Universities UK International has partnered on a new scheme to support UK-Ukraine Twinning Initiatives with Research England.
With leadership also coming from Cormack Consultancy Group on the project, Research England is investing £5 million to support the scheme that aims to help Ukrainian universities and researchers.
The project is set to build on an original scheme that was set up by UUKi in June.
“This £5m investment being made by Research England, on behalf of the UK government, not only builds a strategic research and innovation response but supports the UK-Ukraine twinning initiative established by Universities UK International earlier in the year,” executive chair of Research England Jessica Corner said.
According to the announcement, the work on the ground will come through various facets, including partnership development workshops, seed funding for future research collaborations, and support for research infrastructure and kit.
It also states work will look into researcher support and summer schools and access to training and development for research management staff.
“Science and technology are increasingly key to geopolitical soft power: as levers to hit the Russian state as part of our sanctions in the spring, and to support science through our Ukrainian research project and harness innovation in rebuilding Ukraine’s economy,” the UK’s science minister George Freeman commented.
“Our support for Ukraine’s research community is an important part of the UK’s ongoing efforts”
“Putin’s illegal war in Ukraine has devastated much of the country.
“Our support for Ukraine’s research community is an important part of the UK’s ongoing efforts to use our science, technology and innovation for global good and support the Ukrainian people and their economic reconstruction,” he continued.
The investment will be officially awarded through UUKi and will allow UK universities to “scale up and sustain their commitment to working with their Ukrainian partners”.
Additionally, the project will aim to give “cross-sector resources” to all involved to make sure future crises can be avoided for the UK sector.
Partnerships that were set up by the previous iteration of the initiative include Cardiff University and National University Zaporizhzhia Polytechnic; University of Cambridge and Kharkiv National Medical University; and Queen’s University Belfast and Borys Grinchenko Kyiv University.
“It’s amazing to see our universities collaborate through this scheme. We hope that this investment will further strengthen the relationship between our two countries and signals the UK’s continued support for Ukraine throughout and beyond the current conflict,” said Jamie Arrowsmith, chief executive of UUKi.
It is hoped some outcomes for the new part of the initiative will be that Ukraine’s university-based R&I research ecosystem “will be supported through and beyond the current crisis”, as well as provide “shared resources and capabilities” for UK universities.
