创业者说：为什么俄乌冲突不影响乌克兰的投资潜力

    几年前，乌克兰经历了一场爆炸式的外包业务繁荣。2011年，乌克兰甚至被欧洲外包卓越奖（European Outsourcing Excellence Awards）评为“年度外包目的地”。然而，随着乌克兰近期的政治动乱和与俄罗斯的冲突，美国的小公司开始逃离乌克兰，对乌克兰的信息技术、图形设计和其他重要工作不再抱有信心。

    这种犹豫可以理解，但却并不是明智的做法。

    我对乌克兰有着天生的偏爱；因为我在乌克兰长大，所以，我非常关心那里的人民。祖国人民有机会找到工作，获得可支配收入，对我非常重要。如果能帮助乌克兰摆脱对俄罗斯的依赖，我愿意做任何事情。因此，我的员工有许多是乌克兰人。

    但经商并不是搞慈善。企业家投资乌克兰，不只是为了支持民主，帮助有需要的人们。他们是在为自己的公司投资成本划算的劳动力和创新思维。

    最近，读者朋友们可能听说了人工智能领域的一个惊人突破：第一个通过图灵测试的计算机程序。这个程序模拟了一个13岁乌克兰男孩的性格，而事实上，程序的开发者之一就是出生在乌克兰的尤金•杰姆琴科。乌克兰有久负盛名的技术院校和技术创新的优良传统，每年可培养出16,000名IT专业人才，杰姆琴科只是其中一员。

    乌克兰的现状有它的独特性。几十年来，乌克兰一直是苏维埃社会主义共和国联盟（USSR）的技术中心。虽然国家经济面临困难，但乌克兰依然拥有雄厚的科技基础和出色的教育制度（是欧洲教育制度最完善的国家之一）。乌克兰有发达的电信通信、法律与税务制度，以及稳定的市场增长率，对全世界的公司来说，乌克兰都是极具吸引力的外包选择。

    Several years ago, Ukraine was enjoying an explosive outsourcing boom. In 2011, they were even named the “Outsourcing Destination of the Year” by the European Outsourcing Excellence Awards. But with the country’s recent political turmoil and conflict with Russia, small businesses in the U.S. have begun to shy away from trusting Ukraine with their information technology, graphic design, and other vital work.

    The hesitation is understandable, but it’s also a mistake.

    I’m a bit biased; as someone who grew up in the Ukraine, I obviously care a great deal about its people. It’s important to me that the people in my home country have opportunities to find employment and a dependable income. I’ll gladly do what I can to help them become less dependent on Russia, which is part of the reason that I count several Ukrainians among my own employees.

    But it’s not just about charity. Entrepreneurs who invest in Ukraine are doing more than just supporting democracy and helping people in need. They’re investing in cost-effective labor and innovative minds for their own business.

    You might have recently heard about a surprising breakthrough in artificial intelligence: the first computer program to ever pass the Turing test. That program simulates the personality of a 13-year-old Ukrainian boy, and in fact, one of its developers was Ukrainian-born Eugene Demchenko. Demchenko is just one of the 16,000 new IT professionals that Ukraine produces every year, thanks to its prestigious technical schools and long history of technological ingenuity.

    Ukraine’s situation is somewhat unique. For decades, the country served as the USSR’s technology hub. Although their economy is currently struggling, a solid tech infrastructure and a fantastic education system (one of the finest in Europe) is still firmly in place. Ukraine’s well-developed telecommunications, legal and tax systems and a stable rate of market growth make it a very attractive outsourcing option for businesses worldwide.