Resilience and Reform: The Hidden Realities of Ukraine’s Higher Education During War

Ukraine’s universities remain deeply embedded in society and inevitably absorb the full impact of wartime pressures. Institutions across the country have faced displacement from occupied territories, direct damage from drone and missile attacks, and the continuous strain of operating under uncertainty. While international partners provide significant support, much of it arrives in the form of grant-driven reform requirements that often undermine the remaining motivation of faculty and students and contribute to an already overwhelming bureaucratic burden. Despite these challenges, the higher education system endures thanks to the extraordinary commitment of teachers, staff, and students. This presentation will outline the key difficulties confronting Ukraine’s tertiary education sector—many of which remain invisible to external observers—and will explain the foundations for cautious optimism about the future of Ukrainian education.

Iryna Yehorchenko is a research mathematician at the Institute of Mathematics of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine. Since 2014, she has been actively engaged in education and science reform efforts, promoting science-based education and academic integrity through parliamentary working groups and public initiatives. She also works extensively in mathematical outreach for school students and the broader public through lectures, math circles, and media publications. Currently, she teaches a course on critical thinking and decision-making for mathematics students at the Kyiv Polytechnic Institute.