Three years of UK-Ukraine Twinning

The partnership between Vasyl Stefanyk Precarpathian National University (PNU) and the University of East Anglia (UEA) has enhanced PNU’s entrepreneurial infrastructure.  

Through an extensive programme of start-up competitions, knowledge exchange visits, hackathons and training delivery, PNU and UEA have adapted Western entrepreneurship education models to fit the challenges and opportunities of a country in conflict. In doing so, they have incorporated a focus on resilience, resourcefulness and rebuilding, which are critical for Ukraine's recovery and growth.  

Their achievements were recognised by the National Enterprise Educators Award 2024 with an award in the ‘Enterprise for Good’ category, reflecting their outstanding efforts in driving positive social and economic change through entrepreneurial education.  

Antonina Tomashevska, Head of the Department of Management and Business Administration at PNU, shared the following reflection on her learnings from the Twinning partnership:  

Cardiff University and Zaporizhzhia Polytechnic National University have focused on expanding research and educational opportunities in physical sciences and engineering.  

Beginning with online science sessions for Ukrainian school pupils, the Twinning relationship has evolved to include delegations, English language workshops, and access to advanced research software such as MATLAB.  

Central to their strategy is a bottom-up approach to twinning, where individual academics are paired based on shared research interests and expertise. This helps to ensure the sustainability and longevity of their partnership.

The University of Wolverhampton and Nizhyn Mykola Gogol State University have worked together to develop inclusive education practices, a particularly urgent need in wartime Ukraine.  

Their work has included conferences, research projects and teacher training programmes, leading to the development of an inclusive education module and a free distance learning package. Shared dedication to whole-child development and educational accessibility has led to a forward-looking approach to inclusive education. 

During times of war, collecting and preserving firsthand testimonies is essential to safeguarding cultural memory and educating future generations. Recognising this, the University of St Andrews and the National University of Ostroh Academy have partnered to archive testimonies of Ukrainians forced to flee their homes. Their collaboration also includes hosting two Ukrainian museum directors at St Andrews University and providing Ostroh with a professional book scanner to support digitisation efforts. 

A key factor in their success is the institutions’ shared ethos. Both are small, teaching-focused universities that prioritise student experience and value collaboration over competition with other universities, making them a natural fit for twinning. 

Maksym Karpovets, a residential fellow from the National University of Ostroh Academy, reflected on the impact of the initiative:   

Throughout the conflict, immense destruction has affected not only the lives of Ukrainian families but also critical infrastructure and buildings. A key step in Ukraine’s reconstruction is first understanding the full extent of this damage. This is a daunting task due to the widespread devastation and the significant dangers of conducting on-site building surveys. 

In response, the University of East London and Cherkasy State Technological University have worked together to develop and trial an innovative approach where ordinary people are trained to use drones to survey damaged buildings. These drones capture data to create 3D models, enabling remote damage assessments to be conducted in a scalable and safe manner.  

Their drone-enabled participatory evaluation project has already trained students and volunteers to conduct these assessments. Despite challenges such as power outages and electronic warfare, the initiative is set to expand, playing a vital role in sustainable rebuilding efforts across Ukraine. 

The achievements highlighted in this blog reflect the resilience and dedication of Ukrainian and UK institutions across the Twinning scheme’s 105 partnerships. They also stand as a testament to the power of international collaboration in times of crisis. 

We are deeply grateful to the academics and institutions who have driven this scheme forward, as well as to Cormack Consultancy Group for their coordination of the initiative. We are also proud to have worked alongside key partners in supporting the scheme, including the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine, President’s Fund of Ukraine for Education, Science, and Sports, and Research England, part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI).

In the years to come, we hope that Twinning collaborations continue to grow, ensuring Ukrainian universities emerge stronger and more globally connected than ever before. 

To find out more about the partnerships discussed in this blog, as well as a range of other Twinning projects, visit our Ukraine webpage. 

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