As you know, russia is attacking Ukraine every day. The war continues. Many people are suffering, the infrastructure is collapsing and under these conditions it is difficult for Ukrainians to plan anything that we are used to here in Northern Europe, for example. But despite this, Ukrainians continue to work every day: universities are working, students are studying, researchers continue to work on their scientific projects and do not stop at expanding contacts for future collaborations. This in turn means that our support from Lund University to Ukrainian partners continues and we try to help our partners in Ukraine as much as we can.
We will continue to publish the latest updates on the work of the LUA group. This blog is the platform where you can find information about which projects Lund University is already working on together with Ukraine. Do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions regarding academic support.
We wish you new victories and achievements during this year!
The LUA group was very active during June-November 2025. We continue our work with Ukrainian partners as much as we can. Our university network continues to expand and it is a confirmation for us that there are many colleagues within LU who are interested in collaborating with Ukrainian partners and/or discussing internally issues related to all possible types of cooperation with the Ukrainian side.
New cooperation agreements have been signed between some faculties at LU and Ukrainian universities. In addition, colleagues from LU faculties continue to explore opportunities for cooperation with new universities in Ukraine.
For example, in September, the head of the Global Coalition of Ukrainian Studies (Olha Oseredchuk) visited LU. It was a fruitful conversation about how LU and the Global Coalition can cooperate in the future. Internal university discussions are still ongoing about LU’s work in Ukrainian studies and a draft agreement between LU and Global Coalition of Ukrainian Studies is being reviewed.
In October, the Lviv Municipality visited LU, and this visit was hosted by colleagues from the Joint Faculties of Humanities and Theology and the Raoul Wallenberg Institute for Human Rights and Humanitarian Law. In mid-October, the Kharkiv National University of Arts also visited LU. This visit was organised by the Faculty of Fine and Performing Arts and representatives of the LUA network met with these Ukrainian colleagues as well. During the LUA group’s October meeting, there was an opportunity to listen to presentations by two exchange students (Daryna Lynnyk and Yaryna Loik) from Ukraine who updated the LUA network on the challenges that Ukrainian students experience in Ukraine during the war and their reflections on the exchange studies and the opportunity to visit LU.
In early November there was a delegation visit from “Ministry for Communities and Territories Development of Ukraine” to LU. This visit was hosted by LTH colleagues and representatives of the LUA group met Ukrainian delegates. During the LUA group’s November meeting, there was a possibility to promote the staff exchange possibility through presentations of LUA participants (Fredrik Torkildsen, Eleonora Narvselius and Lars Harrysson) who already visited their Ukrainian partners in May or in July. As a result, some new LUA participants expressed interest in visiting Ukrainian partners in the future as well.
The LUA group was quite active during January-May. We continue our work with Ukrainian partners as much as we can. A couple of colleagues (i.e. Fredrik Torkildsen and Lars Harrysson) visited LU’s partner in Ukraine (Zhytomyr Polytechnic State University) and had productive meetings with partners there that can contribute to strengthening the cooperation between LU and ZPSU. In addition, the LUA group had an online meeting on May 14th with the representative from SIDA who explained what this government agency is, how they work with partners in Ukraine and shared their experiences of Swedish-Ukrainian cooperation.
We’re delighted to continue to cooperate with our Ukrainian university partners and help them as much as Lund University can! We will continue to publish latest updates in LUA, in connection to overall Lund University academic support directed to Ukraine. This webpage is also a platform where you can find the valuable information regarding the means of supporting Ukrainian academia in the time of the war. Don’t hesitate to contact us if you have any questions regarding academic support, or wish to join LUA.
We wish you new victories and achievements during this year!
The LUA meeting was held on November 7th. This online meeting was dedicated to the Horizon Europe program in Ukraine and the presentation of the draft of the future delegation visit from LU to Ukrainian university partners. There was a special guest from Ukraine (the Head of the Horizon Europe Office in Ukraine (Igor Taranov) who spoke about “Overview of accomplishments and impact on Ukrainian participation in Horizon Europe”. After this presentation, there was an opportunity to ask the speaker questions. Then, there was a discussion led by Miguel Cornejo Herrera within the LUA group about the draft of the future delegation visit from LU to Ukrainian partners in 2025. It was mostly about how this future university delegation trip to Ukraine is related to the Global Dynamic Engagement approach at LU, how about aims of this visit, funding, insurance, agenda, risks, etc.
Roman Balandiuk is working as an international officer at the Division of External Relations (MMS). He is responsible for the Uni-Wide incoming and outbound student mobility in different regions in the world. In this interview we’ve asked Roman to reply to some questions about his perception of the work of the LUA group and its future.
How was it like for you when the full-scale war had started?
When the full-scale war began, I had already worked at the Division of External Relations for almost a month. This was only the beginning of my adaptation to a new workplace, to a new working culture. The first impressions were just shock and my disbelief that this was actually happening. My family and relatives live in Ukraine. It was quite difficult emotionally to accept that the full-scale war had started.
Why have you decided to join LUA group?
I decided to join the network because I see a great potential in this group and my own role as a participant in it. Yes, LUA does not have the ability to make decisions on the university level, but it has the potential to shape the agenda regarding ways and opportunities to cooperate with Ukraine and help our university partners during a full-scale war.
What motivated you to take on the management of LUA?
As I am working at the Division of External Relations, many issues or requests related to Ukraine go through us. Therefore, when it was offered to be the next coordinator of the LUA group, I willingly agreed.
What would you like to achieve as coordinator of LUA?
I set realistic goals for myself as a group coordinator. Yes, we as Lund University cannot help all Ukrainian education and science. But if cooperation with our current Ukrainian partners continues and only deepens, it will be wonderful.
Where do you see LUA in the future?
I believe that according to its potential, the LUA group can grow into something bigger. It would be cool if a center of academic and scientific relations between Sweden and Ukraine could be created on the basis of this group in the future.
Why is this important to support Ukrainian academia?
I believe in science; I believe in academia. Therefore, supporting the Ukrainian academy is a priority for me. The Ukrainian academy is doing a lot of fascinating things under such difficult conditions as the full-scale war, and they have unique experience and knowledge that can be useful for all of us. We can learn a lot from them.
The LUA meeting was held on September 9th. This time the meeting was dedicated to the Erasmus program and the entire meeting took place online. Svitlana Shytikova who is working as a project coordinator at the National Erasmus+ Office in Ukraine was invited to this meeting. During her presentation, Svitlana Shytikova talked about the projects that her office is actively working on, how they are progressing, what trends they see in Ukrainian education during the war time. After this presentation, there was an opportunity to ask the speaker questions. Then, the LUA group had a discussion of current Lund University news related to the work on academic support to Ukrainian partners. For example, it was discussed about the staff exchange from Ukraine to LU, future visits of LU’s academic staff to Ukrainian partners, exchange of Ukrainian students at LU, LUCE’s capacity building projects, etc.
Denys Kovalenko is a researcher in Lund University and was the coordinator of LUA in 2023-2024. He originates from Kyiv, Ukraine and was invited to come to Lund in 2022 to join neuroscience laboratory at the Medical Faculty. Now, after completion of 2 years research position he’s moving to Linköping to continue his studies. In this interview we’ve asked Denys to share some words about his work as a coordinator of LUA before he leaves Lund completely.
Why did you decide to join this LUA group?
Since I came to Lund in 2022, I had had a vague idea of organizing some kind of supporting activity within Lund University for Ukrainian academia that would help it endure during the current times of hardship. And when an invitation came to join an already existing group, which by the time was a more closed up discussion club about the Russian war in Ukraine, I could not do anything else but join.
What was the best part of your work as a coordinator of this group?
I think the best part of this one-year experience as the coordinator of LUA was seeing how our discussions and long meetings eventually got transformed into real actions that made a difference. I had just taken over the management of LUA before the first-ever summer school for Ukrainian medical students in Sweden took place in the summer 2023, to this day the greatest achievement of LUA. Later, within just one year, we were able to organize couple of online seminars for Ukrainian medical students, invite a famous Ukrainian author for a visit, establish successful cooperation between Ukrainian and Swedish researchers that received SI funding, and more. I’m proud of what we have achieved and looking forward with hope to future activities.
Did you manage to realize everything you wanted as a group leader?
Of course not. While I was managing LUA several projects were discussed, one of most important being the idea of sending equipment that is no longer in use in Lund University to Ukrainian academic partners. However, we were not able to finalize them. My hope is that newly appointed coordinator and the entire group will continue working on them, as well as bring more ideas for potential activities in the future.
Why is it necessary to support Ukrainian academia?
It is essential to continue cooperating with Ukraine. The more we collaborate to understand better consequences of the war and experiences gained in Ukraine, the more we prepared for similar challenges worldwide. Additionally, by supporting Ukraine in the ways we can we invest in that the Russian conflict will not spread. However, one should understand that it all comes with the great cost, that no one will be able to recover from in years to come.
What wishes do you have for the members of the group?
Just the ones I said during my final presentation as the coordinator of LUA in June 2024: I’d like to thank you all for everything that has been done so far, and invite you to continue doing what we can and see where we come with that.
On the 20th of March, the LUA monthly meeting was held. The meeting started with the latest updates from LUA by Denys Kovalenko. It was announced that LUA co-organize a visit of the famous Ukrainian writer, Max Kidruk, to Lund this May, and that LUA representatives would join the T.I.M.E. meeting on promoting academic cooperation with Ukraine in Europe.
Later, during the discussion, the basic course of the Ukrainian language in Lund was mentioned, with the possibilities for expansion if more students show interest. Alongside, the issue of the absence of a designated center for Ukrainian studies in Sweden was raised. We were also happy to have a newly joined member, Dr. Valentyna Savchyn, who shared information with the group about an application for Erasmus+ funding to establish an international Ukrainian language certificate, which is currently in review. With the interest in the Ukrainian language constantly growing worldwide, we hope that this application will be successful and that Mrs. Savchyn, along with other applicants, will bring the accepted Ukrainian language certificate system closer to fruition.
On the 29th of February, the LUA monthly meeting was held. The meeting commenced with a presentation by Mr. Denys Kovalenko regarding the newly established “Strategy for Sweden’s Reconstruction and Reform Cooperation with Ukraine 2023–2027” and the opportunities for collaboration it provides. This was followed by the Swedish Institute’s call for proposals and concluded with a list of supporting activities now available on the LUA webpage under the “Documents” category.
During the discussion, many issues were raised, including possible collaborative projects on improved rehabilitation for wounded soldiers and civilians in Ukraine, the informational gap between opportunities for cooperation with Ukraine and the awareness among university staff, wide Erasmus exchange possibilities, a summer school for Ukrainian medical students, and how Sweden can learn from Ukrainian expertise in drone use, among others. About a dozen participants took part in this fruitful meeting, with half being new to the LUA. We hope to continue involving more people from the university in discussions regarding academic support for Ukraine in the upcoming months, as well as finalizing other projects that are currently underway.
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