Strategic Session on International Education and Cooperation: Key Highlights

26.11.2025

On 26 November 2025, a strategic session dedicated to the current state and future prospects of international education in Ukraine was held at Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv.

On 26 November 2025, a strategic session focused on the development of international education in Ukraine took place, with the participation of Iryna Myhovych, Head of the International Relations Office of the State Institution “Luhansk Taras Shevchenko National University”. The event was opened by Mykola Trofymenko, Deputy Minister of Education and Science of Ukraine; Olena Shapovalova, Director of the Ukrainian State Center for International Education; and Kseniia Smirnova, Chair of the Council of Vice-Rectors for International Cooperation. The programme of the session included analytical presentations, panel discussions, and an expert exchange on key challenges shaping Ukraine’s internationalisation policy in higher education.

During the opening discussion, the NGO “Brand Ukraine” presented analytical data on the popularity of the Ukrainian market of educational services among international students. Based on SEO search trends in Google across Asia, Africa, Europe, and Latin America, the analysis confirmed a consistently high global interest in Ukrainian education. The most frequent queries included study in Ukraine, study mbbs in Ukraine, study medicine in Ukraine, study in Ukraine for international students, and study in Ukraine in English. A particularly high share of searches originates from India, the United States, Brazil, the United Kingdom, and Pakistan, which collectively account for over 40% of global demand. At the same time, it was emphasised that before the full-scale invasion, approximately 90,000 international students were studying in Ukraine, while today this number has decreased to around 20,000, highlighting the need for systemic actions to restore Ukraine’s position in the global educational space.

Participants noted that medical education remains the most sought-after field among international applicants, generating 30–70% of all relevant searches. Strong interest is also recorded in engineering, aviation, MBA programmes, economics, veterinary medicine, law, and computer science. Representatives of the Ministry of Education and Science stressed that Ukraine is actively moving toward full participation in the Erasmus+ programme and broader integration into European University Alliances. As Kseniia Smirnova noted, teaching in EU languages is a crucial prerequisite for expanding academic mobility and hosting exchange students.

Particular attention was paid to regulatory issues. The critical importance of adopting Draft Law No. 13650 by the Verkhovna Rada was underscored, as universities will be unable to publish Admission Rules for 2026 without this legislation. The discussion also addressed the introduction of state-funded scholarships for international students, possible only in the presence of international agreements, as well as the development of training centres in the People’s Republic of China to ensure recognition of Ukrainian diplomas. Examples of institutional adaptation during wartime were highlighted, such as the relocation of Karazin University’s international students to Ivano-Frankivsk and the full transition of international programmes at Simon Kuznets Kharkiv National University of Economics to English-medium instruction.

An important part of the programme was the review of the first year of operation of the Unified Interagency Information System for the admission of international students, which, according to the Ukrainian State Center for International Education, has enhanced transparency, efficiency, and convenience of admission procedures for foreign applicants.

The strategic session demonstrated the high level of coordination between state institutions, universities, and analytical centres in shaping Ukraine’s modern internationalisation policy, and confirmed strong global interest in Ukrainian higher education – a foundation for its further recovery and development.

Prepared by the International Relations Office