Since the beginning of the war, Ukrainian universities have faced extraordinary disruption. More than 120 institutions have been damaged, over 40 relocated, and thousands of students and academics displaced. Yet despite missile attacks, blackouts and infrastructure challenges, universities have remained open and adaptive, continuing to educate and innovate.
From the earliest weeks of the invasion and continuing to date, the Twinning Initiative – founded and coordinated by Cormack Consultancy Group (CCG), a member of the International Coalition for Science, Research and Innovation in Ukraine – has mobilised to support this resilience. Working with Universities UK International, Ukrainian government partners and the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, it matches UK and Ukrainian universities based on shared needs and academic interests. The programme is guided by a clear principle: sustained investment in higher education during wartime is critical to training the professionals required for Ukraine’s long-term recovery and reconstruction.
Delivering impact at scale
The results have been substantial. So far, more than 105 institutional partnerships have been established, generating over GBP 70 million in financial and in-kind support and enabling more than 800 collaborative projects. Around 4,500 students and 2,500 academic staff from Ukraine have participated in activities ranging from joint research and teaching to curriculum development and professional training. These partnerships are increasingly shifting from emergency support to sustained, strategic collaboration.
A key achievement has been the creation of ten dual-degree master’s programmes, currently enrolling about 500 students. These programmes enable Ukrainian students to continue their studies in forward-looking fields ranging from sustainable agriculture and renewable energy to smart cities.
Practical support has also been vital. Universities have received generators and equipment to maintain operations during power outages. Meanwhile, the English4Ukraine platform has reached over 100,000 users, expanding access to language learning. Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) programmes are helping integrate global virtual cooperation into teaching, while capacity-building initiatives continue to support researchers and staff.
Strengthening global research integration
Alongside the Twinning initiative, CCG is advancing Ukraine’s integration into European research frameworks through the UK-Ukraine Horizon Europe Support Initiative. By facilitating matchmaking, co-design workshops, and proposal development, the programme has already generated over 400 project ideas and enabled more than 200 new research partnerships.
Complementing this effort, the Seed Fund for Research Excellence supports small-scale, high-impact projects led by Ukrainian universities in collaboration with international partners. The initiative has attracted participation from leading global universities, underscoring strong international interest in research cooperation with Ukrainian institutions.