As Ukraine faces the New Year, a likely fruitless pursuit of a peace agreement has been unfolding very publicly.
As we swipe and tap on our phones and watch opinion-making on the news, it is easy to lose focus on the human experience – students and faculty waking after a night of wailing air raid sirens, or the displaced, both internally and externally, striving for survival, of themselves and of their culture. It is impossible to separate higher education from trauma.
Under attack from an imperialistic and genocidal aggressor, the Ukrainian higher education sector has been pushed to the brink but remains unbroken and continues to reform meaningfully.
Ukrainian higher education has undergone dramatic transformations over the past decade, marked by significant reforms, demographic challenges and the devastating impact of war.
From 2014 to 2024, the sector experienced a 61% decline in higher education institutions (from 799 to 314), a 59% reduction in student enrolment (down from 2.44 million to approximately one million) and unprecedented disruption due to Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022.
Despite these challenges, Ukraine has demonstrated remarkable resilience in maintaining educational continuity while implementing substantial reforms aligned with European standards.
“Our generation will have to rebuild the country. That’s why, in my view, the state needs to focus on better protecting young people, because emigration from Ukraine remains a huge issue.
“The demographic situation has only gotten worse due to the war, making knowledgeable young people even more valuable (to Ukraine’s future) with each passing day,” said one young man, Serhiy, in the Kyiv Independent in 2024.
Demographic decline
Ukraine’s higher education challenges are deeply intertwined with the country’s severe demographic crisis. The population has declined dramatically from 52 million at independence in 1991 to approximately 32 million in 2024, a 38% decrease.
This decline has been driven by multiple factors: post-Soviet economic instability, emigration, low birth rates and, most recently, the devastating impact of war.
Serhiy Kvit, a former minister of education and science, outlined in a 2022 University World News article, “Why Ukraine’s universities need more internationalisation”, the primary structural changes required, which can be summarised as follows: “Ukrainian higher education institutions still have a long way to go on the path to greater internationalisation and globalisation.
“To do this, they must rid themselves of the post-Soviet traits that remain and complete the reforms that they have begun. The main goal is to enable Ukrainian universities to become more autonomous, powerful and responsible.”
The Soviet legacy in public higher education institutions persisted after the fall of the USSR (Soviet Union) and fused with neoliberalism, entrenching a legacy of mediocrity, feudal bureaucracy and dubious academic integrity, draped in market-based sheep’s clothing, which has been covered extensively by Anatoly Oleksiyenko and Liz Shchepetylnykova in their research paper in 2024.
There are well-documented shortfalls in the services provided to students, with the state of dormitories being a particular issue that student organising groups are pushing to improve.
As Ihor Vasyletsn, a masters student at the National University of Lviv and a member of the student union Priama Diia, shared in a recent interview: “It is a widespread problem; many dormitories are in a catastrophic state: cockroaches, dilapidated pipes and windows, no hot water, mould, etc. The conditions are almost like those of a prison, even if it is very cheap.”
It is worth noting that a society that can identify issues and advocate for change is a democratic one, especially compared to its aggressor.
Significant reforms
Significant reforms have been made, which is impressive given that Ukraine has been at war since 2014. The reform process began with the Law on Higher Education in 2014 – under Kvit’s watch as minister – followed by joining the Bologna Process and the European Association for Quality Assurance in Higher Education.
Legislation passed in 2024 expanded students’ opportunities for creating individualised learning pathways, increased higher education institutions’ autonomy in developing and implementing interdisciplinary educational programmes and recognised non-formal and informal education. The progress seen, despite the historic and present challenges, is a truly ambitious evolution.
Internationalisation has been a form of survival, whether for displaced students and faculty from occupied and frontline areas or for students participating in Erasmus+ and Collaborative Online International Learning opportunities; it has allowed lives to continue despite the crises and interruptions. From 2021 to 2024, over 8,000 students have participated in Erasmus+ study abroad opportunities across Europe.
Mental health crisis
The ability of Ukrainian students and faculty to persevere is both a testament to the human spirit and a daily tragedy multiplied by millions. Every night, the klaxon call of the air raid sirens rings out across the cities, towns, villages and university campuses of Ukraine. Every day, they still show up to class.
We need to ask ourselves, even if we cannot truly comprehend: Would we be able to do the same? The mental health crisis, particularly among young people, is an issue with greater awareness globally, but what system deals with the data presented below by Violetta Seleznova of Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv on the EAIE Podcast?
Seleznova said: “65% of our respondents, Ukrainian students, rate their psychological state at a low level. 66% have an anxiety disorder. Can you imagine? It’s two-thirds of the total amount of Ukrainian students.
“And the saddest thing is the prevalence of depression among Ukrainian students, which affects almost 86%. By comparison, the average level for all countries affected by war is only 60% … So, yes, Ukrainian students may seem cheerful, they may seem brave and even defiant, but behind it all, there is trauma, and there is pain.”
Another challenging year lies ahead
Ukrainian higher education stands at a critical juncture, having survived the shock of war while simultaneously pursuing an ambitious reform agenda. The sector’s resilience is evident in its ability to maintain educational continuity for over 1 million students despite unprecedented challenges.
The long-term sustainability of the system depends on sustained international support, successful implementation of consolidation strategies and continued alignment with European standards.
The demographic crisis that preceded the war has been catastrophically accelerated by the conflict, creating fundamental challenges for the sector’s future.
Success in rebuilding Ukrainian higher education will require coordinated efforts among government, international partners and civil society to ensure that the system emerges from this crisis stronger, more efficient and better aligned with 21st-century educational needs.
The transformation of Ukrainian higher education represents both a story of tremendous loss and remarkable adaptation. As the sector continues to evolve, its ability to maintain academic excellence while serving national reconstruction efforts will be crucial to Ukraine’s future development and its aspirations for European integration.
Another challenging new year lies ahead for Ukraine, yet the society has shown an ability to push for meaningful reforms and anti-corruption efforts.
Young people at universities demonstrate a commitment to freedom and the accountability that comes with it. There are many ways to engage meaningfully with Ukrainian scholars beyond shows of support and institutional statements, including decolonising curricula.
During these dark and cold months, let us not freeze our hearts to injustice, but have faith that a better world is possible if we try in our own ways.
written by Andrew Misura, who is a PhD student at Seton Hall University, United States, and a visiting instructor at Ukrainian Catholic University English Summer School. Misura focuses his research on the resilience of Ukrainian universities and their ability to support students and faculty in crisis contexts.
Quelle: University World News
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