Universities stand together to make a difference

The University of Wolverhampton has partnered with Nizhyn Mykola Gogol State University, to share resources, learning and ideas during the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine, as part of a new campaign.  

Universities UK has today launched a new campaign, #TwinForHope, which showcases the positive impact of partnerships between UK and Ukrainian universities.  

More than 75 mutually beneficial twinning partnerships have already been formed between universities in UK and Ukrainian. The partners stay in regular contact via online meetings to build relationships, make plans for sustaining Ukrainian education during the war, and create relationships that will make a real difference. 

The twinning partnership between the University of Wolverhampton and Nizhyn Mykola Gogol State University will provide vital support in the short term, so students can continue their studies, and researchers can carry on with their research. In the longer term, this collaboration will help Nizhyn Mykola Gogol State University, to rebuild its campus and play an important role in the rebuilding of Ukraine.  

The partnership aims to make a real difference to students, researchers and local communities by supporting them via: 

• Hosting a small number of academic staff at the University to enable them to carry on delivering their courses online 
• Providing access to our online resources for their academic community  
• Providing access to some university online courses for students who can study in English 
• Hosting a group of students to attend a summer camp 
• Establishing links with the City of Wolverhampton 
• Developing a social media group to allow students from both institutions to interact 

Conversations so far have shown that Ukrainian universities feel supported and are excited about the benefits their partnerships will bring to their students and staff who are desperately fighting to keep education going. A wide range of organisations are providing Ukrainian universities with technology, resources, and financial support to help them keep on operating and rebuild their campuses in the long term. 

The twinning partnerships demonstrate university collaborations at their best. They show the power of education to unite, share hope and change people’s lives.