On 3 March 2023, the Rector of the King Danylo University of Ivano Frankivsk, Myroslav Lutskyi, following the approval of the Academic Council and the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine, awarded the title of Doctor Honoris Causa to Maurizio Aronica, President of the Foundation for United Nations in Kyiv.

The director of the Italian Cultural Institute in Kyiv, cultural attaché of the Italian Embassy in Ukraine - Edoardo Crisafulli - was present at the ceremony. "It is an honour for me to be present at such a prestigious event which recognizes and rewards a compatriot for his extraordinary commitment to strengthening relations between Ukraine and Italy, not only in the field of humanitarian aid, which is the mission of FFUN Foundation, but also in the cultural one", said the director Crisafulli, who added "it is the first time that I have visited this wonderful university. There will be other visits and meetings in the future. I am sure that we will develop an excellent collaboration."

Supporting Ukrainian culture in this dramatic moment is crucial, underlined Aronica and Crisafulli in front of a large audience of professors and university students. Knowledge, as Dante admirably said, is the bread of angels! It can be said that by extension the culture, in all its manifestations -- music, art, theatre, dance, poetry, philosophy, architecture, etc. - is the heart of a people's identity. And the Ukrainians are our brothers in that spiritual community we call Europe.

The FFUN Foundation and the IIC of Kiev are working on a major exhibition in Kyiv this year. This exhibition focuses on the digitization of Ukrainian architectural heritage damaged by the ongoing war of aggression. There will also be a forum that will see the participation of personalities from the Italian cultural world, who will dialogue with their Ukrainian counterparts. In this context, various restoration, reconstruction or conservation restoration projects of culturally significant sites or buildings will be presented. Italy -- universities, research and companies -- is universally recognized as a leader in this sector. The event was already proposed in a reduced form in December in Lviv city. Remarkable success, despite the difficulties caused by the ongoing war.