Loughborough University: Loughborough strengthens partnerships with Ukrainian networks and universities
Building on the memoranda of agreement signed with two Ukrainian universities in July, Loughborough has now signed an agreement with the Ukrainian Global University (UGU).
The UGU is a bridge between established western educational institutions and Ukrainian students and researchers so that they can continue their study and ultimately be ready to support the nation’s post-war recovery.
Vladyslava Kravchenko (MSc Sport Management, Politics and International Development and Paralympic swimmer), who is part of the UGU’s UK volunteer team, thanked the University for its response to the Ukrainian crisis adding: “No weapon is more powerful than education. I am convinced that the opportunities offered by Loughborough will have a long-lasting positive impact.”
These agreements are part of a wider initiative, Twin For Hope, run by Universities UK International and supported by the Cormack Consultancy Group. Under our twinning arrangement with the Beketov National University of Urban Economy in Kharkiv, staff and students from the School of Architecture, Building and Civil Engineering have been supporting a summer school project for Ukrainian students and school-leavers aimed at developing the skills and knowledge needed for the post-war reconstruction of their cities. Lectures were given live online by senior academic staff in a programme that includes contributions from Visiting Professors Mark Thurston (CEO of HS2) and Matthew Raybould (Technical Design Services Director for Water and Energy, Stantec). Current and recently graduated students supported their Ukrainian peers by sharing problem-solving skills developed in similar exercises based on their Loughborough experience.
The University will be welcoming a number of Ukrainian academics to our campus in the coming weeks. Three Doctoral Researchers will start their PhDs in October, having received one of Loughborough’s Ukraine scholarships. The School of Aeronautical Automotive, Chemical and Materials Engineering, the School of Design and Creative Arts, and the School of Social Sciences and Humanities all look forward to welcoming these new researchers. Our first Ukraine Academic Fellow will also arrive next week, supported by the Council for At-Risk Academics. She will work in Communication and Media within the School of Social Sciences and Humanities.
Professor Steve Rothberg, who is leading the University’s Ukraine Response Group, said: “I am so proud of colleagues and students for the way they have responded to the Ukraine crisis by building the twinning relationships and welcoming scholars to our campuses.”
Loughborough London Doctoral Researcher, Viktoriia Startseva has also launched the Ukrainian Eurointegration Platform to support displaced Ukrainians in Europe and the UK, focusing on women and youth empowerment.