The University of Warwick will launch a new Computer Science programme with the Kharkiv National University of Radio Electronics (NURE) this September. This announcement coincides with the second anniversary of the University of Warwick's official twinning with NURE (29 Mar).

Fifteen students from NURE will enrol on the programme. Having completed the first year of the NURE MSc, students will undertake a one-year MSc-by-research at the University of Warwick, supervised by researchers at both institutions. The tuition fees for the University of Warwick’s part of the programme will be fully covered by the grant. Upon successful completion of their second year, students will be awarded a degree by both universities.

NURE visit, Left to right: Mohan Balasubramanian, Mike Haymes, Victor Sanchez, Maria Novichonok, Tetiana Normatova, Olha Chala, Jeremie Houssineau, Anastasiya Chupryna, Chris Ennew, Kyrylo Smelyakov, Carsten Maple, Lewis Beer, Stephen Soanes, Ievgeniia Kuzminykh, Ishwar Kapoor, Yu Guan.

The journey towards this milestone began on September 21, 2022, when Warwick signed a pivotal agreement with NURE under an international twinning program aimed at supporting Ukrainian universities during the war, as well as laying the groundwork for support in the post-war reconstruction period.

Deputy Pro Vice Chancellor (Europe) and Chair of the University of Warwick’s Ukraine Working Group, Professor George Christou, said: “This is an incredibly positive way to mark two years of collaboration between the University of Warwick and NURE. We must continue to embrace these opportunities for collaboration as part of our commitment to supporting Ukraine and advancing educational cooperation on an international scale”

The collaborative efforts culminated in the REWARD project (28 Nov 2022 – 31 Dec 2023), funded by Research England. The project united leading researchers in AI, additive manufacturing, and other disciplines to produce groundbreaking research and innovation outputs, including the AI triaging of shrapnel wounds.

Following a successful bid to the funding call within the UK-Ukraine Twinning Programme, which awarded £80,000, the dual MSc grant is now under the management of Mosaik Education and Cormack Consultancy Group.



The six visiting NURE researchers, (on the far right - Victor Sanchez and Yu Guan, Computer Science.

Eldar Agayev graduated with a BSC in Computer Science with Business Studies from the University of Warwick in 2023. During his time as a student, he launched the Warwick Ukrainian Society for students and served as President. He said “Widening accessibility for more Ukrainians to subjects like Computer Science will have an immense role to play in the rebuilding of my country.

“As the digital age keeps expanding, computer science skills are vital contributions to almost all industries especially when you consider the need to future-proof the Ukrainian economy.”

The twinning initiative with NURE is part of the University of Warwick's comprehensive response to the conflict, which includes funding visiting positions for academics and offering Sanctuary scholarships to Ukrainian students at the undergraduate and postgraduate levels.

ENDS
Notes to editors
NURE, a modern scientific and educational hub with 7000 students and 30 scientific centres, is best known for its expertise in electrical engineering, electronics, telecommunications, ICT computer technologies and innovation for sustainability.
It is also recognised for its close cooperation with business and industry and for having pioneered the development of distance education in Ukraine.
The Twinning scheme, managed by UUKi and Cormack Consultancy Group, is intended to help UK and Ukrainian universities share resources and assistance in a collective gesture of solidarity and reciprocity to benefit Ukrainian institutions, staff and students.

Additional testimonials:

Professor Victor Sanchez, from Computer Science at the University of Warwick, played a key role in the REWARD research project and is coordinating the new dual MSc programme from the Warwick side. He said: “After the success of the REWARD project, the Department of Computer Science is very excited to continue its collaboration with NURE. Apart from preparing strong MSc graduates, this new programme will allow us to develop joint research projects that have the potential to help Ukraine during and after war.”

Anastasiya Chupryna, Coordinator of the Dual Degree Master Program at NURE, said: “We are thrilled to announce the continuation of our successful collaboration with the University of Warwick. This programme is of paramount importance as it provides Ukrainian master’s students in Computer Science with a unique opportunity to gain an international perspective, access world-class education and receive two master’s diplomas from top-ranking universities in the UK and Ukraine.”

Kyrylo Smelyakov, Scientific Supervisor of collaboration at NURE, said: “With this programme, master’s students can enhance their academic credentials, broaden their career prospects, and contribute to the advancement of computer science both locally and globally. The proposed research topics will align with relevant problems in Ukraine’s IT sector, including mitigating the consequences of war and contributing to the reconstruction of Ukraine.”

Jamie Arrowsmith, Director, UUKi said: “In the two years since the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the work between UK and Ukrainian institutions has been ambitious, collaborative, and transformative. Ambitious, in that we have seen work ranging from constructing bomb shelters to capturing oral histories of the war; collaborative, in that these partnerships are genuinely built on two-way exchange; and transformative in the demonstrative power of what a united sector can do. As we reflect on the twinning scheme two years on, it’s important to appreciate both how far we have come in such a short time, and how much is still to be done.”