Professor Svitlana Khyliuk is a distinguished legal scholar and the current dean of the Ukrainian Catholic University (UCU) School of Law. Her academic journey and professional endeavors reflect a profound commitment to human rights, legal reform, and international collaboration. At UCU, Khyliuk serves as the director of the Law School. Under her leadership, UCU's Law School has grown significantly, offering innovative programs that integrate Eastern Christian values with modern legal education.
Khyliuk's expertise extends beyond the classroom. She is an active legal expert for organizations such as the OSCE Project Coordinator in Ukraine, the Council of Europe, and the U.S. Department of Justice. Her research interests focus on the intersection of criminal law and human rights, particularly the implementation of European Court of Human Rights standards in Ukrainian legal practice.
In the fall of 2021, Khyliuk was a visiting scholar at Notre Dame Law School through the Nanovic Institute for European Studies. During her tenure, she taught a course on the European Court of Human Rights' approach to human rights and conducted research on balancing judicial independence with accountability in transitional societies.
Khyliuk has played a pivotal role in deepening the partnership between UCU and Notre Dame Law School. In 2024, through Notre Dame Law School’s Global Lawyering Initiative, the two institutions formalized an agreement to expand their collaboration. Notre Dame Law School funds visits from two UCU students per year, further enhancing academic exchange and mutual understanding.
“Values could not be taught, but they could be learnt by following the example of someone who lives upon values he or she believes in. The support of Notre Dame Law School is an example of Catholic mission and values in action, which strengthen us to keep building a mission driven law school through hardships of full scale invasion,” Khyliuk said.
Khyliuk remains actively involved with the Notre Dame Law School community. Most recently, the Notre Dame Law School Global Human Rights Clinic and the International Human Rights LL.M. Program organized a Lunch-and-Learn talk led by Khyliuk in March. Her talk, titled "Truce Instead of Justice in the Russian-Ukrainian War: What it would mean for international legal order," explored different scenarios for the end of Russian unlawful, unprovoked armed aggression against Ukraine and their impact on the global and European security architecture, as well as on the future of international law.
Through her scholarship, leadership, and dedication to international cooperation, Professor Khyliuk continues to inspire students and colleagues on a global scale. Her ongoing work with Notre Dame reflects a shared vision for advancing human rights and strengthening legal education across borders.
Originally published by at law.nd.edu on April 22, 2025.