HomePartnershipsTwinning with the University of Edinburgh

Twinning with the University of Edinburgh

Key areas of cooperation and news:

 

KNU and the University of Edinburgh partnership

The Twinning partnership was initiated in response to the crisis in the field of higher education in Ukraine due to the full-scale invasion of Ukraine by Russia. For more than a year, the initiative has been helping to strengthen international ties between Ukrainian and British HEIs.

The solemn signing of the Memorandum of Understanding between the University of Edinburgh and Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv took place in May 2022.

The cooperation, combined with the long-standing partnership between the cities of Kyiv and Edinburgh, became the catalyst for a number of academic and cultural events, international projects, online meetings, and personal visits.

Today, the cooperation between the universities focuses on solving current educational and scientific needs of the KNU and supporting innovations, while a long-term cooperation strategy for the future is being developed.

 

Our cooperation

Cooperation between universities began with the online acquaintance of the academic community of the University of Edinburgh with our teachers. In June 2022, Mykola Kapitonenko, Candidate of Political Sciences (PhD), Associate Professor at the Educational and Scientific Institute of International Relations, gave an online lecture for students of the University of Edinburgh.

The following month, Lilia Miroshnychenko, Doctor of Philological Sciences, Professor at the Educational and Scientific Institute of Philology, joined the Una Europa One Health Summer School at the University of Edinburgh in an online format.

Thanks to the support of the University of Edinburgh, KNU nominated 6 students to participate in the summer school.

 

KNU students at Una Europa One Health Summer School

In August 2022, the University of Edinburgh hosted 50 Bachelor’s students at the Una Europa One Health Summer School, including four students from KNU. They took part in the two-week programme to work in international teams on innovative solutions to Global Health challenges. In relation to the programme, KNU students (4 were able to come to Edinburgh and 2 participated online) also requested an opportunity to speak to the whole group to share their experiences of the impact of war.

“We talked about food security issues in Ukraine and how the war has impacted the country’s grain supply. I feel this is a safe space to talk openly and coming here makes you realise that you are not isolated. This experience has given other Ukrainian students and me the confidence to tell our story,” KNU student Viktoriia Palahniuk shared her views.

Read more about the Una Europa One Health Summer School at the link.

 

Our joint project

In 2022, the interaction between our institutions gained momentum, developed and strengthened. Shared activity has included in-person and online seminars and labs, seed funding for research proposals, skills and resource development, and student and staff visitors to Edinburgh. Activities continue to evolve and look ahead, and are strengthened by funding of nearly £200k, from the Universities UK International grant scheme launched as part of the UK-Ukraine Twinning Initiative. In early 2023, the international offices of the two universities joined forces to make a joint application for a project competition from the UUK, which was approved in March 2023 and provided the opportunity to support research and educational projects of a number of faculties and institutes, to develop staff training, as well as to support KNU capacity to continue education and research in the difficult conditions of martial law.

This mutually beneficial partnership has created impactful connections in our combined communities and implemented some interesting and truly meaningful projects. Building on existing research links, four Labs4TwinnedResearch laboratories have been established in key areas:

  • Environmental Sustainability;
  • Geopolitical Relations;
  • Impacts of War;
  • Literatures and Cultures in the Face of War.

The laboratories aim to support research at both universities, create further partnerships, implement future projects and fund research that will help the University overcome the challenges of war.

 

Labs4TwinnedResearch:  Impacts of War Lab

The idea for collaboration in Urban Regeneration emerged in Kyiv, where Ukrainians face the prospect of their cities and towns after war. Guiding the ‘Impacts of War Lab’ are Dr Kostyantyn Mezentsev (KNU) and Professor Soledad Garcia Ferrari (Edinburgh), which looks to limit damage, achieve justice and aid reconstruction. The first online workshop in March 2023 discussed ‘Post-war/conflict urban regeneration’ and exchanged experiences and ideas between students and staff from both universities.

“I thought it was so inspirational – maybe because we had such a great group of young people, thinking about the future. What has taken place so far is only the beginning,” Professor Soledad Garcia Ferrari said.

The first online workshop, which took place over three days from 22-24 March, discussed ‘Post-war and conflict urban regeneration’ and exchanged experiences and ideas between students and staff from both universities. The workshop involved students from the MSc Urban Studies and Regional Development of the KNU Faculty of Geography and students from the BSc Urban Studies and Planning and MSc Urban Strategies and Design of the Edinburgh School of Architecture and Landscape Architecture. At the workshop, students presented the results of joint mini-projects on post-war regeneration of Ukrainian cities. During the round table, supervisors, tutors and students discussed the results of the selected case studies, expressed their views on key challenges, actors and drivers of the post-war urban regeneration and outlined further steps for joint urbanistic research by colleagues from Kyiv and Edinburgh.

More details on the lab activities at the link.

 

Labs4TwinnedResearch: Literatures and Cultures in the Face of War

The ‘Literatures and Cultures in the Face of War Lab’ focuses on guest lectures, joint seminars, and research mobility, sharing Ukrainian and Scottish culture This collaboration between Edinburgh and KNU is led by Dr Emmanuelle Lacore-Martin, Senior Lecturer in French and Francophone Studies, Deputy Head of the Department of European Languages and Cultures (DELC), UoE and Professor Lilia Miroshnychenko, Head of the Department of Foreign Literature at the Educational and Scientific Institute of Philology, KNU.

“I think everybody has commented on that it’s certainly not one sided at all. It’s very much a partnership of equals despite the inequalities,” Dr Emmanuelle Lacore-Martin said.

More details on the lab activities at the link.

 

Collaboration in Law

In October 2022, the Edinburgh Law School hosted a hybrid masterclass (jointly with the School of Social and Political Science) entitled ‘EU diplomacy in practice’. The lecture was delivered by William Hanna (former EU ambassador and Edinburgh University alumnus) and saw the online participation of KNU staff and students. The cooperation between the two universities in the field of law is led by Dr Leandro Mancano (Edinburgh) and Professor Yevgen Gerasymenko (KNU).

 

The virtual exchange programme NICE

In 2023, Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv implemented the NICE (Network for Intercultural Competence to facilitate Entrepreneurship) virtual exchange programme for the first time. Since then, the participation of KNU in the NICE programme became a meaningful annual tradition. This unique experience is possible thanks to the cooperation of KNU and the University of Edinburgh.

The NICE programme consists of two parts: online modules and a summer school, the venue for which changes every year. As a rule, the summer school is held at one of the universities that are members of the NICE consortium. A distinctive feature of the programme is that students work in intercultural teams on a project-based basis. Students come together to propose creative solutions to a specific global challenge and, at the end of the four-month virtual phase, present their project proposals. Throughout the virtual collaboration, students are supported by mentor-facilitators – former NICE programme participants who, better than anyone else, know how to organise teamwork and overcome any obstacles.

The summer school lasts one week and takes place in late June – early July, with the theme and location changing each year. Students who have performed best during the virtual phase are selected to take part in the summer school.

Members of the NICE consortium:

More details on KNU’s participation in the programme and the experiences of participants from each intake at the link.

NICE summer school 2025 was unique in nature, as it was organised jointly by Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv and the University of Edinburgh for the first time. Participants were asked to develop a proposal for reorganising student spaces in the city to create safer, more inclusive and sustainable environments. The summer school was held at the University of Edinburgh.

One of Kyiv and Edinburgh joint research groups, the Understanding Languages and Cultures Lab, contributed to the NICE summer school programme. As part of the Labs4TwinnedResearch, it is co-led by Dr. Emmanuelle Lacore-Martin (Department of European Languages and Literatures, University of Edinburgh) and Professor Lilia Miroshnychenko (Department of Foreign Literature, KNU).

Sessions dedicated to rethinking student spaces and place elasticity were held by the Impacts of War Lab, another part of the Labs4TwinnedResearch. The sessions were co-organised and facilitated by Professor Kostyantyn Mezentsev, Head of the Department of Economic and Social Geography (Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv), Professor Soledad Garcia Ferrari, Dean International of the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences and Professor of Global Urbanism and Resilience, and Dr Hafsa Olkay, Teaching Fellow at the Edinburgh School of Architecture and Landscape Architecture (University of Edinburgh).

More details on the NICE summer school 2025, co-hosted by KNU and the University of Edinburgh at the link.

 

Cultural celebration and partnership

The signing of the Memorandum of Understanding between the universities took place on 19 May 2022, when Ukrainians celebrated Vyshyvanka Day. Making the best of this opportunity, a presentation film prepared by KNU teachers about the traditions of embroidery production in Ukraine was shown as part of the event dedicated to the signing of the Memorandum. The guests of the event were able to get acquainted with this wonderful tradition and craft, which is celebrated annually in May on Vyshyvanka Day.

Therefore, it is symbolic that on 18 May 2023, Vice-Rector for International Cooperation Kseniia Smyrnova visited the University of Edinburgh to mark the year of partnership, as well as to discuss plans for future initiatives and strengthening cooperation. As a sign of respect for our culture, a special cultural event was held within the walls of one of the oldest universities in Great Britain, where a display of Ukrainian traditional clothing took place to the sounds of Ukrainian songs.

 

The donation of IT equipment and the opening of the new computer centre at Maksymovych Scientific Library

Maksymovych Scientific Library at Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv (KNU) has celebrated the opening of a newly equipped computer centre, made possible by a donation of IT equipment led by Edinburgh Global.

The new centre replaces a facility that was tragically damaged during a missile attack on October 10, 2022. This initiative marks the first phase of support aimed at providing practical support to the Ukrainian academic community during an incredibly challenging time – providing essential resources for students, researchers, and academic staff to continue their work despite the ongoing conflict.

This newly equipped computer centre is a beacon of hope for the future – a tangible sign that, through partnership and perseverance, the global academic community can come together to rebuild, thrive, and look ahead to brighter days.

More details on the IT-equipment donation: on KNU International Relations Office website and the University of Edinburgh website.

 

Visit by Professor Charles Cockell to KNU

In May-June 2026, KNU was delighted to welcome our dear friend Professor Charles Cockell of the University of Edinburgh, a leading British scholar in the field of astrobiology and planetary sciences, back to Kyiv. The Professor’s visit was taking place as part of the UK–UA Visiting Professors Programme, run by the Fund of the President of Ukraine for Education, Science and Sports.

During his visit, Professor Cockell delivered a series of lectures for students and early-career researchers at the University, provided academic guidance to Master’s and PhD students, and contributed to the development of the University’s astrobiology laboratory. Charles Cockell also accepted an invitation to take up a permanent post as a professor at Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv. Charles Cockell’s visit marked another chapter in the history of successful and meaningful cooperation between KNU and the University of Edinburgh within the framework of the Twinning partnership.

More details on the Professor’s visit to KNU and review of the results of the visit.

 

Collaboration in chemistry: visiting Ukrainian students

As part of cooperation between the universities and with the support of a joint project ‘Environmental Sustainability Lab’, five students from KNU spent 3 months in Edinburgh to complete research for their Master’s theses in Chemistry. Students Kateryna Dzhyhirei, Marharyta Voitenko, Maryna Korobeinyk, Nadiia Hriadchenko and Sofiia Zhadanova had the opportunity to develop practical skill in the new labs at the University of Edinburgh.

Read more about the unforgettable experience of Ukrainian students and the future impact of the trip to Edinburgh on the course of research and development of science in Ukraine at the link.

 

Academic writing for researchers

The Institute for Academic Development (IAD) is collaborating with the Department of Publishing and Editing at KNU to focus on academic writing skills. This has so far resulted in sharing resources and the next steps will focus on hosting joint online workshops on writing and publishing as part of a KNU researcher week. The overall aim is to take a shared approach to identify and deliver new ways to offer support at both institutions and to strengthen the support for academic writing and publishing at KNU.

Read more about the IAD offers on development opportunities for researchers at all career stages at the link.