UK-Ukraine Twinning Initiative as a way to higher education resilience in a conflict zone
Written by the Twinning team
When the full-scale Russian invasion to Ukraine happened in February 2022, many if not all universities across the UK sought ways to express their solidarity and provide meaningful support to their Ukrainian counterparts. As a company with longstanding relationships with Ukrainian universities prior to the invasion, we were approached by our numerous British clients looking for guidance on how they could assist Ukrainian universities during these devastating events. That’s how the idea of UK-Ukraine Twinning Initiative was born.
We immediately recognised the fact that challenges faced by each Ukrainian universities wouldn’t be the same; universities’ needs would differ based on their location, size and academic profile, therefore it was impossible to offer a universal solution to all. Direct cooperation, on the contrary, would ensure effective and relevant support required for a particular institution be it academic support, staff upskilling or infrastructural reconstruction.
At the same time, facilitation and development of these partnership in a structured and organised way ensured broader and longer-term aims were addressed. Ukrainian-British partnerships not only demonstrated solidarity but also (i) supported continuity of the education process at Ukrainian universities, (ii) worked towards preventing brain drain, (iii) strengthened capacity of Ukrainian higher education institutions and (iv) helped them prepare to take an active role in Ukraine’s rebuilding post-war.
The matching process was one of the main aspects as it determined the number and versatility of possible cooperation avenues for universities. The institutions were partnered based on the information they provided during the registration. The main criteria for linking universities were their size, academic profile and research areas. It is important to highlight, however, the differences in the number and types of higher education institutions across the UK and Ukraine which presented some difficulties during the matching process. No university was twinned without first agreeing on who their partner would be.
Once both universities confirmed their satisfaction with the chosen partner, a so-called 6-week boot camp began. It was crucial for us to sustain the momentum and capitalise on this opportunity while both partners were eager and available. With our experience in university partnerships, we recognised the importance of fostering consistent communication at the initial stages, especially before strong interpersonal connections had been established. Therefore, we encouraged institutions to meet weekly, to minimise the communication breakdown which could easily arise amidst the challenges posed by ongoing warfare on the Ukrainian side.
On top of attempting to ensure uninterrupted communication between the newly created partners, it was equally important to inspire universities to develop different in nature and scope workstreams. By doing this, university partnerships would be truly diverse, dynamic and favourable for both sides. As even though Twinning cooperations started as an instrument of acute help and solidarity for Ukrainian universities, we truly believe that each partnership will also bring benefits to their British counterparts, becoming mutually beneficial cooperation. This multifaceted approach also guaranteed preservation of the relationship if some avenues wouldn’t work for whatever reason.
After completing the boot camp, the university pairs transitioned to direct communication, with monthly check-ins or other pre-agreed intervals. It’s important to note that while we aimed for consistency in the six-week boot camp and the monthly check-ins, each university pair moved at their own pace, adapting to their respective capacities and capabilities. The essence of Twinning has always been in its flexibility, allowing adjustments to meet the unique needs of each partnership.
Over 2 full years, the Twinning Initiative has fostered the creation of more than 100 partnerships, secured more than £50 mln of donations/in-kind support, facilitated the allocation of £4.7 mln for research purposes, supported the development of more than 620 individual projects (these are only reported, the communication with universities shows that real number is way higher), engaged 15,000+ students and 1,000+ academics and researchers, facilitated the development of 10 Ukrainian-British in-country dual degree programmes. These remarkable results exemplify the profound impact of the UK-Ukraine Twinning Initiative, highlighting its significance both on institutional and national levels in times of crisis.
As we enter the third year of the project and witness the diverse and significant achievements of the universities involved in Twinning, we can definitely say about the success of this umbrella initiative. However, it’s important to acknowledge that universities have encountered numerous challenges along the way, and not all aspects have been positive. Throughout the establishment and development of the Twinning partnerships, universities faced a variety of issues beyond the impacts of war, including differences in higher education systems and language barriers. Our experience has demonstrated, however, that effective facilitation has been key to overcoming most of these obstacles and highlighted the necessity to have expertise on both sides of the table.
Now that the majority of Twinning collaborations are well-established, our primary goal is to sustain and build upon them, ensuring that they become active participants in the Ukraine’s rebuilding efforts. We aim to empower these institutions to play a vital role in fostering innovation, knowledge sharing, and collaboration, contributing to a more resilient and dynamic educational landscape that supports national recovery and growth.
If you would like to learn more, please email us at ukraine@consultcormack.com