The public organization “Union of Rectors of Higher Education Institutions of Ukraine” sent a letter to the Prime Minister of Ukraine, in which it opposed granting university boards of trustees the right to manage the property and funds of higher education institutions, as well as to appoint and dismiss the heads of these institutions.
“We have repeatedly warned government officials against ill-considered steps and reforms that lead to a decline in the quality of educational and research processes and destabilize the situation within academic communities, which are already suffering during these difficult years of war. The public is concerned about the unchecked influence of certain civil society organizations and individuals who abuse their power to initiate so-called ‘reforms,’ for which the ministry’s previous leadership allocated up to 50 billion hryvnias in grant funds, World Bank loans, and other resources. “The results of these ‘reforms’ are either unknown to the public or highly questionable,” the organization’s statement reads.
In particular, it is noted that Union members were outraged by the efforts of a group of individuals to exert influence over university leadership by introducing management changes through the strengthening of supervisory boards.
In this regard, the Union sent a letter to the Prime Minister of Ukraine, in which it strongly opposed granting supervisory boards the right to dispose of the property and funds of higher education institutions, as well as to appoint and dismiss the heads of these institutions.
“In practice, academic councils, faculty conferences, and student self-governing bodies are being stripped of their influence over university affairs, and all faculty members, researchers, staff, and students are being deprived of the right to elect and recall the university president,” the civic organization added.
At the same time, according to Ksenia Semenova, president of the National University “Kyiv Aviation Institute” (KAI), the Union of Rectors is a controversial civic organization known for its statements opposing educational reforms.
“Half a year ago, they issued a statement calling for the repeal of the high school reform. It later turned out that none of the university rectors had actually signed that statement or even seen it in person. The members of this civic organization are not universities but individuals, some of whom are not university administrators. In short, this is not a representative body but a special-interest group,” she wrote on Facebook after a meeting between the Union and the leadership of the Ministry of Education.
In response, the Union claimed it was under attack by “certain radicals, heads of educational institutions who were appointed in violation of current legislation and are exerting overt pressure on the leadership of the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine through certain members of the Ukrainian Parliament and specific political forces.”
As previously reported, in September 2024, the Cabinet of Ministers launched a pilot project at three universities aimed at strengthening the role of supervisory boards. Specifically, the participants in the pilot project were the National Aviation University (NAU), which was reorganized into the state-owned non-profit enterprise “National University ‘Kyiv Aviation Institute’ (KAI),” as well as Zaporizhzhia National University and Vasyl Stefanyk Carpathian National University.
Mykhailo Fedorov, the former deputy prime minister in charge of education, announced in mid-2025 that the reform would be extended to all higher education institutions in 2026. However, in late 2025, Mykola Trofimenko, the deputy minister of education responsible for this area, stated that supervisory boards would be enshrined in law, but the reform would remain voluntary.
On October 6, 2026, Trofimenko stated that the Ministry of Education had not found the two-year pilot program sufficient to confirm the effectiveness of the model for strengthening the role of supervisory boards at universities. For his part, Minister of Education Andriy Butenko believes it is still too early to assess the results of the pilot program at this intermediate stage.
Ksenia Semenova, president of the National University “Kyiv Aviation Institute” (KAB), believes that the experiment to strengthen the role of supervisory boards at universities should be extended to all higher education institutions or, at the very least, provide for a change in their organizational and legal form to state-owned nonprofit associations.
The Ministry of Education proposes to extend the slightly modified pilot project on implementing a strengthened model of higher education institution governance for another two years. Specifically, the bill proposes to conduct another two-year pilot program involving the National University “Kyiv Aviation Institute” (KAI), Zaporizhzhia National University, and Vasyl Stefanyk Carpathian National University, which already participated in the previous pilot program that lasted the past two years. Other state universities under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Education and Science will be able to initiate their participation in the enhanced model by decision of their academic council, and the ministry will also be able to independently initiate the inclusion of an institution in the enhanced model if signs of a crisis situation are identified.
In late October, following a meeting with the Union of Rectors, the Ministry of Education and Science stated that it does not plan to involve universities on a large scale in the pilot program aimed at strengthening the role of supervisory boards in higher education institutions.
Source: https://zvo.knu.ua/ua/news-1-3-438-zayava-spilki-rektoriv-ukraini
Valerii Kopiika, chair of the Academic Council of Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, won the university’s rector election, which took place on October 27.
According to the election commission’s protocol, Valery Kopiyka received 1,973 votes (51.74%), former KNU Vice Rector for Research Anna Tolstanova received 712 (18.62%), 159 (4.16%) for Ksenia Smirnova, former vice rector for international cooperation at KNU, and 77 (2.01%) for Oleksandr Korchenko, first vice rector of the State University of Information and Communication Technologies. Another 130 voters did not support any candidate, and 49 ballots were deemed invalid.
It is noted that 3,105 out of 3,823 voters participated in the election, which amounts to 81.3%.
According to the university’s charter, an election is considered valid if more than 50% of all eligible voters participate.
The candidate who receives more than 50% of the votes cast by those eligible to vote is considered elected as university rector; in the event of a runoff, the candidate who receives more than 50% of the votes cast by those who participated in the election is considered elected.
Thus, Kopiika won the election in the first round.
Kopiyka was born on March 5, 1962, in Kyiv. In 1984, he graduated from the Faculty of International Relations and International Law at Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv and earned a specialist degree in international relations.
From 1984 to 1986, he worked as a military translator in the Republic of the Congo; from 1986 to 1988, he served as a staff member at the “Znannya” Society in Kyiv; and from 1988 to 1990, he pursued graduate studies at the Institute of International Relations of Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv.
From 1990, he served as an assistant; from 1991, as an associate professor in the Department of International Relations and Foreign Policy at the Institute of International Relations of Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv; and from 1997, as director of the EU European Documentation Center at the Institute of International Relations.
From 2007 to 2008, he served as deputy director for academic affairs at the Institute of International Relations at Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv; since 2009, he has been the director of the Institute; and since 2021, he has been the director of the Educational and Research Institute of International Relations at Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv.
From April through September 2026, he served as acting rector of Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv. In September, he was elected chair of the university’s Academic Council.
In accordance with the requirements of the Law “On Higher Education,” the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine must enter into a five-year contract with the elected rector no later than one month after the date of election.
As previously reported, on March 2, the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine announced a competition to fill the position of rector at Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv. The election was originally scheduled for May 27, 2026. However, on May 11, the Ministry of Education and Science postponed the election to October 27.
Former KNU Rector Volodymyr Bugrov was barred from the election after the Kyiv Court of Appeals upheld the ruling of the Shevchenkivskyi District Court of Kyiv regarding an administrative offense involving the submission of knowingly false information in his declaration.
The Italian Med-Or Foundation and the Hennadiy Udovenko Diplomatic Academy of Ukraine under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine have signed a memorandum of understanding aimed at developing cooperation in the field of diplomatic training and international dialogue.
According to reports, the document was signed on October 13 at Med-Or’s headquarters in Rome by the foundation’s president, Marco Minniti, and the director of the Diplomatic Academy of Ukraine, Ihor Ostash.
The agreement provides a foundation for joint initiatives in the field of diplomatic education, as well as expanded opportunities for cooperation between Italy and Ukraine. In particular, the agreement envisages the involvement of Italian and international instructors and experts in the Ukrainian academy’s educational programs.
The Med-Or Foundation already has experience in developing international partnerships in the field of personnel training in Africa and the Middle East.
The signing ceremony was also attended by Alfredo Mantovano, State Secretary to the President of the Council of Ministers of Italy and Security Commissioner of the Republic, and Ihor Brusylo, Ukraine’s Ambassador to Italy.
Med-Or noted that the agreement is part of the foundation’s broader program of activities aimed at developing international cooperation amid a complex international situation.
The signing of the memorandum lays the groundwork for further deepening Ukrainian-Italian ties in the areas of diplomatic education, the exchange of expert knowledge, and the training of specialists in international relations.
Huawei Ukraine has announced the launch of the nationwide Student Tech Challenge 2026 team competition for students majoring in technical disciplines. This year, 152 students representing 42 teams from 18 Ukrainian universities will take part in the competition.
The official opening of the competition took place online on October 6. The participants were addressed by Ma Mingjie, Director of Huawei Ukraine, Roksolana Shvadchak, Director General of the Digital Transformation Directorate of the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine, as well as the heads of Ukrainian technical universities.
In 2026, the teams will work in three areas: Radio Access Network Planning, Datacom Engineering, and Digital Energy. Participants are required to develop solutions to practical challenges in mobile network planning, data transmission, network technologies, and digital energy.
Work on the projects will be carried out with the support of team coaches and Huawei Ukraine mentors.
“Huawei Ukraine consistently invests in the education of Ukrainian youth. We strive to inspire students to study even harder, gain deeper insight into real business cases, and build careers in their chosen professional fields. In this way, they will directly strengthen Ukraine’s ICT industry,” said Ma Mingjie, Director of Huawei Ukraine.
Student Tech Challenge is being held for the third consecutive year. In 2024, the competition involved 134 students in 32 teams from 10 universities, while in 2025, it brought together 201 students, 48 teams from 20 universities. In 2026, the number of competition categories has been reduced from four to three, with 42 teams from 18 higher education institutions joining the project.
Anatolii Melnychenko, Rector of Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute, emphasized the importance of closer ties between university education and the real needs of the technology industry. According to him, such initiatives enable students not only to acquire academic knowledge but also to apply it to solving engineering challenges and gain practical teamwork experience.
The competition will run from October 6 to November 6. The semifinal selection will take place on October 26–27, and on November 4–5, the teams will present their projects to an independent expert jury. The final ceremony and awards presentation will take place in Kyiv on November 6.
The winners will receive prizes, as well as an opportunity to participate in a Huawei mentoring or internship program.
Student Tech Challenge is a nationwide technology competition organized by Huawei Ukraine for students majoring in technical disciplines, with the support of the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine. Participants develop solutions to practical challenges in telecommunications, network technologies, and energy under the guidance of company experts.
The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump has proposed imposing a fee of $70,000 for an international student’s initial participation in the Optional Practical Training (OPT) program and an additional $30,000 for subsequent extensions, including those for STEM graduates.
The corresponding draft rule from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) was published on October 8, 2026, in the Federal Register. This decision has not yet taken effect: the document is currently open for public comment, with comments accepted until November 9.
The OPT program allows international students with an F-1 visa to temporarily work in the U.S. in their field of study during or after their studies. Typically, graduates can work under OPT for up to 12 months, and an additional extension is available for STEM fields.
Under the new scheme proposed by DHS, a certified college or university would be required to pay the fee before the institution submits an OPT recommendation to the SEVIS system. Without confirmation of payment of the new fee, a student will not be able to obtain a work authorization.
If the rule is approved as currently proposed, the cost of accessing OPT will increase tenfold. Currently, obtaining a work permit costs approximately a few hundred dollars, whereas the proposed model calls for $70,000 for the initial recommendation and an additional $30,000 for each subsequent one.
DHS justifies the reform by citing the need to combat fraud and abuse in the OPT program, as well as to protect the U.S. labor market. In the draft rule, the agency refers to cases of fictitious employment of international graduates and potential violations in the program identified by ICE.
Reuters notes that OPT is one of the key pathways through which international graduates of U.S. universities gain their first work experience in the U.S. and then often transition to H-1B work visas. Therefore, the introduction of such a high fee could significantly reduce the number of graduates who remain to work in the country after completing their studies.
At the same time, the group potentially affected is very large. According to Open Doors 2025, there were 1.178 million international students at U.S. colleges and universities during the 2024–25 academic year, accounting for about 6% of all U.S. higher education students. Of these, 294,300 participated in OPT, with the number of program participants rising by 21% over the course of the year.
The largest numbers of international students come to the U.S. from India (363,000), China (266,000), South Korea (42,300), Canada (29,900), and Vietnam (25,600).
There are significantly fewer Ukrainian students at U.S. universities, but their numbers are growing. According to Open Doors 2025, 2,346 students from Ukraine were studying or participating in OPT in the U.S. during the 2024–25 academic year, which is 7.5% more than the previous year.
By comparison, there were 2,183 Ukrainian students in the U.S. during the 2023–24 academic year. At that time, about 55% of them were enrolled in bachelor’s programs, 26% in master’s and doctoral programs, 14% were participating in OPT, and another 5% were in non-degree programs.
Thus, if the composition of the Ukrainian student population remains roughly the same, the new fees could affect several hundred Ukrainians who plan to stay in the U.S. for professional practice after graduating from American universities. However, Open Doors does not provide the exact number of Ukrainians specifically on OPT in the 2024–25 academic year in its publicly available summary statistics.
Overall, the Ukrainian community in the U.S. is significantly larger than the student population. According to an estimate by the Migration Policy Institute based on the American Community Survey, more than 510,000 immigrants born in Ukraine were living in the U.S. in 2024, and the entire Ukrainian diaspora, including people of Ukrainian descent, was estimated at approximately 1.4 million people.
Critics of the proposal warn that the new fee could make U.S. universities less attractive to international applicants and redirect some students to the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and EU countries. The Presidents’ Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration has already stated that such a high financial barrier could seriously disrupt the existing system for attracting foreign graduates to the U.S. labor market.
However, the initiative’s final fate remains uncertain. After the public comment period ends, DHS may amend the proposal, drop some provisions, or adopt the final rule. Additionally, Reuters notes that the new restrictions are likely to face legal challenges.
Ukrainian students have been selected as recipients of the HEC Imagine program, which provides young people from countries affected by war and crises with the opportunity to study at HEC Paris, one of France’s leading business schools.
This was reported by the Embassy of Ukraine in the French Republic following the “Imagine pour la Paix” event, dedicated to supporting the program’s participants.
The event took place at UNESCO headquarters in Paris and brought together representatives from HEC Paris, the French business community, program partners and donors, diplomats, and students.
Among those attending were Jean-Noël Barro, France’s Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs—an HEC Paris alumnus—as well as Gaël Veissier, former French Ambassador to Ukraine, who currently heads the Crisis Response and Support Center at the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs.
HEC Imagine fellows shared their personal experiences and insights about studying in France.
The HEC Imagine program was created to support talented students whose education and career prospects have been threatened by wars and other crises. Ukrainian students were among the program’s first participants.
According to HEC Paris, the HEC Imagine Fellows project began in 2022. From the very beginning, the scholarships enabled students from Ukraine, Afghanistan, and Syria to study at HEC.
The program provides not only financial support for tuition but also facilitates the students’ integration into the academic and professional environment at HEC Paris.
The Ukrainian Embassy in France emphasized that supporting the education of Ukrainians takes on special significance amid the war and the destruction of Ukraine’s educational and scientific infrastructure.
“The reconstruction of Ukraine is not just about rebuilding buildings and infrastructure. Above all, it is an investment in people: future entrepreneurs, economists, engineers, and managers who will create jobs, attract investment, and build a modern, European Ukraine,” the Ukrainian Embassy noted.
The diplomatic mission also thanked HEC Paris for its support of Ukrainian students and the Association des étudiants ukrainiens en France for helping to organize Ukraine’s participation in the event.
HEC Paris is one of Europe’s most renowned business schools. The institution specializes in training professionals in the fields of management, finance, entrepreneurship, and business administration, and its graduates work in international companies, financial institutions, the public sector, and their own businesses.
The HEC Imagine program is part of a broader initiative that combines support for students from conflict-affected countries with a discussion on the role of business and education in rebuilding and securing peace.
Sources: Embassy of Ukraine in the French Republic, HEC Paris, UNESCO.
