University Rectors in Wartime Ukraine: KNU, KPI, Kharkiv Universities Under Bombardment

Universities are among the most complex institutions to manage during wartime: they contain irreplaceable intellectual capital (libraries, research archives, laboratory equipment), serve a young population at peak educational formative ages, depend on the physical presence of both faculty and students for their core function, and represent the long-term intellectual infrastructure of a society's capacity to rebuild and develop. Ukrainian university rectors — the presidents and directors of Ukraine's 600+ higher education institutions — navigated these challenges with different tools depending on their geography, resources, and institutional culture, but the collective achievement of maintaining meaningful tertiary education through years of full-scale war is remarkable.

Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv

The Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv (KNU) — Ukraine's oldest and most prestigious university, founded 1834 — faced the unique challenge of being in the capital city that was initially under direct attack and then remained under regular missile bombardment throughout the war. Under Rector Volodymyr Buhai, KNU rapidly converted to remote learning in the first days of the invasion while the military situation around Kyiv was unclear. When it became evident that Kyiv was not going to fall, the university worked to restore in-person operations — building bomb shelter facilities, retrofitting basements for classes and laboratories, and establishing protocols for air raid alerts that minimized disruption while ensuring safety. KNU's research mission — in science, technology, humanities, and social science — continued through international collaborations that kept Ukrainian researchers connected to global academic networks during the crisis.

Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute

Igor Sikorsky KPI is Ukraine's preeminent technical university — a massive institution in Kyiv with strong engineering, technology, and applied science programs that made it central to Ukraine's wartime technical capacity. KPI's relationship with Ukraine's defense technology sector became more explicit during the war: student and faculty research projects related to drone development, electronic systems, and engineering applications for military purposes were accelerated and integrated with the Brave1 defense tech cluster's activities. The rector of KPI, working alongside Ministry of Education leadership and the digital ministry's Brave1 coordination, positioned the university as an explicit partner in Ukraine's technological defense capacity — a role that universities in peaceful democratic countries rarely take on so directly.

Key Ukrainian Universities and Their Wartime Situations

Kharkiv Universities: Frontline Academia

Kharkiv's universities — including V. N. Karazin Kharkiv National University, one of Ukraine's oldest and most respected institutions — faced the most extreme conditions. Kharkiv is Ukraine's second-largest city and throughout the war was subject to near-daily Russian missile and artillery bombardment. University buildings were damaged. Many faculty, staff, and students evacuated. Those who remained — including the rector and core leadership — worked to maintain institutional continuity through remote operations, emergency relocation of administrative functions, and partnerships with European universities that provided physical refuge for displaced Ukrainian academics and students. The Kharkiv universities' international partnership networks became survival infrastructure: European universities in Germany, France, the Czech Republic, Poland, and elsewhere offered visiting fellow positions, remote employment arrangements, and research hosting that kept Ukrainian scholars economically viable and professionally active while physically safe.

The "University in Exile" Model

Several Ukrainian academic institutions developed formal "university in exile" arrangements — maintaining institutional identity and operations while physically dispersed across multiple countries. This model allowed universities to retain their faculty, continue graduate student supervision, maintain research programs, and preserve institutional continuity despite the physical impossibility of normal campus operations. European networks including the PAUSE program (France's protection program for at-risk academics), Scholar Rescue Fund, and institutional bilateral arrangements facilitated this dispersal while maintaining Ukrainian academic institutional identity.

Frequently Asked Questions

How did student enrollment change during the war?

Enrollment patterns were substantially disrupted. Many students left Ukraine with their families — potentially 700,000+ students of university age among the refugees. Male students faced conscription pressure and some chose military service over studies. Ukrainian universities saw significant enrollment drops in absolute terms, though the drop was partially offset by new enrollments from internally displaced students and the continuing demand for higher education from those remaining. Remote enrollment — allowing students to study from abroad — maintained some connection between displaced students and their home institutions.

What is happening with Ukrainian students in Russian-occupied territories?

Students in Russian-occupied territories who sought to continue Ukrainian-recognized higher education faced extraordinary obstacles: Russian authorities did not recognize Ukrainian university enrollment, and physically attending a Ukrainian institution was impossible from occupied territory. Several students attempted to cross into Ukrainian-controlled areas specifically to maintain their studies. Others were effectively cut off from Ukrainian higher education systems. The recognition of credentials obtained under occupation conditions is a complex legal question that post-war Ukrainian education policy will need to address.

How are university research facilities being maintained?

Research infrastructure presented particularly acute challenges. Laboratory equipment cannot be moved easily; archives and collections are vulnerable to bombardment; research projects with international partners had to be maintained remotely. Ukrainian universities made individual decisions about what research infrastructure to attempt to protect or evacuate and what to leave in place, accepting risk. International partners — particularly in EU Horizon Europe research programs, which maintained Ukrainian participation — provided remote collaboration frameworks that kept Ukrainian researchers in international scientific communities even when physically displaced.

What curriculum changes are universities making?

A range of wartime curriculum adaptations are underway. Defense-relevant STEM fields are being expanded and better resourced. Media literacy and information warfare are being integrated across disciplines. History and culture curriculum is being reformed to center Ukrainian perspectives. Psychological support for trauma-affected students has been incorporated into student support services. Language of instruction shifts — away from Russian, toward Ukrainian — that had been underway before the war are being accelerated. These changes reflect both the war's immediate demands and longer-term alignment with European educational standards required for EU accession.

Is Ukraine participating in international academic exchanges?

Actively. European programs — Erasmus+, the Horizon Europe research framework, and bilateral academic mobility programs — maintained and in many cases expanded Ukrainian participation during the war. The EU specifically extended flexibility to Ukrainian institutions and students, recognizing wartime conditions as requiring extraordinary accommodation. Ukrainian academics have been among the most active participants in international academic conferences, often combining scholarly participation with informational and advocacy activities about the war and Ukraine's cultural situation. These exchanges serve both academic and diplomatic functions.

Sources

1. Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine. Higher Education Wartime Reports. mon.gov.ua, 2022–2024.
2. EACEA (European Education and Culture Executive Agency). Erasmus+ Ukraine Statistics. eacea.ec.europa.eu, 2022–2024.
3. EUA (European University Association). Ukrainian Universities Under Stress: Monitoring Reports. eua.eu, 2022–2024.
4. Scholar Rescue Fund. Ukraine Academic Rescue Statistics. scholarrescuefund.org, 2022–2024.
5. Karazin Kharkiv National University. Official Wartime Communications. karazin.ua, 2022–2024.