August 24, 2026
Greetings on Ukraine’s 35th Independence Day!
As Ukraine marks the 35th anniversary of the restoration of its independence, we celebrate with pride, gratitude, and an unwavering belief in Ukraine’s future.
The war continues, and we are deeply saddened by the latest Russian missile attacks on civilians and by the lives lost in the defense of freedom. Every day brings new challenges and painful losses, including within our own Kyiv-Mohyla community. Yet even in wartime, Ukraine continues to live, to educate, to innovate, and to build for the future.
This summer, graduates begin new chapters in their lives, and incoming students arrive with their goals, ideas, and dreams. Summer at Kyiv-Mohyla is a season of admissions, summer schools, research, new academic programs, and expanding international partnerships - all signs of a university, and a country, moving forward.
The Kyiv-Mohyla Foundation of America continues to stand firmly beside the University, supporting students affected by the war, veterans returning to education and civilian life, academic initiatives, and programs that invest in Ukraine’s next generation of leaders.
We are proud of the accomplishments of Kyiv-Mohyla alumni who are serving in Ukraine’s Armed Forces, leading in government positions, developing Ukraine’s economy, educating a younger generation, representing Ukraine at international platforms. Read about some of them in this newsletter.
On this Independence Day, we especially thank our friends, donors, partners, and the Ukrainian-American community. Your generosity and steadfast support have enabled us to continue this work during one of the most difficult periods in Ukraine’s modern history. Your support is not only helping Kyiv-Mohyla endure the war - it is helping prepare the people who will shape Ukraine’s future.
As we celebrate 35 years of Ukrainian independence, we remember those who gave their lives for Ukraine, honor those who defend it today, and place our hope in the young Ukrainians who are already preparing to rebuild and lead their country tomorrow.
Thank you for standing with Ukraine. Thank you for standing with Kyiv-Mohyla Academy.
Marta Farion
President
Kyiv-Mohyla Foundation of America
Kyiv-Mohyla Academy Launches New Liberal Arts & Sciences Program for a new generation facing world transformations
This academic year, the National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy (NaUKMA) introduced a new interdisciplinary bachelor’s program, “Mohyla Trivium: Liberal Arts & Sciences,” designed to bring the liberal arts model of higher education to Ukraine.
The program has already attracted strong interest. For the 2026 admissions cycle, 171 applications were submitted for 65 available places.
Unlike traditional Ukrainian degree programs centered on a single specialization, Mohyla Trivium is designed to prepare students not only for a profession, but to become eduated individuals in rapidly changing world. The first year is fully interdisciplinary. Students then choose among three broad academic areas: Humanities, Social and Economic Sciences, or Natural and Technological Sciences.
Beginning in their second year, students will have significant freedom to build an individualized academic path by selecting courses from across Kyiv-Mohyla Academy.
The program is tuition-based, with annual tuition of UAH 95,000 (approximately $2,300), while eligible students may receive Ukrainian government grants covering part of the cost. You can become a sponsor of a scholarship for a worthy student.
The name “Trivium” connects the new program with Kyiv-Mohyla Academy’s centuries-old tradition of classical education associated with historic figures such as philosopher Hryhorii Skovoroda and Ukrainian Hetman Ivan Mazepa. In our time, the program will prepare a new Generation for a world transformed by artificial intelligence, where critical thinking, intellectual flexibility and the ability to work across disciplines will be increasingly important.
Rule of Law at the Center: Kyiv-Mohyla Helps Transform Legal Education in Ukraine
For nearly two decades, the National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy (NaUKMA) has been working to transform legal education in Ukraine by bringing it closer to European standards and placing the rule of law, human rights and democratic values at its core.
That effort recently continued with the sixth Summer School for Professional Development, organized by Kyiv-Mohyla Academy’s Faculty of Law in partnership with the Supreme Court of Ukraine and with the support of OSCE Projects in Ukraine.
Since the Summer Schools were launched, more than 150 professors and scholars from nearly 50 law schools across Ukraine participated. The initiative has contributed to modernizing university curricula, developing contemporary approaches to legal theory and improving the education of future Ukrainian lawyers.
This year’s three-day program brought together leading Ukrainian and international legal experts. Among the speakers were Mykola Gnatovskyy and Anna Adamska-Gallant, judges of the European Court of Human Rights, as well as Supreme Court judges Mykola Mazur, Olena Kibenko, Dmytro Hudyma and Pavlo Parkhomenko, and senior Supreme Court official Rasim Babanly.
At a time when Ukraine is defending both its independence and its European future, strengthening the rule of law is more than an academic goal. It is an essential part of building the democratic institutions the country will need during wartime, reconstruction and eventual European integration.
Defending International Law in a Time of War: Ukraine is Represented at Major Vienna Conference
The 82nd Biennial Conference of the International Law Association (ILA) opened at the University of Vienna under the theme “Contours of International Law: Encounters and Evolutions”, on August 17, 2026.
The gathering has special historical significance - the University of Vienna last hosted the ILA conference exactly 100 years ago, in 1926. Founded in 1365, the university is one of Europe’s oldest academic institutions.
Professor Myroslava Antonovych of the National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy (NaUKMA) represented the university at the four-day conference. She is participating in the ILA’s Study Group on the Rule of Law in International Relations, where she serves as a Rapporteur.
Professor Antonovych emphasized that Russia’s war against Ukraine underscore the importance of strengthening the international legal order and mechanisms of accountability.
She also acknowledged the work and contribution of the Ukrainian Branch of the ILA, Kyiv-Mohyla Academy Faculty of Law, and Vice President for Research Olha Poliukhovych, as well as the American Councils for International Education and the BridgeUSA Ukraine Program for Resilience and Reconstruction, which supported her participation.
Professor Antonovych emphasized the heroic role of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, noting that without those defending the country, Ukrainian scholars would not be able to continue their research or represent Ukraine internationally.
A Thousand Years of Ukrainian Literature. New Study by Olha Poliukhovych Published in Logos
Kyiv-Mohyla Academy continues its work and contributions in international academic publications.
Dr. Olha Poliukhovych, Vice President for Research at the National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy (NaUKMA), authored the academic article, “More than a Thousand Years of Ukrainian Literature: From Kyivan Rus to Russia’s Present War against Ukraine,” which appeared in the 2026 edition of the academic journal Logos (Vol. 37, Issue 1), published by Brill.
The article grew out of a lecture Dr. Poliukhovych delivered at the University of Oxford in January 2026, at the invitation of the Oxford University Ukrainian Society.
The study traces the development of Ukrainian literature from the cultural and literary heritage of Kyivan Rus through the present day, placing contemporary Ukrainian writing and culture in the context of Russia’s ongoing war against Ukraine.
The publication is particularly significant at a time when Russia continues to challenge and distort Ukraine’s history and cultural identity. By examining more than a millennium of literary development, Poliukhovych highlights the deep historical roots and continuity of Ukraine’s distinct intellectual and cultural tradition.
Ukrainian Filmmaker Kateryna Gornostai Received the Women in Arts Award 2026
Ukrainian filmmaker and Kyiv-Mohyla School of Journalism instructor Kateryna Gornostai received the Women in Arts Award 2026: The Resistance, in the Women in Film category.
Gornostai was recognized for her perceptive portrayal of contemporary Ukrainian life, particularly through her documentary “Timestamp”, which was selected for the main competition at the 2025 Berlin International Film Festival (Berlinale). The award also recognizes her work mentoring and educating a new generation of Ukrainian filmmakers.
The award ceremony took place in Kyiv on August 6. This year’s theme focused on hope and the power of art to preserve memory, sustain resilience and imagine a future even amid Russia’s ongoing war against Ukraine. Eight Ukrainian women artists were honored in various categories.
Established in 2019 by the Ukrainian Institute and UN Women in Ukraine, the Women in Arts Award was presented this year in partnership with UNESCO and Ukraine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Gornostai’s recognition highlights not only the growing international presence of Ukrainian cinema, but also the role Ukrainian artists continue to play in documenting their country’s experience during wartime and bringing those stories to audiences around the world.
Kyiv-Mohyla Alumnus Appointed Acting CEO of Naftogaz Ukraine
Serhii Fedorenko, a graduate of the National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy (NaUKMA), has been appointed Acting CEO of Naftogaz of Ukraine, the country’s state-owned national energy company.
Fedorenko graduated from Kyiv-Mohyla Academy’s Political Science master’s program in 2010 and has more than a decade of management experience in Ukraine’s oil and gas sector.
From 2015 to 2023, he served as Commercial Director and a member of the Management Board of Ukrgasvydobuvannya, while also heading Naftogaz Oil Trading. He later held a senior commercial position at Ukrnafta and, in July 2025, became Commercial Director of Naftogaz Group.
In 2022–2023, Fedorenko also served as a volunteer in the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
As Acting CEO, his immediate priorities will include preparing Ukraine for the upcoming heating season, maintaining sufficient natural gas reserves, and restoring and protecting critical energy infrastructure amid continuing Russian attacks.
He will also oversee cooperation with international partners, diversification of gas supplies, and financing mechanisms needed to rebuild Ukraine’s damaged energy infrastructure.
Congratulations to Mr. Fedorenko on his appointment and best wishes and strength in leading one of Ukraine’s most strategically important companies.
Ukraine Names Kyiv-Mohyla Graduate Liubov Halan Deputy Defense Minister
Liubov Halan, a graduate of the National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy (NaUKMA), has been appointed Deputy Minister of Defense of Ukraine.
Halan earned her bachelor’s degree in 2017 and master’s degree in history in 2019. She is a prominent human rights advocate and co-founder and head of Pryncyp, a human rights organization supporting Ukrainian service members. She also co-founded Frontline.Care, a charitable organization providing assistance to Ukraine’s military.
Her work has received national recognition. In 2023, Halan was named to Forbes Ukraine’s “30 Under 30” list and the Ukrainska Pravda “UP-100” list of Ukrainian leaders. In 2024, she received the “Golden Heart” award from the President of Ukraine.
As Deputy Defense Minister, Halan will focus on one of Ukraine’s most critical wartime priorities — the people who serve in the country’s Defense Forces, including recruitment and retention, military career development and training, healthcare, and social protection for service members and their families.
She will also work to strengthen protections for military personnel by establishing clearer rules defining their rights and responsibilities and making the Ministry of Defense more responsive to the needs of those serving on the front lines.
Halan described the appointment as both a major challenge and a continuation of her previous work advocating for Ukrainian service members.
“At the heart of this institution’s work must be the interests of the service member and his or her family — throughout their entire journey,” she said.
Ukraine Is Losing Its Best: War Claims the Lives of Kyiv-Mohyla Students and Alumni
Russia’s war against Ukraine continues to take the lives of a generation that should be building the country’s future. Among the fallen are students and alumni of the National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy (NaUKMA), one of Ukraine’s oldest and most respected universities.
They were scholars, teachers, professionals and volunteers. Some joined Ukraine’s Armed Forces. Others risked their lives to save civilians. All became victims of Russia’s war.
Vitalii Shtefan, a Kyiv-Mohyla alumnus, historian and educator, served in the 47th Separate Mechanized Brigade “Magura” as a rifleman and assistant grenade launcher operator. Before joining the military, he taught history and worked as a researcher at the Museum of the History of Kyiv. Shtefan had been missing in action since October 2024 while serving in the Kursk region. His death was recently confirmed. His funeral will take place on August 19, 2026, at Ukraine’s National Military Memorial Cemetery.
On June 8, 2026, Oleksandr Klitchenko, a Kyiv-Mohyla alumnus and political scientist, was killed in combat in Ukraine’s Kharkiv region. He earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in political science and later a Ph.D., focusing his research on national and international security. For many years, he was also a member of Kyiv-Mohyla’s Pochaina Choir. Klitchenko joined Ukraine’s Defense Forces in June 2025 and served with a unit of the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine.
On July 31, 2026, Vladyslav Rafalskyi, a 2018 graduate of Kyiv-Mohyla’s Political Science program, was killed in Izium in eastern Ukraine’s Kharkiv region during a Russian guided aerial bomb attack. He had joined the Armed Forces of Ukraine in September 2025 and served with an electronic warfare unit of Ukraine’s 3rd Army Corps. Before joining the military, Rafalskyi had built a successful career in international business and worked to develop international business partnerships.
On August 1, 2026, Vitalina Yarovenko, a 20-year-old psychology student at Kyiv-Mohyla Academy, was killed during a Russian attack on Kyiv. Yarovenko was an instructor with a university training program and volunteered to help people following the initial strike. She went to the site to assist those in need. A subsequent Russian strike took her life.
Four lives. Four members of the Kyiv-Mohyla community. Behind each name are families, friends, colleagues, dreams and a future cut short by Russia’s war.
Remember their names: Vitalii Shtefan. Oleksandr Klitchenko. Vladyslav Rafalskyi. Vitalina Yarovenko. Their lives were cut short. Their courage and sacrifice must not be forgotten.