September 2026
Classes are NOT cancelled – Resilience – Leadership to Victory
The start of this new academic year is
a powerful reminder that Ukraine is defending not only its present, but also
its future. Every student who comes to class after a night of air-raid alerts,
every professor who continues to teach, and every Ukrainian university that keeps
its academic community alive is investing in the Ukraine that will emerge from
this war.
For the Kyiv-Mohyla Foundation of
America, supporting Kyiv-Mohyla Academy means investing in young men and women
who will become the scholars, educators, entrepreneurs, professionals, public
servants, and civic leaders who will rebuild Ukraine and shape its future.
To our new students: Welcome to
the National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy!
There will be difficult days. There may
be interrupted lectures, air-raid alerts, and plans changed at the last minute.
But there will also be books and conversations, friendships and discoveries,
new ideas and important questions about freedom, humanity, and responsibility.
And through it all, another generation
of Kyiv-Mohyla students will move forward - learning, thinking, questioning,
discovering, and preparing to lead.
The Kyiv-Mohyla Foundation of America
congratulates the entire NaUKMA community on the new academic year. We wish our
students, faculty, and staff strength and inspiration, academic success, and,
above all, a peaceful and safe year ahead.
Throughout its history, Kyiv-Mohyla
Academy has been deeply intertwined with the development of Ukraine’s identity,
independence, and intellectual life. Rarely has that role been more important, or
more visible, than it is today.
That is why the Kyiv-Mohyla Foundation of America remains
more committed than ever to supporting Kyiv-Mohyla Academy - investing in
Ukraine’s next generation and standing with Ukraine as it fights for its
freedom and its future. We appreciate
your support of the university and our work.
Marta Farion
President
Kyiv-Mohyla Foundation of America
A New Academic Year at Kyiv-Mohyla Academy
Education Continues Even in Wartime
A new academic year has begun at the National University of Kyiv-Mohyla
Academy - another year shaped by war, but also by determination, resilience,
and hope for Ukraine’s future.
September 1 has always been a special day. It is the day a new generation enters the
university and first-year students officially become spudei - the university name for new students.
Because Kyiv has been fiercely attacked by Russian missiles, the security
situation changed the traditional Initiation Day from a student festivity on
campus to an online event. President
Serhiy Kvit welcomed the incoming students, congratulating them as they began a
new chapter of their lives.
The program featured an inaugural lecture by Maksym Butkevych, Honorary
Professor of NaUKMA, titled “The Human Being as a Point of Reference,”
and a lecture by Archimandrite Cyril Hovorun, “Mohyla and Countercultures,”
from the series Spiritual Values of the Human Being.
But behind the official program is another story - the reality of being a
university student in Ukraine today.
https://www.facebook.com/reel/2414067776030066
“Maybe We Should Go Online Today?”
Shortly before one of the first classes at KMA_PRO, the Kyiv-Mohyla
School of Professional and Continuing Education, Professor Tetiana Nahorniak,
Dean of KMA_PRO, spoke candidly to her students.
There was no air-raid alert at that moment, but another threat could be
approaching. Perhaps, she suggested, they should move the class online.
The students chose to stay. All of them. It was an instant decision, but
one that says a great deal about this generation of Ukrainians.
Their academic year begins in circumstances where plans can change within
minutes. Air-raid sirens interrupt lectures. Russian missile and drone attacks
turn ordinary nights into sleepless ones. Classes sometimes move from historic
lecture halls into shelters.
And yet, students continue to show up. They study, debate, make new
friends, ask difficult questions, and plan their futures.
At KMA-PRO, students began the year by writing letters to their future
selves, imagining who they will be when they graduate.
In
another country, this might simply be a touching university tradition. In
wartime Ukraine, it carries a deeper meaning - preserving the hopes and dreams
of young people who continue to believe in their future.
In another country, this might simply be a
touching university tradition. In wartime Ukraine, it carries a deeper meaning
- preserving the hopes and dreams of young people who continue to believe in
their future.
“Classes Are NOT Cancelled”
Professor Mychailo Wynnyckyj captured the spirit of this
new academic year after a particularly difficult night of russian attacks on Kyiv.
Writing the following morning, he described what students
and faculty had just experienced - Quiet after the storm...
The previous night in Kyiv was difficult, to say the least. Exact numbers of what was fired are
unknown, but what is known is that Ukraine’s
defenders managed to shoot down over 30 cruise
missiles and over 140 attack drones.
Professor
Wynnyckyj writes, “Unfortunately, some of russia's crap
made it through... This morning I sent an email to our
Mohyla Trivium: Liberal Arts & Sciences students - Classes are NOT cancelled!!!”
His message was about much more than a class schedule. Continuing to study, teach, question,
argue, discuss, and live is itself an expression of Ukraine’s resilience.
One day, students discussed “What is freedom?” in a class
led by Dean of Social Sciences Liudmyla Zubrytska. The next day, security
concerns moved the classroom underground, where Dean of Informatics Andrii
Glybovets led a discussion on “Being Human in a Digital World.”
Professor Wynnyckyj described the experience this way: “The underground classroom is
reminiscent of the original Kyiv-Mohyla Academy - once
a monastery and religious school, an
‘ideal’ setting for a class on ‘Being Human in a Digital World’... To be
honest, our students are enthralled by the experience!”
Dr.
Wynnyckyj continued, “And then came another reminder of the
reality outside the classroom: As I write this, a drone just exploded somewhere uptown -
loud bang. But Kontraktova Square lives on.” (Kontraktova Square
is across the street from the university campus.)
His final words captured the mood: “This nation is
indestructible!!!”
The setting may be extraordinary, but there is also
something deeply symbolic about it.
Kyiv-Mohyla Academy’s
history reaches back centuries. The Academy has lived through wars, political
repression, closure, and national upheaval. Today, once again, its students and
professors are demonstrating that intellectual life cannot simply be put on
hold.
Above ground, historic Kontraktova Square continues to
live. And when necessary, as through its history, below ground, Kyiv-Mohyla continues to teach.
Kyiv-Mohyla Academy leaders at Forbes Ukraine Conference Rethinking the University of the Future
Forbes University 2026, an annual conference organized by Forbes Ukraine
brought together more than 300 leaders from higher education, business, and the
public sector. Kyiv-Mohyla Academy leading figures participated in discussions
focused on key questions facing universities.
NaUKMA President Serhiy Kvit, together with Supervisory Board member
Iryna Ivanchyk and NaUKMA alumna and McDonald’s Ukraine CEO Yuliya
Badritdinova, discussed new models of cooperation between universities and the
business community.
NaUKMA Vice President for Economics and Finance Vitaliy Gorduz joined a
conversation on the financial sustainability of modern universities, while
Supervisory Board Chair Hennadiy Zubko moderated a discussion on how
partnerships between universities and businesses can produce meaningful and
measurable results.
Another important conversation looked beyond technology itself. Mychailo
Wynnyckyj, Head of the Center for Liberal Arts and Sciences, participated in a
discussion on the role of the humanities and interdisciplinary education in the
age of artificial intelligence.
The conversation highlighted Mohyla Trivium: Liberal Arts & Sciences,
NaUKMA’s interdisciplinary program designed to develop critical thinking,
intellectual flexibility, lifelong learning, and the ability to adapt in a
world where technology is rapidly transforming professions.
For Kyiv-Mohyla Academy, the university of the future is not defined by
technology alone. It is built through strong academic values, interdisciplinary
thinking, financial sustainability, and meaningful partnerships between
universities, business, and society.
Four Kyiv-Mohyla Community Members Named to Forbes Ukraine’s “30 Under 30” 2026
Four members of the Kyiv-Mohyla Academy community have been named
to Forbes Ukraine’s “30 Under 30” 2026, an annual recognition of young
Ukrainians who are already making a significant impact in business, defense,
science, technology, culture, and civic life.
This year, Forbes Ukraine considered more than 700 nominees. From
a list of 180 candidates, 30 honorees were selected across six categories.
All four Kyiv-Mohyla representatives were recognized in the “Agents of
Change” category:
Andrii Kalinin - Director of the Kyiv-Mohyla Foundation in Ukraine and Head of
Strategic Development at NaUKMA. He was recognized for expanding support from
businesses, alumni, and international partners and for developing a more
strategic approach to university fundraising.
Artem Oberniak - NaUKMA alumnus and Head of the Rehabilitation Center at Feofaniya
Clinical Hospital. He was recognized for developing one of Ukraine’s leading
rehabilitation centers.
Artem Moroz - a student in the PMBA-32 program at Kyiv-Mohyla Business School (kmbs)
and Head of Investment at Brave1. He was recognized for helping attract tens of
millions of dollars in investment to Ukrainian defense-technology startups.
Vladyslav Urubkov - NaUKMA alumnus and Head of the Military Department at the Come Back
Alive Foundation. He was recognized for developing practical solutions for
Ukraine’s Armed Forces and supporting the delivery of military assistance
valued at UAH 38 billion.
Four different professional paths - and four different ways of helping
shape Ukraine’s future.
The Kyiv-Mohyla Foundation of America congratulates Andrii, Artem, Artem,
and Vladyslav on this recognition. Their achievements reflect the leadership,
initiative, and commitment to public service that have long been part of the
Kyiv-Mohyla tradition.
Kyiv-Mohyla Academy Holds Fourth Annual Gender Equality Week
Despite ongoing air-raid alerts in Kyiv, the National University of
Kyiv-Mohyla Academy (NaUKMA) held its fourth annual Gender Equality Week,
September 7–11, bringing together students, faculty, researchers, and experts
for five days of conversations on equal rights and opportunities in Ukrainian
society - including the new challenges created by Russia’s war against Ukraine.
NaUKMA President Serhiy Kvit opened the week, emphasizing the
University’s long academic tradition of studying and promoting equal rights and
opportunities.
A highlight of this year’s program was the introduction of the
university’s new interdisciplinary Gender Studies Certificate Program named in
honor of Solomiia Pavlychko - the prominent Ukrainian literary scholar,
publisher, intellectual, and pioneering voice in Ukrainian gender studies.
The week addressed issues that have particular relevance for Ukraine
today. Discussions explored women’s access to military education and careers in
the defense and security sectors; women’s participation in politics and civic
activism during wartime; feminist philosophy; and the use of gender-sensitive
and non-discriminatory language in academic institutions.
One discussion presented new research examining how Russia’s full-scale
war has affected women’s political participation in Ukraine. Another focused on
the barriers women can still encounter in military education and professional
careers, despite having formal access to Ukraine’s military educational
institutions.
The program also created space for students to take an active role in
shaping university policy. NaUKMA sociology students presented recommendations
on gender-sensitive and non-discriminatory language for consideration within
the University.
Holding Gender Equality Week during wartime carries a particular
significance. Even amid air-raid alerts and constant uncertainty, Kyiv-Mohyla
Academy continues to create space for academic discussion, critical thinking,
and conversations about the kind of society Ukraine is building for its future.
For
NaUKMA, the principles of equal rights, dignity, academic freedom, and
opportunity remain an important part of university life - in wartime as well as
in peace.
Archives of RUKH, the People’s Movement for Independence, are gifted to Kyiv-Mohyla Academy for Historic Preservation
As Ukraine marks the 35th anniversary of the renewal of its independence,
the Kyiv-Mohyla Academy Library has received an important collection of
archival materials documenting the movement that helped pave the way toward the
restoration of Ukrainian independence in 1991.
The collection focuses on the People’s Movement of Ukraine, known as
Rukh, which emerged in 1989 during the final years of the Soviet Union.
Bringing together Ukrainians from different political backgrounds, Rukh became
an important force for democratic change, national revival, and Ukrainian
independence.
The newly acquired archive includes newspapers and periodicals,
correspondence, photographs, campaign posters, and other materials documenting
the activities of Rukh’s regional organizations. It also preserves documents
connected to Anhelina Usykova, an activist who played an important role in the
national and civic revival in the city of Smila in central Ukraine.
The materials were donated with the assistance of Vitaly Chervonenko, a
researcher and Kyiv-Mohyla alumnus from Smila.
The collection also has a personal connection to NaUKMA President Serhiy
Kvit. As a student in 1989, Kvit participated in establishing the local Rukh
organization in Smila while completing an internship at a local newspaper.
Preserving these documents at Kyiv-Mohyla Academy will make an important
part of Ukraine’s modern history available to future generations of students
and researchers.
At
a time when Ukraine is once again defending its freedom, preserving the history
of those who helped restore its independence is especially significant.
260 New Students Join Kyiv-Mohyla’s Faculty of Computer Science
The Faculty of Computer Science at the National
University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy (NaUKMA) has welcomed 260 new undergraduate
students for the 2026–2027 academic year.
Despite the challenges of wartime, first-year students
were able to begin their studies in person, meet their professors and
classmates, and become part of the Kyiv-Mohyla academic community.
The new students are enrolled across six undergraduate
programs:
Applied Mathematics — 35 students
Big Data Analytics — 25
Computer Science — 65
Software Engineering — 65
Information Systems Vulnerability Analysis — 35
Automation, Computer-Integrated Technologies and Robotics
— 35
But for Andrii Glybovets, Dean of the Faculty of Computer
Science, the most encouraging part of the new academic year is not the numbers. What stands out, he says, is the motivation of the
incoming students. Many already have a clear understanding of why they chose
their field and what they hope to achieve during their studies at Kyiv-Mohyla.
Dean Glybovets also expressed special appreciation to
Cargill for supporting the creation of a shelter where classes can continue
during air-raid alerts.
In Ukraine today, a university classroom may sometimes
have to move underground. But the education of a new generation of
mathematicians, computer scientists, software engineers, data specialists,
cybersecurity experts, and robotics professionals continues.
KMA alumni and Foundation president advocate for Sanctions against Russia
Kyiv-Mohyla Academy was well represented in Washington D.C, with numerous
alumni who joined over 600 representatives of Ukrainian communities from across
the United States on September 12-16 to advocate for passage of the Lindsey Graham
Bill for sanctions against Russia. The
Bill passed 262–159 and now it moves for the President’s signature.
Among many other KMA alumni, Mariia Ulianovska of Independence Avenue
Media covered the events for the global public. Marta Farion, president of the Kyiv-Mohyla
Foundation of America joined the advocacy efforts. The events were organized by the American
Coalition for Ukraine, and focused on meetings with members of Congress, policy
discussions, advocacy training, and meetings on Capitol Hill with policymakers.
For KMFA, participation in the gathering reflects an important part of
its broader mission - supporting the National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy
in its mission of educating Ukraine’s next generation of leaders and ensuring
that the voice of Ukraine and of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy continues to be heard in
the United States.
The Kyiv-Mohyla Foundation of America is proud to be part of this
nationwide civic engagement focused on keeping Ukraine’s future at the center
of public dialogue in the United States.
Kyiv-Mohyla members join Ukraine’s 35th Independence Anniversary in Washington
More than 500 guests gathered at Ukraine House in Washington, D.C. for a
special reception marking the 35th anniversary of Ukraine’s independence.
The event brought together members of Congress, U.S. Administration
officials, diplomats, business leaders, Ukrainian-American community
representatives, Ukraine’s defenders, and special guests, including Ukrainian
athlete Vladyslav Heraskevych and Miss Universe Ukraine.
Marta Farion, President of the Kyiv-Mohyla Foundation of America (KMFA),
was among the invited guests, representing the Foundation and numerous alumni
of the Kyiv-Mohyla community attended this important gathering in the nation’s
capital.
The
program was hosted by Denys Sienik, Chargé d'affaires of Ukraine in the United States, and Oksana
Markarova, Ambassador of Ukraine to the United States 2021-2025, Advisor to the
President of Ukraine on Reconstruction and Investment, Chair of the Board of
Ukraine House, and a proud alumna of National University Kyiv-Mohyla
Academy.
The gathering at Ukraine House offered an opportunity to celebrate
Ukraine’s independence while bringing together American and Ukrainian leaders,
organizations, businesses, and community representatives.
For
the Kyiv-Mohyla Foundation of America, Marta Farion’s participation was an opportunity
to represent Kyiv-Mohyla and Ukraine’s educational community in the broader
U.S.-Ukraine
From Military Service to Ukraine’s Future: The Defenders Leadership Center at Kyiv-Mohyla
The Defenders Leadership Center at the National University of Kyiv-Mohyla
Academy (NaUKMA) is the first university-based center in Ukraine created
specifically to develop the leadership potential of veterans and active-duty
service members as they prepare for new roles in civilian and professional
life.
The Center begins with a simple principle - veterans do not need to learn
leadership from the beginning. Military
service has already given them experience in taking responsibility, leading
teams, making difficult decisions, and working under extraordinary pressure and
uncertainty.
The Center helps participants build on that experience by providing new
knowledge, practical tools, professional networks, and an academic environment
where they can prepare for the next stage of their lives.
Its initiatives include the “Leadership and Resilience” management
development certificate program; educational programs for professionals who
work with veterans; partnerships with Ukrainian businesses and government
institutions; and cooperation with universities across Ukraine to build
stronger campus support systems for veterans.
Ukraine’s defenders have already demonstrated their ability to lead under
the most difficult circumstances. Kyiv-Mohyla Academy is helping create the
educational environment where that leadership can continue to grow and help
shape Ukraine’s future.
Recently, the Center’s director Yana Chapailo, the director of
communications Maria Savrun, and two veterans represented the Kyiv-Mohyla
Center for Defenders and Veterans Leadership, as part of the Leaders who came
to the United States, supported by the Congressional Office for International
Leadership and Razom for Ukraine. The
Ukraine House hosted a reception in their honor.
An updated textbook on Media Law was presented by Kyiv-Mohyla School of Journalism
On September 11, the Kyiv-Mohyla School of Journalism
presented an updated edition of its Media Law textbook, addressing the rapidly
changing legal and professional environment in which Ukrainian journalists work
today.
The event was opened by NaUKMA President Serhiy Kvit,
Olena Demchenko, Senior Project Officer at the Council of Europe, and Viktoriia
Romaniuk, Director of the Kyiv-Mohyla School of Journalism.
Authors Nataliia Petrova and Viacheslav Yakubenko
introduced the updated edition, outlining its structure, revised legal topics,
and practical applications in preparing future journalists.
Legal challenges journalists encounter in their
professional work and the need for stronger legal literacy across the media
sector were examined. Particular attention was given to
how these challenges have intensified since Russia’s full-scale invasion of
Ukraine.
The discussion focused on one of the most difficult
questions facing journalism in wartime -
how to protect freedom of expression while addressing legitimate security
concerns and maintaining professional, ethical, and legal responsibility.
Participants also emphasized that freedom of speech
should not be confused with freedom from professional, ethical, or legal
responsibility. For journalists working in wartime, understanding both their
rights and their responsibilities has become increasingly important.
The program was organized by the Kyiv-Mohyla School of
Journalism with the support of the Council of Europe project “Safeguarding
Freedom of Expression and Freedom of Media in Ukraine – Phase II.”