Welcome to 2026!
The year began with global challenges. As I write this note, Kyiv is without electricity and heat. But Ukrainians are amazing people – already utility systems are being restored, trains and buses are functioning, and there is resolve in the spirit of unity. It is a spirit that unites us with Kyiv-Mohyla Academy’s students, faculty members and leadership.
Thank you for the support you provided last year – support that allowed many programs to grow and provide new meanings in times of turbulence and uncertainty. Every day, the power of education became part of the transformation of the country. Join us this year to continue providing Kyiv-Mohyla Academy growth through knowledge, reflection and change. The role of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy to influence reforms in national governance, societal expectations, and educating young leaders is undisputed. Let’s support our students! Let’s grow our strength and hope together!
With best wishes to each of you,
Marta Farion
Viktoriia Romaniuk of Kyiv Mohyla Journalism School and Stop Fake Will speak at the Global Disinformation Symposium at Northwestern University
A symposium on global disinformation will take place January 22–23 at Northwestern University in Evanston. The event is hosted by the Roberta Buffett Institute for Global Affairs and the Center for Communication and Public Policy, in partnership with the Chicago Council on Global Affairs, the Kyiv-Mohyla Foundation of America, and the Polsky Foundation. The symposium brings together international experts from public policy, academia, media, and civil society to discuss trust in information, accountability, and new strategies for countering disinformation in a post-moderation era.
A featured panel, “Countering State-Sponsored Disinformation and Ensuring Trustworthy Information Spaces,” will be held on Friday, January 23, from 1:15 to 2:45 p.m. Among the speakers is Viktoriia Romaniuk, Deputy Chief Editor of StopFake and Director of the Mohyla School of Journalism at the National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy.
Free admission. Registration required:
https://buffett.northwestern.edu/events/brave-new-futures/global-disinformation-in-a-post-moderation-world.html
Viktoriia Romaniuk
Viktoriia Romaniuk, PhD, is Director of the Mohyla School of Journalism at the National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy and Deputy Chief Editor of StopFake. She also chairs the UNESCO IFAP Working Group on Information Ethics. Her research focuses on disinformation, media ethics, fact-checking, media literacy, and the impact of artificial intelligence on journalism.
More Veterans Graduate at the Leadership and Resilience Executive Program
The Kyiv-Mohyla Veterans Leadership and Resilience Center held the graduation of the third group of 23 defenders on December 19, 2025.
The Veterans Leadership and Resilience Center is more than an educational program. It is a Community of Action – a space where peers come together to lead change. After three months of intensive study, 23 defenders received certificates from the National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy.
The “Leadership & Resilience” certificate program is the flagship program of the Ukrainian Defenders Leadership Center. It is designed to support and empower veterans who seek to contribute to public policy, community development, and the implementation of leadership initiatives aimed at Ukraine’s recovery and long-term resilience.
This year, the program marked three graduation ceremonies, and it is truly inspiring to see the community continue to grow.
We are deeply grateful to the donor community in the United States. Thanks to your support, the Kyiv-Mohyla Foundation of America can sustain programs like Leadership and Resilience, helping Ukrainian veterans during this difficult time. Your generosity made this program possible.
Building a Veteran Community Beyond the Program: Lasting Connections at the Ukrainian Defenders Leadership Center
“Veterans need a space to communicate with one another – a space for conversations about difficult things, for the emergence of new ideas and collaborations. Global experience shows that veterans return to civilian life more easily through connections with other veterans,”
– Bohdan Lepiavko, graduate of the Leadership & Resilience Executive Education Program.
Bohdan Lepiavko is an active-duty service member and a graduate of the Leadership & Resilience Executive Education Program (Fall 2025). Prior to military service, he had a background in academic research in theoretical physics and was actively involved in civic engagement, including work with the organization U-Cycle.
For Bohdan, studying at the Ukrainian Defenders Leadership Center became a space for reflection and strategic thinking:
“I felt that during my service a certain professional distortion of thinking had started to emerge. Here, I had the opportunity to think again about more abstract things, to discuss ideas, and to plan for the future.”
“I believe it is important for veterans to support one another. We are all different – the army is a cross-section of society – and a shared common ground needs to emerge. Building an active veteran community is an important priority for me going forward. It matters both for the country and personally – to be part of such a community.”
“Navidad Nuestra” Premieres in Ukraine at Kyiv-Mohyla Academy A Celebration of Cultural Diplomacy
The premiere of the Christmas cantata Navidad Nuestra by Argentine composer Ariel Ramírez, with lyrics by Félix Luna, took place at the Cultural and Arts Center of the National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy.
The work was performed by the Pochaina National Academic Choral Capella of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy, conducted by Oleksandr Zhyhun, together with the Orchestra of Folk Instruments, conducted by Nataliia Skriabina. The concert was hosted by Anna Zakletska, a graduate of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy.
Composed in 1963, Navidad Nuestra offers a unique reinterpretation of the Nativity story through the cultural lens of South America. Mary and Joseph travel across the pampas, while the Magi bring gifts rooted in Latin American tradition. The cantata blends sacred themes with the rhythms of traditional folk dances, creating a vivid and expressive musical language.
While the music of Navidad Nuestra has been previously known in Ukraine through individual performances and a translation by Valentyn Moroz, this concert marked the first complete performance of the cantata in Ukraine, presented in both Spanish and Ukrainian in a specially adapted choral version.
The concert was held with the support of the Embassy of the Republic of Argentina in Ukraine and was honored by the presence of Elena Leticia Teresa Mikusinski, Her Excellency the Ambassador of Argentina, highlighting the importance of cultural dialogue between Ukraine and Argentina.
The Ukrainian premiere of Navidad Nuestra at Kyiv-Mohyla Academy became a significant cultural event, demonstrating the power of cultural diplomacy at a time of full-scale war. Through music, two cultures meet, listen, and come to better understand one another.
Please help Kyiv-Mohyla Foundation, USA continue its mission
NaUKMA Law Team Honored as “Honorary Ambassadors of Ukraine 2025”
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs presented the “Honorary Ambassadors of Ukraine 2025” in the category “Academic and Educational Diplomacy” to the Kyiv-Mohyla School of Law. The recognition highlights the Law School’s contribution to international academic cooperation, to the promotion of Ukrainian legal scholarship, and to strengthening Ukraine’s positive image abroad.
The award ceremony was attended by Ukraine’s First Lady Olena Zelenska, Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, diplomats, public officials, cultural figures, and media representatives.
“This award confirms the importance of supporting Ukrainian students. Being named an Honorary Ambassador is the highest recognition in public diplomacy, and we are grateful to the Academy and our mentors for giving us a voice for Ukraine on the global stage,” said team member Vladyslav Levchuk.
Congratulations to the Law School on this achievement. We celebrate their role in advancing scholarship and Ukraine’s international standing.
NaUKMA Team Wins “UA-EE Cyber Shield” Cybersecurity Competition
The Faculty of Computer Science team at Kyiv-Mohyla Academy (NaUKMA) took first place in the UA-EE Cyber Shield CTF competition, a contest for Ukrainian cybersecurity professionals.
The event was held under the Tallinn Mechanism, an international initiative aimed at strengthening Ukraine’s cyber resilience, and included 62 participants from law enforcement, critical infrastructure operators, and academia.
Over two days, teams worked on a “Smart City” model, solving cybersecurity challenges across land, air, and water infrastructure — from traffic light systems and railway hubs to ports and water supply facilities. NaUKMA students scored the highest points, with the winning team composed of Anastasiia Kyseliova, Ivan Lysenko, and Artem Shkilniuk.
“Winning the CTF shows the quality of our training. While we do not aim to produce ‘CTF athletes,’ the competition is an excellent exercise in technical thinking, discipline, and teamwork, reinforcing the practical skills our students develop in the program,” said Trokhym Babych, Deputy Dean of the Faculty of Computer Science.
Congratulations to the Faculty of Computer Science and the cybersecurity winning team.
NaUKMA Hosts Conference on How Business and Universities Build National Capacity
Partnerships between universities, government, and business are essential for sustainable development
Kyiv-Mohyla Academy (NaUKMA) hosted the strategic event “Ukrainian Future Contour: How Business and Universities Build National Capacity,” organized in partnership with the Professional Association for Environment (PAEW). The event brought together representatives from government, business, academia, and civil society to discuss the role of environmental, social, governance concerns and education in shaping Ukraine’s future.
Participants included Carlsberg Ukraine, Koval’ska, Ferrexpo, and Interpipe. They engaged in an open discussion on building a Ukrainian foundation for recovery—one that accounts for the country’s landscape, energy resources, social realities, and the challenges of full-scale war.
“Universities are laboratories of national capacity. This is where solutions for resilience, circular economy, and ecological innovation are born,” said Serhiy Kvit, president of NaUKMA. The discussion also highlighted the university’s contribution to green initiatives, interdisciplinary programs, and research on environmental damages caused by Russian military actions—critical work for future environmental accountability in Ukraine.
The event explored practical mechanisms for integrating ESG into educational programs and fostering collaboration between universities and business to develop new professions—from environmental strategists and energy efficiency engineers to next-generation lawyers. Companies shared real-life cases of process transformation and workforce preparation to support Ukraine’s post-war competitiveness for national recovery.
University Publications that reach the international academic community
New Issue of NaUKMA Journal of Legal Sciences
The latest issue of “Scientific Notes of NaUKMA. Legal Sciences” (Vol. 16, 2025) is now available. This open-access, peer-reviewed journal features research across various fields of law, including human rights in the digital age, judicial review, compliance, artificial intelligence, blockchain, and case law from the Constitutional Court of Ukraine and the European Court of Human Rights.
Notably, the issue includes a Ukrainian translation of a timely commentary by Professor Anne Peters, Director of the Max Planck Institute for Comparative Public and International Law in Heidelberg, on contemporary threats to international law.
All articles underwent double-blind peer review, have DOIs, and are indexed in national and international scholarly databases, ensuring wide accessibility to researchers.
Kyiv-Mohyla Law and Politics Journal Issue 11
The 11th issue of the Kyiv-Mohyla Law and Politics Journal brings together high-quality research from authors across Ukraine, Poland, the UK, Spain, Italy, Lithuania, Hungary, and the USA.
The journal continues to be open-access and free for both authors and readers, thanks to the generous support of partners and benefactors.
Thank you for helping Kyiv-Mohyla Foundation, USA continue its mission