Collaborating with Ukraine: Key Initiatives 2024–25

Warwick stands with Ukraine, during the current war and in the post-war reconstruction period to which we all look forward. This page highlights key initiatives and achievements from Warwick’s Ukraine-focused work throughout the 2024-25 academic year.

Celebrating our growing partnership with NURE

Since 2022, our Twinning partnership with Kharkiv National University of Radio Electronics (NURE) has continued to flourish.

In 2025, NURE marked its 95th anniversary, and we were proud to join the celebrations by sharing a special video message from our Vice-Chancellor, Professor Stuart Croft.

At the same time, we renewed our Memorandum of Understanding with NURE, formally re-stating our commitment to this important relationship.

MSc in Computer Science

In 2024, with support from Mosaik Education, Warwick’s Department of Computer Science launched a remote MSc by Research, now enrolling 13 students from NURE. Below, they share their experiences and the benefits of taking part in this initiative.

Mariia Cherhynska

"My NURE supervisors, Anastasiya Chupryna and Kyrylo Smelyakov, were extremely supportive throughout the application process, carefully reviewing my proposed research topic and offering constructive suggestions for improvement.

The programme coordinator from Warwick – Victor Sanchez – reviewed my topic, provided guidance, and helped align my proposal with the programme goals."

Mariia Cherhynska

Liubov Bukharova

"Since applying for this programme, each meeting has reinforced my confidence in this choice as I progress with my project.

The programme constantly challenges my thinking in a way that accelerates and supports the development of a clear path towards accomplishing the desired system.

With the guidance of Prof. Victor Sanchez, I am confident in my ability to complete the project and am sincerely grateful for this opportunity."

Liubov Bukharova

Oleksandr Didus

"Participating in this programme has been a transformative academic and personal journey. The combination of Warwick’s rigorous research culture with NURE’s applied strengths enabled me to deepen my expertise in data-driven software engineering while tackling real-world challenges.

Close collaboration with international supervisors and peers sharpened my technical skills, fostered intercultural competence, and expanded my professional network.

This partnership has amplified the impact of my research, opened new career pathways across Europe, and strengthened my resolve to contribute to Ukraine’s tech-innovation ecosystem."

Oleksandr Didus

Sofiia Zharkikh

"I really enjoy studying at the University of Warwick. The atmosphere is very inspiring, and I feel motivated to learn every day.

The professors are amazing, they’re not only knowledgeable, but also very supportive and approachable. They always take the time to explain things clearly and make the subjects truly engaging."

Sofiia Zharkikh

Valentyn Lurchenko

"I am truly glad to be part of the double degree programme with the University of Warwick. Studying in the field of Artificial Intelligence and Computer Vision has been both inspiring and productive.

This experience allows me to deepen my knowledge, apply it in real-world projects, and grow as a future specialist in AI."

Valentyn Lurchenko

Mykhailo Kutnii

"Participating in the Warwick–NURE MSc by Research in Computer Science has been an outstanding academic experience.

One of the highlights of the program was working with my supervisor, whose guidance, professionalism, and support greatly inspired me.

His thoughtful feedback and deep expertise helped me shape my research and develop a clearer understanding of the field. I truly appreciated his approachable and encouraging attitude, which made the research process both productive and motivating."

Mykhailo Kutnii

Welcoming Ukrainian students to the Warwick Summer School

Warwick’s International Strategy and Relations team is proud to have supported NURE students in attending the Warwick Summer School since 2023.

We are delighted to share thoughts from students who attended the school:

Kateryna Sydorenko

‘Exploring British Culture Week was a truly wonderful time. I made new friends, learned how to communicate in a multicultural environment, and laid the foundation for the next three weeks of the Summer School. During the Summer School, I improved my ability to ask meaningful questions and actively participate in lessons, thanks to the question-driven learning approach. The lecturers’ enthusiasm and passion for the subject matter made a lasting impression. I believe the skills and knowledge I gained will be extremely valuable for my future career.’

Maksym Myronov

‘I had wanted to see the UK for a long time, so it was really exciting for me to go through three weeks of this course, during which I got to know lots of interesting people. Participating in all the trips also was also a great experience for me as I got to learn and see something new about the UK. I am really happy that I was a part of this summer school as I enjoyed every moment of it!’

Sofiia Kazantseva

‘The Warwick Summer School was an incredibly enriching experience for me, both academically and personally. What I enjoyed most was the high quality of the lectures and the interactive learning environment. Beyond the academic aspect, I greatly valued the cultural exchange. Meeting and collaborating with students from all over the world broadened my perspective and created lasting connections. The excursions, especially to iconic places like Oxford and London, were not only educational but also gave me a deeper appreciation of the UK’s rich history and culture.’

Elina Cherkasova

‘I really enjoyed the Data Science and Machine Learning course, found the curriculum engaging, and learned a lot. The collaborative environment allowed me to interact with international students and share experiences, which was one of the most interesting parts. I highly recommend this program to anyone looking to participate in summer school and expand their knowledge. It was a valuable experience, and I am very grateful for it.’

Three years of Collaboration: Ukrainian Catholic University Summer School at Warwick

In 2025, for the third consecutive year, 20 students from Ukrainian Catholic University in Lviv joined Warwick for a two-week summer school. Led by Christoph Mick from the Department of History, the programme was supported by funding from the Institute of Advanced Study and delivered in close collaboration with colleagues across the Faculty of Arts. Warwick’s International Strategy & Relations team also provided support and sponsored a trip to London, enriching the students’ experience.

Discover what students had to say about attending the school:

Kateryna Zhabchyk

‘Such experiences are worth living through at least once in your lifetime, this is how I can briefly describe the summer school. It was informative, interesting, useful, inspiring... it was worth all the effort to get there. I remember every day, probably down to the smallest detail. I have never lived such a rich and interesting life in just two weeks. I am so grateful for the interesting lectures, new acquaintances, experience, interaction, and most importantly, for a renewed battery and a charge of internal motivation with which I returned to Ukraine. I am extremely grateful to everyone who created such a great opportunity for our students.’

Khrystyna Rymska

‘While I did not arrive with specific expectations, I believe that, had I had any, the Summer School would have met them entirely and even surpassed them all. I gained invaluable experience, insights, and inspiration to carry with me for a long time. The lecturers and staff at the University of Warwick are wonderful, and I really enjoyed the lectures and trips that were organised for us. If I were asked what I valued the most from this school, I would say conversations because thanks to them I realised many things I will continue reflecting about. I am very grateful that I had such an opportunity, and I believe it was unique and definitely left an imprint on my life.’

Viktoriia Lohvynchuk

‘First of all, I would like to thank all the organisers, teachers, and everyone involved in the school. For all of us, it was an exceptional experience. We broadened our horizons, discovered, and saw many new things. These two weeks were a great opportunity to gain new knowledge and get to know the United Kingdom from the inside. What I especially remember are our trips to the small and charming towns near Coventry, where the University of Warwick is located. It was a wonderful chance to immerse ourselves in British culture and enjoy its beautiful architecture. From the academic part of the school, the most interesting lectures for me, as a student of a history program, were “Fallen Statues”, “War and Recognition”, and “Cult of the Unknown Soldier”, where we learned more about topics that are very relevant nowadays for our country. In addition, a major advantage of this educational experience was the variety of topics discussed during the sessions, which allowed us to explore different fields and gain some practical skills, for example, through creative writing. The summer school at Warwick was an exciting and incredibly valuable experience for all of us.’

Sofiia Sushytska

'The purpose of our visit was to immerse us in British culture, history, and education at the University of Warwick through lectures, workshops, field trips, and more. The goal was to provide us with knowledge and experiences we could carry back home. And without a doubt, though our suitcases were packed with souvenirs, we made sure there was plenty of room for the many insights we gained along the way. Yet I believe true education is not just about teachers imparting and students absorbing. I felt that this School, and everyone who took part in it, also gave us space to contribute: ears ready to hear our stories, eyes open to what we had to share, and hearts willing to feel our experiences. In the end, I believe we had a genuinely meaningful exchange, one in which we not only listened, but were deeply heard.’

Leadership for Educational Transformation

Bo Kelestyn and Gwen van der Velden direct the Leadership for Educational Transformation programme in partnership with the Ukrainian Leadership Academy (ULA). Forty educators from Ukraine attended the programme in 2023-24, and described it as a ‘beacon of investment in Ukraine’s future’.

In 2023, an MoU was signed between Warwick, the ULA, and Ukraine’s Ministry of Education and Science. More recently an MoU with the Ukrainian Catholic University has been signed, and Warwick is co-delivering a full Master's on Education Reconstruction, with 20 full Master's places and 20 postgraduate route places in 2025/26 and 2026/27.

In 2025, a new version of the programme hosted 15 Ukrainian veterans: see the articles published by Warwick Business School and the department of Politics & International Studies.

For further reflections from the organisers on the impact and significance of this programme, see the following articles published in 2024/25: Reflections on supporting Educational Development in Ukraine, UK universities can go further to support the resilience of Ukrainian higher education, and The UK-Ukraine 100 year partnership and its commitment to educational leadership.

Ukrainian Studies and Ukrainian Culture

On 13 November 2025, Christoph Mick (Professor in History, Warwick) and Lewis Beer (International Partnerships Officer, Warwick) attended a Twinning conference at Birkbeck University, to celebrate the first ever Ukrainian Culture Week in the UK.

'I was delighted to attend the UK–Ukraine Twinning Conference hosted by Birkbeck University,' said Christoph. 'It was inspiring to see academics from both countries connect, share ideas, and build lasting collaborations. I especially enjoyed my roundtable discussion with Markian Prokopovych (Durham), Sarah Marks (Birkbeck), and Mychailo Wynnyckyj (Kyiv-Mohyla Academy) on how to conceptualise Ukrainian history. The event coincided with the first Ukrainian Culture Week in the UK and marked the launch of an exciting initiative: the Global Coalition for Ukrainian Studies under the patronage of First Lady Olena Zelenska. In the presence of Ukraine’s Foreign Minister, several British universities signed memoranda of cooperation—a powerful symbol of solidarity and academic partnership between the UK and Ukraine.'

The day before, Christoph, Lewis, and Bo Kelestyn (Associate Professor, WBS) met with Warwick's Ukrainian Society, to hear about their plans for the coming academic year and to discuss with them how they would like to see Ukrainian culture represented on campus. We are excited to forge these connections between staff and students at Warwick, and to develop our collaborations with Ukrainian universities in a co-creative way.

Driving Ukraine’s Recovery: Research on Diaspora and Refugee Engagement

Prof. Maria Koinova (Professor in Politics and International Studies, Warwick) recently published the results of a collaborative training project, "Engaging the Global Ukrainian Community for Ukraine's Recovery: Democracy and Human Rights Dimensions" in both English and Ukrainianlanguages. An online event disseminating findings from this project will take place on 25 November 2025: register here.

At the Ukrainian Recovery Conference in Rome, Maria gave a keynote speech at the first-ever Diaspora Lab, organized by the International Organization for Migration. Maria is a member of the Diaspora Lab’s taskforce developing a new diaspora alliance in support of Ukraine. She has also been awarded a Research England Policy Support Fund grant to study the role of socially responsible entrepreneurship among diasporas and refugees, and how they contribute to local and regional authorities in Ukraine.

Warwick Ukraine-Belarus Hub: Advancing knowledge and dialogue

The Warwick Ukraine-Belarus Hub (WUB-HUB) was established by the Institute of Global Sustainable Development to raise awareness, offer policy advice, and advance knowledge of contemporary issues and challenges facing Belarusians and Ukrainians, including as they relate to the Russian invasion of Ukraine and its resolution.

In June 2025, the WUB-HUB held its second annual conference, Ukraine, Belarus and the Complex Geopolitics of Europe, at the Royal United Services Institute, Whitehall London. It was supported by Research England, with a contribution from the UCL European Institute and the Universities Policy Engagement Network (UPEN). It brought together political figures, scholars, policymakers, and representatives of civil society to discuss strategies for navigating the complex geopolitics of our times. To learn more, you can read the conference report, and follow the news page of the WUB-HUB.

Online Accounting Simulation with Ukrainian Students

On 19 November 2025, 22 students from West Ukrainian National University took part in the virtual Accounting Bissim+ simulation, run by Darren Sparkes (Warwick Business School) and Matt Davies (Aston Business School), and facilitated from WUNU by Nataliia Pochynok. The four-hour session supported students in developing their accounting and finance knowledge and skills in a business context, alongside exercises on sustainability in business and commercial awareness. Despite missile attacks from Russia the night before, nearly all the registered students attended the event.

‘Everything was perfect!’ said one participant. ‘I loved how engaging the materials were, and the facilitators were both so friendly and helpful. I have gained valuable experience and am so excited to keep up the good work.’ ‘I really enjoyed everything about this project,’ said another. ‘The instructions were clear, the tasks were engaging, and the process made it easy to understand the purpose and impact of each decision.’

The Accounting Bissim+ simulation has previously been run in collaboration with Kyiv National University of Economics and Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv. To propose a new iteration of the event, please contact Darren Sparkes at .