{"id":18529,"date":"2005-11-11T18:10:00","date_gmt":"2005-11-11T17:10:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/janfigel.com\/?p=18529"},"modified":"2026-06-11T18:41:23","modified_gmt":"2026-06-11T16:41:23","slug":"holding-the-future-in-your-hands","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/janfigel.com\/sk\/2005\/11\/11\/holding-the-future-in-your-hands\/","title":{"rendered":"Holding the future in your hands"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">National Taras Shevchenko University<br>Kyiv, 11 November 2005<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"574\" src=\"https:\/\/janfigel.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/tylijura-synthetic-8597464-1024x574.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-18530\" srcset=\"https:\/\/janfigel.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/tylijura-synthetic-8597464-1024x574.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/janfigel.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/tylijura-synthetic-8597464-300x168.jpg 300w, https:\/\/janfigel.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/tylijura-synthetic-8597464-768x430.jpg 768w, https:\/\/janfigel.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/tylijura-synthetic-8597464-1536x861.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/janfigel.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/tylijura-synthetic-8597464-2048x1148.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/janfigel.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/tylijura-synthetic-8597464-18x10.jpg 18w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><img alt=\"\"><img alt=\"\"><a href=\"https:\/\/pixabay.com\/illustrations\/synthetic-organic-handshake-future-8597464\/\">Download Synthetic, Organic, Handshake. Royalty-Free Stock Illustration Image &#8211; Pixabay<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Authorities in attedance &#8211; ,<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Distinguished Professors,<br>Dear students,<br>Ladies and Gentlemen:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Introduction<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I like to open my speeches telling audiences why I decided to be with them and<br>why participating to their event is important to me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As I was preparing for this occasion, I looked for the words that would express<br>the very special feeling I would feel today\u2014but none was good enough.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><br>This is probably because it is very easy for me to empathise with you. I was<br>born and spent most of my life in Eastern part of Slovakia, not far from Slovak<br>Ukrainian borders. Among my colleagues at the European Commission in<br>Brussels I must be the one who was has his roots closest to Kyiv.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Not a long time ago, my home country, Slovakia, was in many respects in<br>similar position as Ukraine today. We had just experienced Velvet revolution,<br>started political and economic transformation of the society and, moreover,<br>established our own statehood. Transition from the so-called Eastern bloc<br>country to the country which is now member of the European union is still vivid<br>in my memory, and I have devoted these years of my life to minimise the risks<br>and maximise the opportunities that the transition inevitably carries with it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">So\u2014ladies and Gentlemen, dear students\u2014I am really happy and honoured to<br>be with you today. And today these words come from a special spot in my heart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>2. EU\u2013Ukraine relations<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"> The relations between the EU and Ukraine have developed substantially since 1991. Although we are talking about the very recent past, we can already look at<br>things in historical perspective.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I would say that the relations between the EU and Ukraine went through <strong>three<br>broad stages.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>In the <strong>first stage<\/strong>, the EU provided assistance for Ukraine\u2019s political and<br>economic reforms. Between 1991 and 2004 this amounted to over 2 billion<br>Euros\u2014to which Member States\u2019 bilateral assistance should be added.<br>&#8211; The <strong>second step<\/strong> was the Partnership and Cooperation Agreement of 1998. In<br>particular, this meant regular political dialogue and expanded cooperation in<br>many sectors, including education and culture.<br>&#8211; The <strong>third stage<\/strong> was the European Neighbourhood Policy launched last year.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In short, your country could count on the<strong> tangible support of the EU since<br>independence<\/strong>. After a period marked by rather short and uncertain steps, your<br>country\u2019s recent and new commitment to democracy and reforms has set the<br>stage for a big leap.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Things are <strong>moving fast since the Orange Revolution<\/strong>. Last February the EU<br>Ukraine Action Plan was adopted and later extended with a range of additional<br>measures. After 9 months, the <strong>first results are encouraging<\/strong> in a number of<br>fields.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In hindsight, I am not surprised at how things turned out: it has always been only<br>a matter of time before <strong>Ukraine began to realise its potential<\/strong>. Ukraine can<br>count on the European Union as reliable partner. The EU acknowledges<br>Ukraine\u2019s European aspirations and welcomes its European choice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As I said, it is easy for me to relate to these steps and leaps. It doesn\u2019t take a lot<br>of imagination to predict that your country has started out on what <strong>will<br>probably be a long and difficult road of reform<\/strong>. I encourage you not to lose<br>heart along the way. What counts is that the path is traced. Other countries have<br>gone through the process before you. None of them found it simple. But all of<br>them faced the challenge with determination. All of them are better off now, and<br>would not dream of returning to their point of departure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Action Plan<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Last year enlargement of the European Union, <strong>Enlargement 2004<\/strong>, was<br>historical milestone in the development of our continent. It marked the end of<br>artificial division of the Europe. It has also <strong>brought European Union to the<br>doors of Ukraine<\/strong>. Ukraine has now 3 neighbours that are members of the Union \u2013 Poland, Slovakia and Hungary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As enlargement materialized, it was important to give new perspectives also for<br>the countries which became new neighbours of the Union. <strong>European values do<br>not stop on the borders<\/strong>; they are attractive also for countries outside the EU.<br>This is why, in order to promote these values and standards, the EU has adopted<br>new European Neighourhood Policy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Many of you have already heard about <strong>the Action Plan<\/strong> which is and instrument<br>of our Neighbourhood Policy for each country. The Action Plan between<br>Ukraine and the EU\u2014among other things\u2014includes references to:<br>&#8211; reform and upgrade of educational and training systems to drive them closer<br>to the standards and practices in the EU;<br>&#8211; co\u2013operation in the domains of education, training, in our cultural<br>programmes and in our youth policies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In general, these points exemplify the Action <strong>Plan\u2019s stress on people\u2013to<br>people contacts<\/strong>, which are an essential ingredient of our dialogue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><br><strong>Involving the people directly is the best guarantee<\/strong> of the lasting success of<br>international agreements and policy developments in any domain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>3. Education and Youth<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Things are moving fast in my domains of education, training and culture, as<br>well. For instance, Ukraine already ranks third in terms of students participating<br>in the<strong> Erasmus Mundus<\/strong> Programme (27 in 2005). Aim of the programme is to<br>give best student opportunity to study and get their Master degrees in the best of<br>EU universities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This is a resounding success which confirms that young and educated Ukranians<br>were just waiting for the right opportunity to embrace Europe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But Erasmus Mundus is not the only programme which involves your country.<br>The<strong> well-established Tempus programme<\/strong> has facilitated exchange and<br>cooperation between Ukraine and the European Union for many years. In effect,<br>the policies under my responsibility have traditionally been employed <strong>to give a<br>first taste of what it means to operate in a united Europe.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Let us see some of the things the European Commission can do in the education<br>and youth field:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>exchanges of students and scholars;<br>&#8211; academic co\u2013operation;<br>&#8211; mobility of young people and NGO\u2019s for non\u2013formal education projects.<br>What do these <strong>actions have in common? <\/strong>They all build trust and mutual<br>understanding where it matters most; that is, <strong>among the people.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Academic co\u2013operation and exchanges have a long tradition of success among<br>EU policies. We support your country\u2019s efforts in this direction and welcome<br>your recent signature of the <strong>Bologna Declaration<\/strong>. Bologna process, now<br>embracing 45 European countries, aims to reduce barriers for academic<br>cooperation in Europe. The idea is to give students and scholars more<br>opportunities to study or teach in other European countries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This, however, implies a <strong>certain degree of compatibility<\/strong> among higher<br>education systems. I commend the measures taken by your authorities to reform<br>the structure of Ukraine\u2019s educational systems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I <strong>encourage you to bring the reform process forward<\/strong> and I can pledge the<br>support of the European Commission to assist you in this work. The<br>Commission will continue to focus principally on higher education, with greater<br>emphasis on student mobility.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Beside academic and educational cooperation, the European Commission also<br>supports <strong>partnerships among young people<\/strong> from the European Union and its<br>Neighbouring Countries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A number of youth NGOs and young people from Ukraine are already<br>participating in the programme\u2014called YOUTH. I encourage your national<br>authorities to support youth exchange projects. Programmes like these promote<br>the values of intercultural dialogue, tolerance. I don\u2019t need to remind you that<br>we, at the European Commission, regard these values as the pillars of stability<br>within the Union and as the basis of our relations with our neighbouring<br>countries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><br>Again, youth exchange projects have a potential to draw Ukrainian young<br>people closer to the Union.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>4. Promoting reforms in Ukraine<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Ladies and Gentlemen,<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><br>Ukraine will soon mark <strong>first anniversary of its Orange Revolution<\/strong>. The<br>movement has created a unique opportunity for Ukraine to realise its aspirations.<br>The European Union played an active role in the events last November. We<br>were involved, because it was our duty to stand behind the people who were<br>fighting for the values which are identical to the values of the Union itself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><br>Expectations are now high both within your country and among your friends<br>abroad. This gives Ukrainian leaders an exciting and difficult job: showing that<br>the country can progress along the path opened by the Revolution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Let me focus on four challenges for the months and years ahead.<br><strong>First<\/strong>, recent events in Ukraine highlight the importance of transparent relations<br>and clear separation between business and politics<br>. The fight against corruption<br>remains a major challenge. I am sure that the government is aware of the need of<br>energetic and credible measures underpinning the policy of reforms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><br><strong>Second<\/strong>, administrative reform<br>. Reforming the administration of a country of 50<br>million inhabitants is a huge task. But it must be undertaken in order to cement<br>the success of the Revolution. With that great objective in mind, Ukraine should<br>see the magnitude of the task as an encouragement rather than a discouragement<br>for reforms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><br><strong>Third<\/strong>, the rule of law. Democracy needs a fully functioning legal system to<br>work. Judges must be appointed in a transparent way; laws must be enforced,<br>not just passed; the police must operate under clear internal rules and controls.<br>The business environment should be regulated by clear and reliable rules, not by<br>arbitrary decisions. This is important for all economic actors: domestic and<br>foreign investors, workers, consumers, and ordinary citizens.<br>In Ukraine as elsewhere, the rule of law is crucial for economic growth, social<br>development, and for a genuine popular participation in political and civic life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Fourth<\/strong>, <em>democratic participation<\/em><br>. Ukrainians fought hard to make their voices<br>heard. Now, the will of the people must find expression in transparent<br>democratic processes.<br>The parliamentary elections of March next year will be a litmus test. Once<br>again, the eyes of the world will be on Kyiv. Fair and peaceful elections will<br>prove that Ukraine is keeping the commitments it took with the EU and other<br>international bodies, such as the Council of Europe and the OSCE.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Ladies and Gentlemen:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The items I have touched upon contain <strong>a lesson<\/strong>: <em>as Ukraine makes genuine<br>progress in its plan of reforms, relations between the EU and Ukraine will<br>become deeper and stronger.<\/em><br>I can confirm that with the experience of my home<br>country. Firm pursue of values on which the European is based \u2013 adherence to<br>democratic principles in political life, rule of law, respect for human rights \u2013<br>was essential on its way to the European union.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I encourage you to <strong>nurture the spirit<\/strong> you showed to the world starting<strong> last<br>November<\/strong>. I address this appeal to all\u2014citizens and leaders alike\u2014but<br>especially to young people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><br>Your country is taking a historic turn: this is the perfect time for hope, courage,<br>and imagination. It is perfect time to fulfil dreams of great Ukrainian poet, artist<br>and humanist Taras Shevchenko who gave his name also to this University \u2013<br>dreams about freedom and respect for human dignity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><br>I can see these sentiments in the eyes of the many students in this hall. My<br>message to you is that Ukraine\u2019s destiny belongs as much to you as it belongs to<br>your leaders engaged in important negotiations and decisions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><br>Your generation has a rare privilege: you are holding your future in your hands.<br>You can make it happen. If you do, the Orange revolution will be remembered<br>as a milestone not only for Ukraine, but for the whole of Europe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><br>Thank you.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>National Taras Shevchenko UniversityKyiv, 11 November 2005 Distinguished Professors,Dear students,Ladies and Gentlemen: I like to open my speeches telling audiences why I decided to be with them andwhy participating to their event is important to me. As I was preparing for this occasion, I looked for the words that would expressthe very special feeling I [&hellip;]<\/p>","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":18530,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[338],"tags":[1034],"class_list":["post-18529","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-en","tag-future"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.7 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Holding the future in your hands - J\u00e1n Fige\u013e<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/janfigel.com\/sk\/2005\/11\/11\/holding-the-future-in-your-hands\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"sk_SK\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Holding the future in your hands - J\u00e1n Fige\u013e\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"National Taras Shevchenko UniversityKyiv, 11 November 2005 Distinguished Professors,Dear students,Ladies and Gentlemen: I like to open my speeches telling audiences why I decided to be with them andwhy participating to their event is important to me. As I was preparing for this occasion, I looked for the words that would expressthe very special feeling I [&hellip;]\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/janfigel.com\/sk\/2005\/11\/11\/holding-the-future-in-your-hands\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"J\u00e1n Fige\u013e\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/p\/Jn-Fige-prv-slovensk-eurokomisr-100064782245760\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2005-11-11T17:10:00+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-06-11T16:41:23+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/janfigel.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/tylijura-synthetic-8597464-scaled.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"2560\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1435\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Marek Ol\u0161ansk\u00fd\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@janfigel\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@janfigel\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Marek Ol\u0161ansk\u00fd\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"10 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/janfigel.com\/2005\/11\/11\/holding-the-future-in-your-hands\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/janfigel.com\/2005\/11\/11\/holding-the-future-in-your-hands\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Marek Ol\u0161ansk\u00fd\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/janfigel.com\/sk\/#\/schema\/person\/075ccc066a23cc773101490caf54b374\"},\"headline\":\"Holding the future in your hands\",\"datePublished\":\"2005-11-11T17:10:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-06-11T16:41:23+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/janfigel.com\/2005\/11\/11\/holding-the-future-in-your-hands\/\"},\"wordCount\":1815,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/janfigel.com\/sk\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/janfigel.com\/2005\/11\/11\/holding-the-future-in-your-hands\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/janfigel.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/tylijura-synthetic-8597464-scaled.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"future\"],\"articleSection\":[\"English\"],\"inLanguage\":\"sk\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/janfigel.com\/2005\/11\/11\/holding-the-future-in-your-hands\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/janfigel.com\/2005\/11\/11\/holding-the-future-in-your-hands\/\",\"name\":\"Holding the future in your hands - J\u00e1n Fige\u013e\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/janfigel.com\/sk\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/janfigel.com\/2005\/11\/11\/holding-the-future-in-your-hands\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/janfigel.com\/2005\/11\/11\/holding-the-future-in-your-hands\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/janfigel.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/tylijura-synthetic-8597464-scaled.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2005-11-11T17:10:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-06-11T16:41:23+00:00\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/janfigel.com\/2005\/11\/11\/holding-the-future-in-your-hands\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"sk\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/janfigel.com\/2005\/11\/11\/holding-the-future-in-your-hands\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"sk\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/janfigel.com\/2005\/11\/11\/holding-the-future-in-your-hands\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/janfigel.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/tylijura-synthetic-8597464-scaled.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/janfigel.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/tylijura-synthetic-8597464-scaled.jpg\",\"width\":2560,\"height\":1435},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/janfigel.com\/2005\/11\/11\/holding-the-future-in-your-hands\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/janfigel.com\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Holding the future in your hands\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/janfigel.com\/sk\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/janfigel.com\/sk\/\",\"name\":\"J\u00e1n Fige\u013e\",\"description\":\"\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/janfigel.com\/sk\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/janfigel.com\/sk\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"sk\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/janfigel.com\/sk\/#organization\",\"name\":\"J\u00e1n Fige\u013e\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/janfigel.com\/sk\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"sk\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/janfigel.com\/sk\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/janfigel.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/JF_Navy-Blue-1.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/janfigel.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/JF_Navy-Blue-1.png\",\"width\":2451,\"height\":2451,\"caption\":\"J\u00e1n Fige\u013e\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/janfigel.com\/sk\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/p\/Jn-Fige-prv-slovensk-eurokomisr-100064782245760\/\",\"https:\/\/x.com\/janfigel\",\"https:\/\/sk.linkedin.com\/in\/jn-fige-110354126\",\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/figeljan\/\",\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/@janfigel_eu\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/janfigel.com\/sk\/#\/schema\/person\/075ccc066a23cc773101490caf54b374\",\"name\":\"Marek Ol\u0161ansk\u00fd\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/janfigel.com\/sk\/author\/marek-olsansky\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Holding the future in your hands - J\u00e1n Fige\u013e","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/janfigel.com\/sk\/2005\/11\/11\/holding-the-future-in-your-hands\/","og_locale":"sk_SK","og_type":"article","og_title":"Holding the future in your hands - J\u00e1n Fige\u013e","og_description":"National Taras Shevchenko UniversityKyiv, 11 November 2005 Distinguished Professors,Dear students,Ladies and Gentlemen: I like to open my speeches telling audiences why I decided to be with them andwhy participating to their event is important to me. As I was preparing for this occasion, I looked for the words that would expressthe very special feeling I [&hellip;]","og_url":"https:\/\/janfigel.com\/sk\/2005\/11\/11\/holding-the-future-in-your-hands\/","og_site_name":"J\u00e1n Fige\u013e","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/p\/Jn-Fige-prv-slovensk-eurokomisr-100064782245760\/","article_published_time":"2005-11-11T17:10:00+00:00","article_modified_time":"2026-06-11T16:41:23+00:00","og_image":[{"width":2560,"height":1435,"url":"https:\/\/janfigel.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/tylijura-synthetic-8597464-scaled.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Marek Ol\u0161ansk\u00fd","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@janfigel","twitter_site":"@janfigel","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Marek Ol\u0161ansk\u00fd","Est. reading time":"10 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/janfigel.com\/2005\/11\/11\/holding-the-future-in-your-hands\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/janfigel.com\/2005\/11\/11\/holding-the-future-in-your-hands\/"},"author":{"name":"Marek Ol\u0161ansk\u00fd","@id":"https:\/\/janfigel.com\/sk\/#\/schema\/person\/075ccc066a23cc773101490caf54b374"},"headline":"Holding the future in your hands","datePublished":"2005-11-11T17:10:00+00:00","dateModified":"2026-06-11T16:41:23+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/janfigel.com\/2005\/11\/11\/holding-the-future-in-your-hands\/"},"wordCount":1815,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/janfigel.com\/sk\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/janfigel.com\/2005\/11\/11\/holding-the-future-in-your-hands\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/janfigel.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/tylijura-synthetic-8597464-scaled.jpg","keywords":["future"],"articleSection":["English"],"inLanguage":"sk"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/janfigel.com\/2005\/11\/11\/holding-the-future-in-your-hands\/","url":"https:\/\/janfigel.com\/2005\/11\/11\/holding-the-future-in-your-hands\/","name":"Holding the future in your hands - J\u00e1n Fige\u013e","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/janfigel.com\/sk\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/janfigel.com\/2005\/11\/11\/holding-the-future-in-your-hands\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/janfigel.com\/2005\/11\/11\/holding-the-future-in-your-hands\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/janfigel.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/tylijura-synthetic-8597464-scaled.jpg","datePublished":"2005-11-11T17:10:00+00:00","dateModified":"2026-06-11T16:41:23+00:00","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/janfigel.com\/2005\/11\/11\/holding-the-future-in-your-hands\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"sk","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/janfigel.com\/2005\/11\/11\/holding-the-future-in-your-hands\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"sk","@id":"https:\/\/janfigel.com\/2005\/11\/11\/holding-the-future-in-your-hands\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/janfigel.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/tylijura-synthetic-8597464-scaled.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/janfigel.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/tylijura-synthetic-8597464-scaled.jpg","width":2560,"height":1435},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/janfigel.com\/2005\/11\/11\/holding-the-future-in-your-hands\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/janfigel.com\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Holding the future in your hands"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/janfigel.com\/sk\/#website","url":"https:\/\/janfigel.com\/sk\/","name":"J\u00e1n Fige\u013e","description":"","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/janfigel.com\/sk\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/janfigel.com\/sk\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"sk"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/janfigel.com\/sk\/#organization","name":"J\u00e1n Fige\u013e","url":"https:\/\/janfigel.com\/sk\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"sk","@id":"https:\/\/janfigel.com\/sk\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/janfigel.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/JF_Navy-Blue-1.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/janfigel.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/JF_Navy-Blue-1.png","width":2451,"height":2451,"caption":"J\u00e1n Fige\u013e"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/janfigel.com\/sk\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/p\/Jn-Fige-prv-slovensk-eurokomisr-100064782245760\/","https:\/\/x.com\/janfigel","https:\/\/sk.linkedin.com\/in\/jn-fige-110354126","https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/figeljan\/","https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/@janfigel_eu"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/janfigel.com\/sk\/#\/schema\/person\/075ccc066a23cc773101490caf54b374","name":"Marek Ol\u0161ansk\u00fd","url":"https:\/\/janfigel.com\/sk\/author\/marek-olsansky\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/janfigel.com\/sk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18529","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/janfigel.com\/sk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/janfigel.com\/sk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/janfigel.com\/sk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/janfigel.com\/sk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=18529"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/janfigel.com\/sk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18529\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":18531,"href":"https:\/\/janfigel.com\/sk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18529\/revisions\/18531"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/janfigel.com\/sk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/18530"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/janfigel.com\/sk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=18529"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/janfigel.com\/sk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=18529"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/janfigel.com\/sk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=18529"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}