The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between our two universities was signed over Zoom on 21 June by Vice-Chancellor, Professor Charlie Jeffery, and Professor Tetyana Kaganovska, President of KKNU.
Professor Jeffery said: "It has been extraordinary to build a programme of collaboration with a University which has been under bombardment for months... it was both exciting and humbling to sign a Memorandum of Understanding that will shape our collaboration through and beyond the war.”
Professor Kaganovska said the MoU "will support the capacity-building for the restoration of the education process, creation of new methodological principles and practices as well as the agenda for sustainable development of our partnership despite the war. I am looking forward to the new actions that will be developed as a result of this mutual cooperation."
Professor Tetyana Kaganovska, President of KKNU, holds a copy of the Memorandum of Understanding.
Colleagues from KKNU and York are now collaborating on research projects, and both universities are exploring further routes of supporting ongoing activity.
As part of our twinning with the Karazin Kharkiv National University (KKNU), the University of York offers Spring and Summer School programmes for staff and students from KKNU. Participants have the chance to nurture their academic skills while having some much-needed respite. Some programmes are delivered in partnership with University of York Europe Campus with funding from the University of York. Others are delivered online or in-person by departments at the University of York.
York and KKNU are co-ordinating efforts to connect staff in relevant departments to allow students to access York's online repository of teaching materials.
SCONUL (which represents all university libraries in the UK and Ireland) is working with colleagues across the library community, including the Archives and Records Association, The British Library, CILIP, Jisc and RLUK, on support for Ukrainian academics, researchers, students and staff - both those still in Ukraine and those who are displaced.
Publishers involved in the Research4Life initiative (which provides institutions in low-and middle-income countries with online access to academic content) have agreed to make materials available with no charge direct to universities and other institutions in Ukraine.
York is currently working with the Council of At Risk Academics (CARA) to help facilitate KKNU staff applying for fellowships.
The University of York is proud to participate in the UK academic mentoring scheme, led by Science for Ukraine-UK volunteers. This initiative aims to support Ukrainian colleagues in navigating UK academia. If you are interested in contributing to the professional development of Ukrainian scholars, we encourage you to sign up as a mentor.
Strong connections have been made between several academic departments, and they now regularly meet to coordinate sustainable research and teaching initiatives that will last beyond the current situation.
A group of staff members at the Department of Language and Linguistic Science hosted an online module for teachers of English for Special Purposes at KKNU. The aim of the course was to train and support the teachers at KKNU with the preparation of a new module on English pronunciation for first year undergraduate students.
The University of York Students' Union and their counterparts at KKNU have established a strong supportive relationship and are seeking to explore further opportunities with each other. You can read more about how they began working together in the WONKHE article: Sharing student stories from Ukraine.
At the July 2022 graduation ceremonies, we awarded Vitalina Shevchenko 'Master of the University'. As a student rector at Karazin Kharkiv National University, despite being forced to flee the city like many of her peers, Vitalina was determined that students should not miss out on their education and set about creating a series of virtual networks so that students could stay connected. We were proud to recognise her achievement: read more and view the presentation.
'Giving hope': UK universities twin with struggling Ukraine counterparts (Guardian) - with comment from Saul Tendler.
Sharing student stories from Ukraine (WONKHE) - report of the University of York Students' Union's meeting with their counterparts in Kharkiv.
Ukrainian student leader honoured at York graduation ceremony
For further information, speak to your departmental contact, or email Kyle Blain (kyle.blain@york.ac.uk)