Our partnership with Karazin Kharkiv National University

Through the Universities UK programme to match UK and Ukrainian universities, we have agreed a partnership with Karazin Kharkiv National University (KKNU).

KKNU and York have been twinned since April 2022. Over that period we have seen our partnership develop, and now have clear areas of collaborative activity that we are continuing to develop. There is always more we can do, and we look forward to seeing the partnership develop more in the coming years.

Our partnership agreement

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."

Research collaboration

Colleagues from KKNU and York are now collaborating on research projects, and both universities are exploring further routes of supporting ongoing activity.

School programmes for KKNU staff and students

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 CITY College, 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.

Online access to books and teaching materials

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.

Access via Research4Life initiative

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.

Staff fellowships

York is currently working with the Council of At Risk Academics (CARA) to help facilitate KKNU staff applying for fellowships.

Longer-term academic links

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.

Students unions

YUSU 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.