How can Universities support Ukraine?
As an educational institution, or as an individual academic, you can join Ukrainian Global University and help rebuild Ukraine through joint research projects, short-term positions for Ukrainian scholars, and scholarships for Ukrainian students. The initiative seeks to connect Ukrainian students and scholars with foreign Universities, under the condition of returning to Ukraine for rebuilding the country after the graduation.
What’s in it for Universities?
Since the war started, I’ve seen many great initiatives in support of Ukrainian students and academics affected by war. Many Universities offer scholarships, housing, research positions and more. Many academics have started individual grassroots initiatives inviting Ukrainian scholars to join their research groups. At the same time, Ukrainian academics affected by war advocate for positions that would allow them to work remotely or return to Ukraine shortly after, instead of relocating permanently.
The recently launched Ukrainian Global University initiative bridges the gap between the the needs of Ukrainian academics and the offers of support by foreign Universities. It also provides administrative support in screening Ukrainian students, verifies their education credentials and English skills, and offers orientation and mentoring to ensure a smooth transition to studying abroad.
When a foreign University signs up, it can choose which types of support to provide — from streamlined admissions / reduced paperwork to access to online courses, full scholarships, and joint programs. There’s an easily customizable memorandum of understanding readily available online. The memorandum outlines the intended scope of collaboration, and can be adjusted and updated as needed.
The selection procedure under this initiative is a competitive one, and involves the English language certification. It therefore ensures that the best applicants are selected.
As the end of the school year looms, many Ukrainian high school graduates would be unable to enroll in Ukrainian Universities in cities like Kharkiv (currently under heavy attack by the Russian army). At the same time, Kharkiv, for example, is a hub for top STEM talent. By extending scholarships to Ukrainians, international Universities would therefore bring in a cohort of highly motivated, high-potential students.
Importantly, Ukrainian Global University emphasizes that students and researchers should return to Ukraine upon completing their placements abroad, and use the newly acquired knowledge to rebuild the country. The enormity of economic and humanitarian damage in Ukraine means that the country needs every bit of human capital and ingenuity to rebuild itself after the war. Kyiv School of Economics, one of the co-founders and administrators of the Ukrainian Global University initiative, has a solid track record of employing graduates from overseas, as well as partnering with Ukrainian firms to do so.
Finally, Ukrainian Global University is an excellent way to join a global network of educational institutions supporting Ukrainian intellectual leadership in the face of the crisis. Involving Ukrainian academics in joint research projects builds the long-term capacity to support Ukraine. For example, Kyiv School of Economics lecture series in support of Ukraine attract world’s top scholars in Sociology, Psychology, Economics, Military Strategy and more. These researchers can join forces with Ukrainian scholars to collaborate on projects in highly topical areas in times of war: studying disinformation, propaganda, cybersecurity, sanctions etc.
How to participate, as a University?
Simply fill out the form here. And you can choose which types of support you are willing to provide — see examples in the memorandum . Note the types of support can be tailored to each participating University. If you have specific questions, shoot me an e-mail here (I am a volunteer for UGU).
How to participate, as an individual academic?
You can sign up as a volunteer here. But you can also share this initiative with your University VCs without being a volunteer. Vice Chancellors should take note!