, achieved a lot, know many languages, this feeling is very encouraging to your own achievements. Actually, this realization that you’re not the best in the room is cool and I love it.

— Have you seen the so-called “golden youth” in Cambridge?

For the most part, all of them were simple, and there was no feeling of any majority. Almost none of those I talked to flaunted wealth or famous parents. Most likely, only after completing the master’s degree, you can find out that one of your classmates is the son or daughter of someone famous and respected.

Perhaps something similar is felt at the undergraduate level, but you need to understand that in the first year people are really small. In fact, for the first time they gain freedom from their parents. I think this is why they sometimes lose their minds.

Sometimes the opposite happens: you can go into virtually any bar and hear students discussing some global things, for example, how the universe is arranged. Besides, after this bar, they can go to the library and study. This is commonplace in Cambridge.

When you are constantly surrounded by a lot of cool and smart people, it really motivates you to achieve your own goals.

Independent life

— Did you have thoughts of staying to live and work in Great Britain?

— Yes of course. I thought about it, and I even managed to do an internship in London at a non-governmental organization that worked with the British Parliament and lobbied for human rights bills. In parallel, I worked on research on political topics at the London School of Economics and Political Science. The program is called the Hansard Research Scholarship. This became possible thanks to the fact that I won funding from the Soros Foundation.

— Do you compare life in Cambridge and London?

— The first thing I immediately felt during my life and studies in London was that a lot of time was spent on logistics. London is a big city, which did not feel the close-knit student life that was in Cambridge. In London, you finished your studies – and immediately went home. Instead, Cambridge constantly encouraged immersion in local life.

In Cambridge, I constantly walked around the city, because everything was as close as possible, and it was very convenient. In general, Cambridge is a very comfortable city to live in: it is quiet, but at the same time there is a lot going on in it, and you do not feel left out. Moreover, London is only forty minutes away by train.

On the left – a photo from the pinterest resource, on the right – from the personal archive of the hero

— What do you think, was entering Cambridge the main brick for building maximalism in life?

— At one point, I felt that Cambridge was the best thing that happened to me. Actually, what’s next?! Once you set a high bar for yourself, you want to continue to maintain it. Especially when you see people who achieve a lot. This motivates you to create new challenges for yourself every time. Constantly leaving the comfort zone and new challenges are, in my opinion, the best thing we can do for ourselves. This approach gives a very cool experience.

Constantly stepping out of our comfort zone and taking on new challenges is the best thing we can do for ourselves.

— Returning to Ukraine, did you feel any kind of double responsibility after graduating from a top university?

— As soon as I returned to Ukraine, I encountered people who expected me to know almost everything. I don’t know a lot – and I admit it, but at first such high expectations made me feel inferior, which is not very pleasant. You feel that there is pressure on you: they say, I have to meet high standards.

— How was your return to Ukraine?

— When I returned to Ukraine in 2013, the first thing I wondered was: where are all those who studied at Cambridge? Then I realized that there is no alumni community yet. At that time, there was already a large Ukrainian Oxford community. The fact is that more scholarships were given to study in Oxford.

I felt strong nostalgia for that time and, having gathered my familiar graduates, I said: “Let’s create a Cambridge community of Ukraine!” Actually, that’s how it was created. We started purely with networking events in order to simply get together and be nostalgic about how cool it was.

Then they decided to organize charity events and communicate with young people, so that they would know what opportunities there are in general, orient themselves in matters of admission to universities. At one time, I myself lacked examples of what can be done. This is especially acutely felt in the regions. In my native Zaporizhzhia, someone from America came to our school only once and told about FLEX. I still remember my reaction: wow, is it really possible to go to graduate school in America?

— Having organized this community, did you find real friends there?

— My closest friends are from the Cambridge community. I even met my husband at a Cambridge party. This experience definitely unites.

Profession

— Where did you work after returning to Ukraine?

— Like all decent lawyers, I went to work at the Clifford Chance law firm. We were engaged in legal support of business transactions.

— Did you like working there?

— I remember my first day: it was May outside the window, everything was blooming. I was shown my workplace, it was near the window. I looked, said that it was a very beautiful view, and in general it was so beautiful outside. My boss said that from now on I will see the world only from this window. It was like a joke. But, in fact, it happened that way. I saw the world only from the office window. And I was sad because of that.

The only people I happened to see were my office colleagues. For two years, I sat there from 8:30 a.m. to 10:00-11:00 p.m. – and, in the end, I burned out. Despite the fact that I worked with interesting and professional people, I was very uncomfortable in this place. I wanted more dynamics, variety and a sense of usefulness.

— Under what circumstances did you resign, and what conclusions did you draw for yourself after this job?

— When the Maidan happened, I started helping and volunteering at the same time. Maidan sentiments literally pushed me to do something useful for the country. It was the Maidan that became the turning point for me when I told myself that I needed to change something in my life.

At that time, I had no better job prospects. By resigning, I was, in fact, going nowhere. The only thing that was there was the previously established EasyBusiness public organization, all of whose members volunteered.

I realized that the most important thing is to listen to yourself and understand what you really need. Actually, at some point I caught myself thinking that I don’t want to constantly complain that something is wrong. It is necessary to take and change.

Civic position

— Tell us more about EasyBusiness. What does the organization specialize in, how many employees does it have, how can it be useful to society?

— We created EasyBusiness right after the Maidan. Analyzed and prepared draft laws related to business deregulation reform. In general, it was possible to contribute to the adoption of a dozen laws and resolutions.

Later, in 2017, my EasyBusiness colleague Oleksiy Mykhaylenko and I decided to create a more specialized Clean Energy Lab organization, which focuses specifically on energy. In fact, we are an analytical center that should help in making more thorough political decisions. It is already clear from the name that our vector is clean energy, because we are very concerned about climate change.

— How did you miss the Revolution of Dignity?

— In general, the Maidan for me is the turning point when I felt the Ukrainian identity the most. When I came to the Maidan, I saw people united around the belief that we are Ukrainians and we are worth something. That we stand for freedom and justice. At such moments, you catch yourself thinking: damn, we Ukrainians are really cool!

I recently heard an opinion that I liked. For example, everyone says that Ukrainians and Russians are similar, but, in fact, for Russians, the state is more important than identity, and for Ukrainians, on the contrary, identity is more important than the state.

Whoever is in power, it is very important for us, Ukrainians, to be free and honest with ourselves and our ideals. That is probably why we have so many revolutions and strikes. Even so, I hope there will be no more revolutions because many people have died and it is a great loss for all of us.

When I came to Maidan, I saw people united around the belief that we, Ukrainians, are worth something.

— In 2017, the Cambridge Community of Ukraine launched a travel grant for Bohdan Sochalnyk for trips to conferences in Oxford or Cambridge. Can you tell us more about Bohdan himself and how this idea came about?

— Bohdan is one of the youngest Heroes of the Heavenly Hundred. He was 28 years old when he died. He is from the Lviv region, taught at UKU. Bohdan devoted the last period of his life to writing a dissertation at the University of Warsaw, but did not manage to defend it. In addition, he wrote very strong poems and was a truly ideological person. A very emotional moment for me was communicating with Bohdan’s family, especially meeting his parents, sister, and brother.

In the creation of the grant, we must pay tribute to Olga Klimko, who is the driver of the honors of the “Families of Heroes of the Heavenly Hundred” organization. In 2017, Ms. Olga decided to start awards for the youngest Heroes of the Heavenly Hundred. For this purpose, a meeting was organized to decide how and who to award. At this meeting, grants were launched to support scholars at conferences in Cambridge and Oxford.

Then it happened that the Cambridge community was also involved in the initiation of the grant. We have a kind of volunteer landing force, which consists of graduates of Cambridge, Oxford. We organize charity events, the funds from which go to a grant. We held the first event at the Bulgakov Museum. Then we managed to attract all the necessary funds. Then there was an event at the Chocolate House, and the last one at the Hrushevskyi Museum. Actually, we try to maintain partnership with museums.

— How was EasyBusiness created?

— EasyBusiness was created on the basis of a professional government. There was a request from the Ministry of Economy (then still from Pavel Sheremety) for help with the deregulation reform. Then Aivaras Abromavicius took over the baton, and he gave full speed to this reform. That’s when we joined the Aivaras team as volunteer advisors and helped gather initiatives from industry, community organizations and, based on that, write the relevant legislation. In addition, we advocated the initiatives developed by us at the legislative level.

Although Aivaras was comfortable to work with, at some point we realized that we couldn’t just be volunteers. Ultimately, we created EasyBusiness, a public organization. After some time, we found funding and started working institutionally. Ideologically, EasyBusiness outlines itself from a libertarian point of view, advocating minimal state intervention in business processes. The essence of its ideology is to simplify the conditions of doing business, implement deregulation and remove a bunch of Soviet regulations.

— Could you give an example of a case with which you worked at EasyBusiness?

— One of our initiatives was the cancellation of geological monitoring for companies. It was just a fundraising scheme without any substance. Companies were forced to pay for obscure services that cost millions a year.

While working with this initiative, I was introduced to the current Prime Minister Oleksiy Honcharuk. At that time, he was an advisor to the Ministry of Ecology and helped us promote this initiative.

Policy

— What impressions did you have about Honcharuk?

— The impressions remained only wonderful. He tries to hear everyone and thinks strategically. He knows how to balance business and state interests. In addition, he is a team player, does not take everything on himself. In addition, Honcharuk tries to be open. I have a very positive experience working with him.

— How did you perceive Zelensky’s victory in the presidential elections?

— Immediately after the election, it was very sad. It seemed to me that the elections were quite populist: during them, everyone bought into beautiful pre-election speeches.

— Later, did your opinion about the people who came to power change a little?

— Yes, many acquaintances have joined the CMU and the Parliament, so I get inside information on how things work there. Let’s put it this way: mistakes are made, but they try very hard to get everything right. It is always easier to say that everything is bad and shout “treason!”, so I will not criticize. I hope that this government will be able to achieve a lot of positive things. The main thing is to remain constructive and help effectively.

— The new government has enough people who supported Poroshenko in the presidential elections. Therefore, perhaps it is too early to say that “all is lost”, what do you think?

— Many people who are currently in power said “thank you” to Poroshenko, and, in general, there was something to be thankful for. At the same time, all these people equally understood what they were asking for. Today, more than ever, the topic of total betrayal is relevant for us, but sometimes you just have to ask yourself: “Why does this or that event happen at all? Who benefits from it? What is behind some words and Facebook posts?”

Sometimes you just have to ask yourself: “Why does this or that event happen at all? Who benefits? What is behind some words and Facebook posts?”

— How did it happen that you decided to run for the “Voice” party?

— At first, I just helped the party with writing the program, because they didn’t have anyone from the energy sector. And then they offered to join the party list. I remember the first meeting with Vakarchuk, where he asked if I wanted to go into politics. I said I don’t want to. And he: “Great, we need such people.” This intrigued me, because I still think that there should be people in power who do not really want to be there.

— What, in your opinion, is the role of the “Voice” party in the new parliament?

— “Voice” should be an island of expertise and the opportunity to talk about complex things. In general, the “Voice” will support everything well and emphasize when something goes wrong. Such “common sense”, if you can say so. There are many really qualified people in the party list who are able to form appropriate positions for political decisions. Even when you talk to people and they hear an adequate initiative from you, they are ready to work with it and support it in committees.

— What conclusions did you draw for yourself after the presidential and parliamentary elections and, in general, all the informational chaos that was happening around you?

— This summer I realized that everything that is before our eyes is not black and white at all. Now, when someone tells me some amazing news or expresses an opinion, I start from the fact that it is not known how it actually happens. What we see is only a very thin layer on the surface, the very tip of the iceberg. Basically, we don’t know everything that goes on inside. Based on this position, I try to form some kind of impression only on the condition of direct participation in what, in fact, it is about. Usually, everything else is just speculation, which may not correspond to reality.

Inspiration

— What trait do you value most in people?

— I believe that the most important thing is to be honest with yourself and others. It is very important to try never to lie, even if a difficult situation happened, even if it is the bitter truth. For me, trust and honesty are the most important building blocks of any relationship. Without trust, it is impossible to build a business or a relationship, in fact, nothing at all.

For me, honesty is the most important building block for trust.

— Tell us about your approach to life?

— Minimalism is the approach that helps me sort out the important and the unimportant. It helps me in terms of spiritual ecology. Firstly, minimalism makes it possible to organize thoughts and affairs, to set priorities. There are too many unnecessary things happening in today’s world that sap our strength and exploit our energy.

I start from minimalism not only in the approach to things, but also in the issue of consumption, from an ecological point of view. In my opinion, we don’t need many things that are imposed on us. We don’t need big houses, lots of cars or lots of clothes to be happy. Only essential things are enough.

We don’t need big houses, lots of cars or lots of clothes to be happy.

— What inspires you?

— I like to make the world around me better. It doesn’t matter if it concerns business or family or, say, social activities. I’m not at all interested in doing some mechanical work and just making money. I don’t understand people who work only for money.

It is very important to me that the activities I do bring benefits and make the world a better place. The most important criterion or filter that I have determined for myself is how much I can make the world better through a specific activity, how strong my positive influence will be.

— What book would you recommend to our readers?

— In the summer, I started reading the book “12 Rules of Life” by Jordan Peterson. I highly recommend. He also has interesting podcasts – suddenly you don’t have time to read a book. Peterson is a Canadian psychologist who, in his book, seeks an answer to the question “What is the meaning of life? Why, in fact, do we live at all?” These are still open questions for me. Of course, we can live purely hedonistically, simply enjoying life. However, I like to do something challenging that will really have some impact.

— What did you take away from this book?

— Jordan Peterson writes that suffering is normal. Life is complicated and has many challenges. Anyone who talks about unlimited happiness as the ultimate goal is a populist. At the same time, we were taught from childhood that we should be happy, and everyone around us is perfect. This adds a lot of stress and self-doubt.

Realizing that you are not perfect, that you have problems is completely normal. Very objective, in my opinion. When you understand this, it is easier for you to do some difficult things. What’s more, as soon as you put your life situations on this filter, you will actually understand what is important to you in life.

— What do you mean by “big”?

— The big thing is to make your life and the life of those around you better. And it’s not so much about material improvement. All material is short-term, except for plastic. All of us, as a society, will benefit more from long-term contributions: in the development of spiritual values, in helping each other, in caring for people, animals, and plants. This is the meaning of life. This is the greatness of us as people: we are able to modify the environment both for the better and for the worse. And it is the modality of changes for the better that is our superpower, which we need to use more often. We must strive for something more than happiness. You have to want something significant.

— What decision-making filters do you have?

— The last thing I realized for myself is that we need to be more open to the world and the opportunities it opens up for us. Sometimes we think we see the only true way – and we reject all others. However, this is incorrect, because the world is as voluminous as space. We don’t know so much, and it’s a mistake to limit ourselves to thinking that there is only A or B.

I made it my goal to be open to different possibilities. You only need to filter what opens before you. Therefore, reflecting on each opportunity, I take into account that I have to be honest with myself and other people, I have to do something useful and at the same time be open to something new. It is important for me not to forget to leave my comfort zone. This is the way to something new, something that I have never tried. I want to do it as often as possible.

Of course, it is difficult to leave the comfort that you have created for yourself. Sometimes this can bring you to tears or to such a state that you don’t even want to eat. It’s like after a workout: at first it’s difficult for you, there is stiffness, but then muscles appear in its place.

It is important for me not to forget to leave my comfort zone. This is the way to something new that I have never tried.

— What do you mean when you think of a comfort zone?

— First of all, these are understandable circumstances in which you already know everything and can do everything. I, on the other hand, like to get into situations where I have to feel a little silly. It’s a cool feeling because you realize you have a lot to learn. In general, I like to surround myself with people who are better than me.

I like to surround myself with people who are better than me.

— What is the value of education in your life?

— I proceed from the axiom that studying is cool. Our world is constantly developing, and you need to constantly develop yourself. Today, we are not keeping up with how the world is running forward. In order to be effective, you need not just to sunbathe somewhere in the sun, but to change something in this world, you need to constantly learn. Learning is probably the only tool to stay effective and make a difference.

Learning is probably the only tool to stay effective and make a difference.

City

— Tell me about your Kyiv?

— I love Kyiv. I like to ride the subway when it’s not rush hour, or just walk the streets. I like to watch people, in Kyiv they have become very diverse and free. I really love the Golden Gate area, especially Reitarska, there are many hipster places. I also like Trukhaniv Island. Despite the terrible traffic jams, I believe that Kyiv is one of the best cities to live in.

— Which of the last establishments that opened in Kyiv did you like?

— In general, there are a lot of stylish places in Kyiv. Recently, an incredible number of cafes have been opened. The last cool place I discovered for myself is Khlebnyi near Vssi svoye. It is really very beautiful there. I recently went there and would like to sit and work there somehow.

— How would you describe Ukraine in general?

— I like the imperfection of Ukraine. I was in Oslo two weeks ago, and everything there is so perfect. Of course, this is beautiful, but, in my opinion, ideality should be to your liking if you are already a pensioner: if only because it exudes peace. Today, Europe is very mature and very clear, everything there has been working according to the rules for a long time.

At the same time, Ukraine is something new European, it is such an interesting mix of Europeanness and Ukrainianness. And I really like this mix. Ukraine today is like a loft with shabby walls, and it’s incredibly cool.

I usually invite foreign colleagues to come to Ukraine. I always tell them that Ukraine is a country of opportunities, in which it is not too late to start doing cool things. My foreign acquaintances are mostly warm to Ukraine. When they come for the second time, they try to stay as long as possible because they like it here.

Ukraine is a country of opportunities, in which it is not too late to start doing cool things.

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