Ukraine 2025: five things to know after three years of full-scale invasion
As we reached the three-year mark of the full-scale invasion to Ukraine, it is essential to understand the ongoing transformations in the country and opportunities to support its higher education institutions through international collaboration. Supporting Ukraine is vital, as it strengthens European unity, enriches cultural and academic exchange, and fosters regional stability. This blog provides five key insights, highlighting the role of international partnerships, student mobility, research collaborations and European funding in shaping its European educational future and resilience.
1. International partnerships are thriving but continue to require commitment and resources
Since 2022, Ukraine has strengthened its educational ties with numerous countries, joining international networks and establishing partnerships crucial for its educational resilience and development.
Institutions such as the European Union (EU), public and private funding organisations, and various international higher education institutions (HEIs) and networks—including EAIE and EUA—have played a vital role in supporting education in Ukraine. They have contributed through scholarships, exchange programmes, access to digital learning platforms, learning materials, training programmes, expert groups, and research projects and conferences, helping to ensure that quality education remains accessible despite the ongoing challenges.
A stronger collaboration of Ukrainian science and education managers in various international projects, in combination with the establishment of the Professional Network of Higher Education and Research Management in Ukraine (PNRM Ukraine) in June 2022, have facilitated the exchange of knowledge, resources, and expertise with and within Ukraine, enabling to innovate and adapt Ukrainian educational practices during these challenging times.
However, sustaining these educational partnerships requires continuous commitment and resource allocation from all parties involved. Therefore, engaging in ongoing dialogue, reaffirming mutual commitments, and collectively addressing emerging challenges in the educational landscape is essential. In short, proactive and ongoing cooperation remains vital.
2. International student mobility remains challenging but students are learning internationally
Academic mobility remains a strategic priority for Ukrainian HEIs, despite the challenges of the ongoing war and martial law restrictions, such as travel for men aged 18–60. As male students aged 18–22 are currently exempted from the mobilisation, a policy change from April 2024 allows male bachelor’s students from state or communal HEIs to participate in semester-long academic mobility. This change excludes most mobilities from private HEIs (decided on case-by-case basis by the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine), master’s and PhD students, including for short-term programmes such as summer schools, research internships, and specialised training.
To mitigate the impact of these restrictions, Ukrainian HEIs in collaboration with European and international partners have developed alternative solutions such as hybrid learning models, online international collaborations, virtual labs, summer schools, and Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) programmes. These initiatives provide opportunities for a broad range of engagement in global education. At the same time, international mobility opportunities within KA171 Erasmus+ inter-institutional agreements have become a crucial lifeline, which is confirmed by increasing numbers of such agreements. Thus, blended intensive mobility programmes could be a good solution, as digital and hybrid solutions cannot fully replace in-person mobility.
3. Ukraine remains an attractive study destination for international students
Despite the full-scale invasion, Ukraine remains an attractive study destination for international students. Although the total number of international students in Ukraine has decreased from 84.136 to 27,226 as of 01 January 2025, the number of students from some countries is increasing. In particular, the number of Chinese students is now steadily growing. More students than on the eve of the full-scale invasion have arrived since 2022 from such EU countries as Bulgaria, Estonia, the Czech Republic, Croatia, Slovakia, and others.
The war has also become a catalyst for the modernisation of higher education in Ukraine. Ukrainian HEIs have improved distance and blended learning, and established strong ties with international educational associations and HEIs abroad. The Ukrainian State Center for International Education ("Study in Ukraine") and the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine have initiated legislation changes that improve international students' status and are developing new programmes to attract foreign students. A new electronic system for admissions, which will significantly simplify access for foreign applicants to Ukrainian educational institutions, has been developed and is being implemented.
4. Research collaborations are strengthening resilience, supporting reforms and modernisation, ensuring a post-war future
The public research sector in Ukraine employed over 88,600 researchers as of February 2022. Since then, 12% have been forced to relocate, with over 5.500 moving abroad and about 4,900 relocating within Ukraine. To provide temporary employment opportunities for some refugee researchers, the European Research Council (ERC) and several national research councils and institutions appealed to their grantees and members. Furthermore, several European programmes and initiatives such as #ScienceForUkraine were introduced.
In 2024, the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine presented a mid-term Strategic Action Plan by 2027, providing a precise roadmap to address challenges in the education sector caused by the military aggression. In higher education, it prioritises quality, development of science and innovation, digital transformation, support for individuals with special needs and the European Integration of Ukraine. Focusing on an update of higher education standards, individual learning trajectories, network modernisation by consolidating higher education institutions and supporting institutional autonomy, the strategy also highlights internationalisation through increased involvement of Ukrainian participants in international partnerships and EU funded projects as a tool for reforms and modernisation of the HE system in Ukraine.
To support partnerships with Ukraine, a number of joint bilateral research cooperation calls were launched such as Ukrainian-Swiss Joint Research Programme by Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF), German-Ukrainian Research Cooperation for Sustainable Reconstruction and German-Ukrainian Cores of Excellence by German Federal Ministry of Education and Research. Furthermore, to enhance research and innovation in post-war Ukraine and to fund transnational research and innovation (R&I) projects, the Joint Funding and Capacity Building Platform will be established in the near future.
5. European Union funding continues to be a crucially important resource
The EU has stood with Ukraine from the day one of the invasion. In 2023-2024, the European Commission allocated EUR 100M for partnership projects in education, training and youth sectors. It established the Horizon Europe Office in Kyiv in December 2023 to assist with collaborative projects and the integration into the European Research Area. Also, the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) Community Hub in Kyiv was opened in December 2023 to connect regional actors, innovators and bridge gaps between the Ukrainian and European Union’s innovation ecosystems and networks, and boost ideas and businesses emerging from Ukraine.
The EU has adopted special flexibility measures, provided open access to resources and platforms, offered new tailor-made opportunities and cooperation via its programmes such as Horizon Europe, COST, MSC4Ukraine, ERC4Ukraine, EIT, Erasmus+ and others. In particular, during the period 2021-2024, the Erasmus+ Programme funded 47 projects on Capacity Building in Higher Education, 256 Jean Monnet, nine virtual exchanges projects, 13 Erasmus Mundus Joint Master Programme design and implementation projects, 119 cooperation partnerships, 7 Alliances for Innovations with Ukrainian HEI and industry partners, and 8,173 international mobilities for Ukrainians’ HEIs staff and students.
The Erasmus+ Programme opened over 40 calls for cooperation proposals with Ukraine. The Erasmus+ Office Ukraine is available to provide advice and support in finding suitable programmes and/or possibilities for partnership.
As Ukraine continues to navigate current challenges, the international community's support, coupled with strategic partnerships, innovative solutions, and sustained funding, remains essential for the resilience of the higher education sector and shaping a globally connected future for generations to come.