UK unis are partnering with Ukrainian universities, but what does it actually mean?

Universities around the country have announced a partnership with universities in Ukraine.

Many of the same universities made efforts to support Ukrainian citizens and students amidst Russia’s invasion of the country in February 2022. This support from UK universities included cutting all formal links with Russia, plans to take on Ukrainian student refugees and some universities even planning to repurpose unused buildings to house refugees.

The latest in support shown from universities has UK institutions partnering up with Ukrainian universities, but what does this actually mean? The partnership scheme was launched collaboratively by Universities UK International (UUKi) and Cormack Consultancy Group (CCG) with the government giving £190,000 of financial assistance to support the scheme.

Universities that take part in the scheme will be partnered, or “twinned”, with their Ukrainian counterparts for a minimum of five years.

As of 28th June, 71 UK universities were taking part in the scheme and had been partnered with Ukrainian institutions, with another eight agreements in the process of being finalised. 17 of the 24 Russell Group universities are taking part in the scheme, including Cambridge, Durham, Edinburgh, Nottingham and, Queen Mary’s.

The partnered universities will share resources

A partnership between a UK university and a Ukrainian university means they will share resources and provide practical assistance. This includes helping to physically rebuild campuses of Ukrainian universities that have been damaged and destroyed.

Mutually recognising credits so that English-speaking Ukrainian students can take online courses from UK universities that count towards their final degree. UK institutions will also host summer schools to allow Ukrainian students to “catch up” on the learning they missed due to the conflict.

The partnership will also allow Ukrainian teaching and research to continue in UK laboratories and classrooms where their own facilities were destroyed or damaged, whilst facilitating the sharing of academic resources such as libraries and technical equipment.

It will also aim to preserve Ukrainian archives in UK institutions; facilitating more cultural and language exchange opportunities. Importantly, the scheme allows involves the sharing of mental health support – particularly for Ukrainian staff and students suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) due to conflict. 

Here’s all the Russell Group unis that have formed partnerships with Ukrainian universities:

Cardiff University – National University Zaporizhzhya Polytechnic

Durham University – Zaporizhzhia National University

Newcastle University – National University of Water and Environmental Engineering (NUWEE)

Queen Mary University of London – Odessa National Medical University

Queen’s University Belfast – Borys Grinchenko Kyiv University

University of Birmingham – Ivan Franko National University of Lviv

University of Bristol – National Aerospace University ‘Kharkiv Aviation Institute’

University of Cambridge – Kharkiv National Medical University

University of Cardiff – Zaporizhia State Medical University

University of Edinburgh – Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv

University of Glasgow – National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy

University of Glasgow (Medical School) – Danylo Halytsky Lviv National Medical University

University of Leeds – Kyiv National Economic University

University of Leeds Medical School – Bukovinian State Medical University

University of Liverpool – Sumy State University

University of Manchester – Ivan Horbachevsky Ternopil National Medical University

University of Nottingham – Ukrainian Catholic University

University of Sheffield – National Technical University of Ukraine ‘Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute’

University of Warwick – Kharkiv National University of Radio Electronics

University of York – V.N. Karazin Kharkiv National University

Related articles recommended by this author:

• These Ukrainian students are struggling to flee the war and secure safe passage to the UK

• The UK universities supporting Ukrainian students and academics caught up in the war

• Here’s everything going on with Russia and Ukraine explained as simply as we can

Featured image via Unsplash.