University of Leicester to partner with two universities in Ukraine

University of Leicester is establishing a partnership with two universities in Ukraine, facilitating the sharing of resources and support to their staff and students.

Kremenchuk Mykhailo Otrohradskyi National University and Poltava State Agrarian University have been ‘twinned’ with University of Leicester as part of a scheme launched by Universities UK International.

The partnership between University of Leicester, Kremenchuk Mykhailo Otrohradskyi National University and Poltava State Agrarian University is to last for a minimum of five years.

Leicester joins more than 70 universities in the UK that have partnered with universities in Ukraine.

The move is a collective gesture of solidarity and reciprocity to help Ukrainian institutions, whose day-to-day operations have been disrupted by the conflict.

The partnership aims to provide a wide range of practical assistance through, for example:

• 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

• allowing Ukrainian teaching and research to continue in UK laboratories and classrooms where their own facilities were destroyed or damaged

• facilitating the sharing of academic resources such as libraries and technical equipment

• preserving Ukrainian archives in UK institutions; facilitating more cultural and language exchange opportunities

• sharing mental health support – particularly for Ukrainian staff and students suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) due to conflict

• allowing Ukrainian students to ‘catch up’ on the learning they have missed at summer schools hosted in UK institutions.

Philip Horspool, Director of the Centre for International Training and Education at University of Leicester said: “It is great that we have been able to sign these agreements and to show our solidarity and commitment to helping these universities in the short and longer term. 

“Students from Kremenchuk have already signed up for several online Study Abroad and English language programmes within The Centre for International Training and Education (CITE) and we are also discussing hosting some Kremenchuk studies early in 2023.”

More information about University of Leicester’s Ukraine response can be found here.