Kyiv School of Economics has launched long-term strategic partnerships with two UK universities. During a visit to the United Kingdom, KSE Rector Tymofii Brik and Vice Rector for International Cooperation Kostiantyn Kyrychenko signed a five-year memorandum with King’s College London, one of the world’s leading universities. They also launched a partnership under the UK-Ukraine Twinning Initiative and began cooperation with Bath Spa University, the UK’s most dynamic university.
A Historic Event
KSE has become a long-term partner of King’s College London, which ranks among the world’s top 40 universities, in areas that are key to Ukraine’s future. The partnership will cover politics and economics, security, engineering and war studies. The agreement is part of KSE’s strategy to strengthen its representation and expand its presence in the UK.
What makes King’s College London unique?
King’s College London is one of the oldest universities in England. It currently ranks 37th in the world and 6th in the UK, placing it in the top 2.5% of universities worldwide in the QS World University Rankings 2027. In 26 subject areas, King’s is among the world’s top 50 universities in the QS rankings. It ranks 38th globally in the Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2026, and 95% of its graduates find employment within a year of graduating.
Partnership with King’s College London
This year, under the long-term agreement between KSE and King’s College London, student exchanges and joint projects under the EU’s Horizon Europe and Erasmus+ programmes will begin. Internship programmes, cooperation with industry partners and the opportunity to earn double degrees will follow.
UK-Ukraine Twinning Initiative
KSE has also launched a partnership under the UK’s UK-Ukraine Twinning Initiative. The programme pairs British and Ukrainian universities in long-term partnerships to strengthen Ukrainian higher education during the war and reconstruction. The initiative was launched in 2022 by Cormack Consultancy Group and Universities UK International, with the support of the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) and Ukraine’s Ministry of Education and Science. Today it brings together more than 100 university pairs, and about £70 million has been raised for the development of Ukrainian universities.
Partnership with Bath Spa University
During the trip to the UK, Tymofii Brik and Kostiantyn Kyrychenko signed an agreement with another remarkable institution, Bath Spa University. For KSE Vice Rector Kostiantyn Kyrychenko, this partnership is a special one: he is an Honorary Doctor of Education at Bath Spa University.
Cooperation between KSE and Bath Spa University covers five areas:
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cybersecurity
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business
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inclusion
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student exchange
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research capacity development and joint projects
What makes the university unique?
In 2026, the Guardian University Guide named it the most dynamic university in the country. In the Complete University Guide 2026, the university achieved its best result in eight years. In 2025, it received an Outstanding rating from Ofsted, the UK’s education inspectorate, for its Adult Skills Bootcamp and Inclusive Communities programmes.
Bath Spa University focuses on developing creative industries, innovation, new teaching methods and artificial intelligence. It is the only university in the UK to have received Adobe Creative Campus Innovator status, and in January 2026 it hosted the first Adobe Innovation Summit in Europe. At the heart of the university is The Studio at Palace Yard Mews, an innovation hub where students work with creative and technology businesses.
The university founded and coordinates the Global Academy of Liberal Arts (GALA), a network that brings together universities from different continents for joint programmes, comparative research, student exchanges and joint student projects. It is the first partnership community of its kind in the world.
Launching partnerships with both universities is important for KSE’s presence in the UK. Cooperation with King’s College London brings world-class academic weight to studies in economics, security and engineering, while the partnership with Bath Spa University adds dynamism to programmes in creative industries, innovation and inclusion, expands KSE’s presence in London and opens the opportunity to join the global GALA network. Together, these partnerships open up new opportunities for KSE students and faculty in education, research and careers in the UK.
