University of Warwick welcomes Ukrainian education leaders to programme supporting the reconstruction of education in Ukraine
Last week, 40 Ukrainian education leaders arrived at the University of Warwick to explore how education can help their country recover and rebuild from the devastating impact of war.
The Leadership for Educational Transformation programme brings together people working across Ukraine’s education system – from government and educational organisations to schools supporting children in some of the areas most affected by the conflict, and those working with veterans returning from the frontline.
The first residential module of the 2026/27 programme began at the University of Warwick on Monday 14 September, bringing participants together with Warwick academics, education experts and Rugby MP John Slinger.
Dr Bo Kelestyn, Associate Professor at Warwick Business School and co-founder of the programme, said: “As a Ukrainian academic at Warwick, co-founding this programme with Ivanna Kyrtuk and the Ukrainian Leadership Academy and seeing it create ripples across the community has been so rewarding to me.
“New projects, connections and ideas have grown out of this vision for educational leadership knowledge exchange. I’m grateful to the many colleagues and friends of the programme whose time and contribution make it so successful and impactful.”Professor Gwen van der Velden, Professor of Education, School of Education, Learning and Communication Sciences (SELCS), who leads the programme, added: “Education has an enormous role to play in rebuilding a country. It can help children and families recover from trauma, support people whose lives have been transformed by conflict, prepare new generations and give people the opportunity to shape the future of their country.
“Our role at Warwick is to share what we know, but also to learn from the remarkable people who have joined this programme. They are already making a difference within Ukraine’s education system, and we hope the knowledge, ideas and connections they gain here will help them lead change long after this programme has ended.”
Iryna Ozymok, Local Economic Development Director at Ukraine-Moldova American Enterprise Fund and a participant in the programme, spoke at the launch of the Master’s programme. She said: “When we talk about reconstruction, it is very important for us to focus on human capital. And human capital depends to a great extent on the quality of education. In turn, this will contribute to the economic growth of cities, communities, and regions, and ultimately of Ukraine as a whole.”
The programme was created by the University of Warwick in 2023 in collaboration with the Ukrainian Leadership Academy, Ukraine’s Ministry of Education and Science and Ministry of Digital Transformation. It has since developed, in partnership with the Ukrainian Catholic University, into the Masters in Education Reconstruction for Ukraine.
Thanks to a generous philanthropic funder, 40 Masters places have been made available for Ukrainian educational leaders, with a further 40 postgraduate route participants supported through British Council, Warwick and other funding.
More than 650 people from across Ukraine’s education sector have expressed an interest in the programme, with 40 selected for each cohort. More than 30 Warwick staff and 20 external experts in post-conflict reconstruction, alongside local school leaders, have contributed to the programme to date.
The 2026/27 programme gives participants the opportunity to explore how education can respond to the impact of war and contribute to Ukraine’s recovery and reconstruction – from supporting teaching and learning in the classroom, to leading change within institutions and shaping education policy at a national level.
ENDS
Notes to Editors
For more information please contact:
Stevie Connoll, Media & Communications Officer
stevie.connoll@warwick.ac.uk / +44 (0)7824 540791
About the University of Warwick
Founded in 1965, the University of Warwick is a world-leading institution known for its commitment to era-defining innovation across research and education. A connected ecosystem of staff, students and alumni, the University fosters transformative learning, interdisciplinary collaboration and bold industry partnerships across state-of-the-art facilities in the UK and global satellite hubs. Here, spirited thinkers push boundaries, experiment and challenge convention to create a better world.
21 September 2026