In March 2022, during the first weeks of the brutal Russian invasion, when Ukrainian schools and universities became targets of missile attacks, the Ukrainian Global University initiative was launched.

Ukrainian educational institutions and civil society organizations, with the support of the state, came together to support talented students and scholars and provide them with better educational and research opportunities, despite the ongoing challenges caused by the invasion. Since then, 52 Ukrainian students have been able to start their free education at European and American universities.

On 22 March, the Ukrainian Global University (UGU) held its Annual Conference, where it was announced about the opening of enrollment for students in study programmes of the world’s leading universities in 2023.

«The future of education and science in Ukraine is our responsibility. We do not want to have brain drain in Ukraine. A lot of institutions around the world offered opportunities for students and for faculty to leave Ukrainian institutions. It is good for students and faculty, but it actually damages the institutions and the long term prospects of Ukrainian science and academia. We should think about cooperation between institutions, as we have been doing through the realms of the Ukrainian Global University. That is the model to go forward», –  says Tymofiy Mylovanov, President of the Kyiv School of Economics.

Peter Loewen, Director of the Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy, University of Toronto, agrees that Ukrainian educational institutions and human capital will play a significant role in rebuilding Ukraine. That is why his institution will continue to support Ukrainian Global University in 2023.

«The University of Toronto is privileged to work with UGU and KSE, and we believe that the best cooperation is strengthening the educational institutions in Ukraine – not only through giving a haven for talented people, but building up their own capacity. Rebuilding Ukraine will be the most important democratic development process since WW2, and the global community will engage in that. We view academic institutions as having the paramount role in that process as knowledge centers, and that is why we are supporting that”, he says.

Representatives of the public sector note that young Ukrainians who are currently gaining quality knowledge abroad and plan to return home will have many opportunities to fulfill themselves not only in the process of rebuilding Ukraine, but also in their own career.

«The brain drain hitted Ukraine really hard. Despite the unemployment being high, there is also a huge demand for people right now. For instance, we are reforming a lot of Ukrainian public institutions. This historical moment is unique, and Ukraine will be one the most interesting countries to work at. It provides you with a set of unique competencies that will further escalate your career growth», – emphasizes Daryna Marchak, First Deputy Minister of Social Policy of Ukraine.

«The social elevators are now working much faster than before, and will work that way, since we need a lot of Western-minded people. The added value of the students who had education abroad is that their idea may be absolutely original. They do not have the reservation «this can’t be done» in their minds, and come up with new approaches», – notes Olga Budnyk, Advisor to the President of Ukraine on the Fund of the President of Ukraine for Support of Education, Science and Sports.

Deputy Minister of Economy of Ukraine Oleksii Sobolev states that in order to build the economy, Ukraine needs to grow 7% a year, which means that we need an additional 4 million of Ukrainians living here. 

«With each step that brings Ukraine closer to membership in the European Union, Ukraine will need more and more specialists with a European level of education and a European way of thinking. Modern. Effective. Mentally integrated into Europe. The Ukrainian Global University project is a platform capable of educating and attracting such personnel to economic activity», he says.

The Ukrainian Global University is pleased to announce that from 27 March it will open a new application process for those Ukrainian students and researchers (uglobal.university) who are seeking world’s best educational opportunities to rebuild Ukraine. This year, students have the opportunity to choose the programme and university they want to apply to. Please note that the application deadlines for some programmes are quite short. 

«I believe that Ukraine will become one of the leaders in the decade with a highly developed liberal market economy. And I believe that all students and graduates from Ukrainian Global University can help with this mission. All of them can apply their intercultural experience combined with fundamental knowledge in the public sector as well as the business sphere as future leaders, maybe advisors, analysts. It is vital for Ukraine to create an ecosystem where youth can grow, communicate ideas, and develop their own projects or even companies», – says Andrii Shovkovyi, student of the University of South Carolina, US, who got into education due to UGU.

Ukrainian educational institutions and public institutions have united with the support of the state, and have come together to protect and provide access to the world’s best universities for those seeking to rebuild Ukraine. Ashland University (US), Bard College Berlin (Germany), Bucerius Law School (Germany), City, University of London (UK), ESCP (France), European University Viadrina (Germany), Gettysburg College (US), IE University (Spain), LCC International University (Lithuania), NEOMA Business School (France), Norwich University (US), NYU Prague (US/Czech Republic), Paris School of Economics (France), University of Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne (France), University of South Carolina (US), University of Toronto (Canada) and Varna University of Management (Bulgaria) opened their doors and educational programs to Ukrainian students. We express our deep gratitude for the contribution you are making to Ukraine’s recovery.

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