Twinning at the ICCEES World Congress: Supporting Ukraine’s Higher Education Transformation

Charles Cormack, Chairman of Cormack Consultancy Group and founder of the UK–Ukraine Twinning initiative, took part in the World Congress of the International Council for Central and East European Studies (ICCEES), held from 21–25 July at University College London.

This year’s Congress focused on the profound transformations taking place across the region, particularly in light of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Participants explored how approaches to studying history, culture, languages, politics, and society in Central and Eastern Europe are evolving — and why local knowledge is vital in a global context.

During the Congress, Charles Cormack presented the achievements, challenges, and future plans of the Twinning initiative, launched in response to the war to support Ukrainian universities through sustainable and meaningful partnerships with institutions in the UK and beyond.

Key areas of focus included:

• Dual degree programmes

• The Generators4Ukraine project

• The English4Ukraine initiative

Charles also met with members of the Ukrainian delegation, including:

• Mychailo Wynnyckyj, Deputy Minister of Education and Science of Ukraine

• Olga Budnyk, Adviser - Commissioner to the President of Ukraine on the Fund for Support of Education, Science and Sports

• Mykola Trofymenko, Rector of Mariupol State University

The Congress reaffirmed the vital role of international cooperation in transforming Ukraine’s higher education system. Twinning was highlighted as a powerful example of how partnerships can strengthen institutional resilience, drive internationalisation, and support the recovery of universities during wartime.