Kyiv-Mohyla Academy Celebrates 411th Anniversary
This year, we celebrate the 411th anniversary of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy, one of Ukraine’s oldest and most distinguished institutions of higher learning.
This year, we celebrate the 411th anniversary of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy, one of Ukraine’s oldest and most distinguished institutions of higher learning.
In 1615, one remarkable woman, Halshka Hulevychivna, helped lay the
foundation for an educational institution that would shape Ukrainian society
for more than four centuries. Later, Petro Mohyla played a defining role in
transforming the institution into a leading center of education and intellectual
life.
Throughout its history, Kyiv-Mohyla Academy has educated generations of
Ukraine’s most influential leaders and thinkers. Today, its alumni hold
prominent positions in government, business, academia, science, and culture.
Wherever one turns in Ukraine, one encounters graduates of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy
who are helping shape the nation's future.
Today, Kyiv-Mohyla Academy is once again making history - not only
through education, but through extraordinary courage and resilience in the face
of Russia’s brutal war.
The determination of its students, faculty, and staff reminds us that a
university is much more than its buildings. It is a community united by the
belief that education, freedom, human dignity, and a nation's independence are
values worth defending.
Yet the challenges facing the Academy continue to grow. War-damaged
buildings need urgent repairs. Historic library and museum collections must be
protected. Classrooms and student facilities need reliable electricity,
heating, and safe bomb shelters. And talented young Ukrainians need
scholarships to continue their education despite the extraordinary hardships of
war.
We cannot stop the air-raid sirens over Kyiv. But together, we can help
ensure that when the sirens end, students have classrooms to return to, lights
by which to study, and opportunities to pursue their dreams. Below, we share
some of the many projects taking place now in just two university
departments.
As we celebrate 411 years of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy, we invite you to become part of its remarkable story. Please stand with Kyiv-Mohyla Academy by making a gift to the Kyiv-Mohyla Foundation of America.
Respectfully and with gratitude to everyone who stands with Ukraine and believes in the transformative power of education.
Marta Farion Maria
Klimchak
President Executive
Director
From 65 Students to International Recognition: Kyiv-Mohyla Academy School of Law Celebrates 30 Years
In September 1996,
just five years after Ukraine regained its independence, 65 students entered a
newly established School of Law at the historic Kyiv-Mohyla Academy. They were
part of an ambitious vision: to educate a new generation of Ukrainian lawyers
guided by justice, academic integrity, democratic values, and the rule of law.
Thirty years later,
that vision has become a remarkable success story.
In 2026, the School
of Law at the National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy celebrates its 30th
anniversary as one of Ukraine’s leading institutions for legal education, with
graduates contributing to the country’s judicial system, government, legal profession,
and civil society.
The School's
development was shaped by distinguished scholars and academic leaders,
including Volodymyr Sushchenko, Zoreslava Romovska, Andriy Meleshevych, and
Mykola Koziubra. Their work helped introduce modern legal education rooted in
European democratic traditions rather than the Soviet legal system.
American partnerships
played an important role from the beginning. The School established cooperation
with the University of Baltimore School of Law and the American Bar
Association, helping connect Ukraine's emerging legal education system with
international experience and professional standards.
Over the years,
Kyiv-Mohyla law students have earned recognition at prestigious international
competitions, including the Philip C. Jessup International Law Moot Court
Competition and many others. The School also developed academic partnerships across
Europe, including a dual-degree master's program with Vilnius University in
Lithuania.
When Russia launched
its full-scale invasion in 2022, the School's mission became even more urgent.
Together with Ukrainian legal experts, it launched the Law in Wartime
initiative, providing legal analysis to public authorities and helping address
unprecedented challenges created by the war. Its experts also contributed to
the Ukrainian Parliament's declaration recognizing Russia's actions in Ukraine
as genocide.
The war has touched
the School personally. Students, professors, and alumni have joined Ukraine's
defense. Among those who gave their lives was attorney and longtime faculty
member Oleh Polivodskyi, who volunteered to defend Ukraine in February 2022 and
was killed in combat in April 2023.
Today, the School is led by Dean Volodymyr Venher, himself a graduate of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy. This anniversary is also a reminder of the importance of international academic partnerships and the lasting impact of investing in Ukrainian education. Thirty years of building a tradition of justice - and the next chapter is only beginning.
Kyiv-Mohyla Law Students Connect with Legal Professionals in 22 Cities Worldwide
The Kyiv-Mohyla
Academy School of Law launched the seventh semester of its international
Peer-to-Peer Legal English Writing Workshop, connecting Ukrainian law students
with attorneys, legal professionals, and university faculty across 22 cities
worldwide.
From New York, Los
Angeles, and Houston to London, Brussels, Singapore, Melbourne, and Tokyo,
volunteer mentors are helping Ukrainian students improve their legal writing in
English and gain practical experience in international legal communication.
Over the past three
academic years, the online workshops have become much more than an English-language training
program. They offer students an opportunity to learn how legal
professionals write and develop arguments in different legal systems, exchange
ideas with experienced attorneys, and build lasting international connections.
This semester, a team of volunteer legal professionals from the international law firm White & Case LLP has joined the initiative. The program also continues its collaboration with leading American universities, including Columbia University, Georgetown University, and the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Special thanks go to Christopher Kelley, Amanda Sen Villalobos, Patrick Keenan, Steven Horowitz, Taissa Markus, and Nataliia Maksymchuk for their dedication and continued support.
What Kind of Lawyers Does Ukraine Need? KMA Hosts Discussion on the Future of Legal Education
What kind of lawyers
does Ukraine need today, and how should universities prepare them? These
questions brought together leading legal scholars, Supreme Court justices, and
educators at Kyiv-Mohyla Academy on October 6, in celebration of Ukraine's
Lawyers' Day and the 30th anniversary of the Academy's School of Law.
The event featured
the presentation of the newly revised and expanded second edition of General
Theory of Law, a major legal textbook edited by Professor Mykola Koziuba, one
of Ukraine's most respected legal scholars.
The discussion
included the textbook's co-authors Stanislav Pohrebniak, Oleksiy Tseliev, and
Yuliia Matvieieva, along with other prominent legal academics and Ukrainian
Supreme Court Justices Dmytro Hudyma and Mykola Mazur.
Participants
emphasized the textbook's focus on human dignity, individual rights, justice,
and the philosophical foundations of law. Supreme Court justices praised its
practical relevance, while scholars highlighted the importance of teaching
students to understand not only what laws say, but also the principles of
justice behind them.
A second discussion,
"Higher Legal Education in Ukraine: What Kind of Lawyer Does Society
Need?", explored professional ethics, critical thinking, and the changing
role of lawyers in an increasingly digital and technology-driven world.
Speakers emphasized
that modern legal education must go beyond memorizing laws and legal
procedures. Ukraine needs lawyers who can think independently, act ethically,
protect human rights, and take responsibility for the impact of their decisions
on society.
The event was
organized by the Kyiv-Mohyla Academy School of Law and its Center for the Study
of the Rule of Law, with support from OSCE Projects in Ukraine.
Ukraine’s Path to the EU: Kyiv-Mohyla Law School Dean Joins International Legal Reform Seminar at Oxford
As Ukraine moves
toward European Union membership, strengthening democratic institutions,
improving the quality of legislation, and upholding the rule of law remain
essential priorities. These challenges brought together legal scholars and
parliamentary experts from Ukraine, Poland, the United Kingdom, and other
countries at the University of Oxford on September 24, 2026.
The international
seminar, “Gender-Legal Expertise on the Way to the EU: Rule of Law, Gender
Procedures and Requirements for the Legislative Process – Comparative
Experience,” was held at St Hilda’s College, University of Oxford.
Among the participants was Dr. Volodymyr Venher, Dean of the School of Law at the National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy, who joined the opening session alongside Professor Maciej Serowaniec of Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń, Poland, and Dr. Barbara Havelková of the University of Oxford.
The seminar focused
on an important aspect of Ukraine’s European integration: how to modernize the
legislative process while ensuring that new laws reflect democratic principles,
gender equality, human rights, and the rule of law.
The seminar was
organized as part of the international research project “Reforming
Parliamentary Service for Enhanced Governance and European Integration: A
Comparative Study of Ukraine and Poland,” funded by the Foundation for Polish
Science (FNP).
Nearly Two Decades of Academic Partnership: Kyiv-Mohyla Academy and Jagiellonian University Celebrate a Lasting Connection
An academic
partnership that began nearly 20 years ago continues to bring Ukrainian and
Polish legal scholars together. The relationship between Kyiv-Mohyla Academy
and Poland’s historic Jagiellonian University was highlighted at an
international conference honoring Professor Tadeusz Włudyka’s 50 years of
academic and research achievements.
The conference,
titled “Social Market Economy,” was hosted by the Faculty of Law and
Administration at Jagiellonian University in Kraków.
Representing the
National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy was Dr. Roksolana Khanyk-Pospolitak,
Associate Professor of Private Law and Director of the Center for Civil Law
Studies.
Between 2005 and
2008, Professor Włudyka served as Dean of Jagiellonian University’s Faculty of
Law and Administration. During those years, Kyiv-Mohyla’s young School of Law
was seeking international academic partners to strengthen legal education in
Ukraine.
Professor Włudyka
became an important supporter of that effort. With his encouragement, the two
universities signed a cooperation agreement in 2008, establishing a partnership
that continues today. He also helped Kyiv-Mohyla develop academic ties with Heidelberg
University in Germany.
Kyiv-Mohyla Academy Scholars Earn PhDs in International and Criminal Law
As Ukraine faces unprecedented legal
challenges brought by Russia’s war, a new generation of legal scholars at
Kyiv-Mohyla Academy is conducting research on issues ranging from genocide and
international justice to property rights and modern financial assets.
Two young researchers at the National
University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy’s School of Law have successfully defended
their doctoral dissertations, earning PhD degrees in their respective fields.
Maksym Vishchyk, a doctoral researcher and
senior lecturer in the Department of International and European Law, defended
his dissertation titled “Genocidal Intent to Destroy a National Group in Whole
or in Part.”
His research examines one of the most
complex questions in international criminal law: how to establish the specific
intent required to prove genocide. The subject is particularly relevant as
Ukraine and the international community seek accountability for crimes
committed during Russia’s war against Ukraine. His academic advisor was
Professor Myroslava Antonovych, a distinguished legal scholar and Director of
Kyiv-Mohyla Academy’s Center for Genocide and Human Rights Studies.
Another successful doctoral candidate,
Anatolii Voronkin, completed his research in criminal law and criminal
procedure. His dissertation examined restrictions on property rights during
criminal proceedings, focusing on securities, corporate and property rights,
and virtual assets.
His academic advisor was Professor Zhanna
Udovenko of the Department of Criminal Law and Criminal Procedure. Both dissertations
reflect the School of Law’s commitment to addressing contemporary legal
challenges through serious academic research.
Even in wartime, Ukrainian universities continue to educate, conduct research, and prepare the legal minds who will help shape the country’s future.
Former Ukrainian Ambassador to U.S. Valeriy Chaly Highlights New Global Security Threats at KMA Graduate Studies Program
With Russia targeting Ukraine’s energy infrastructure and global competition intensifying over advanced technology and critical resources, former Ukrainian Ambassador to the United States Valeriy Chaly brought a timely warning to Kyiv-Mohyla Academy. He spoke about the future of national security that will be determined not only on the battlefield, but also by who controls technology, energy, and global supply chains.
Ambassador Chaly, who also serves as
Chairman of the Board of the Ukraine Crisis Media Center, addressed students
and guests during a public lecture organized by KMA_PRO, the professional
education platform of the National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy.
The lecture, titled “The Battle for
Resources and Security: Today’s Geopolitical Challenges,” examined how economic
power, technological innovation, and access to strategic resources are
reshaping international relations.
For Ukraine, the stakes are particularly
high. The discussion also examined Ukraine’s
natural resources and industrial potential, raising important questions about
how the country can transform these assets into long-term economic strength and
greater national security.
A central theme of the lecture was that
control over critical technologies and infrastructure can be just as important
to national sovereignty as control over territory.
The event offered students an opportunity
to engage directly with one of Ukraine’s experienced diplomats on issues that
are increasingly central to international policymaking.
The lecture highlighted the role of
Kyiv-Mohyla Academy in preparing future Ukrainian leaders to understand the
connection between economic policy, diplomacy, technology, and national
defense.
Ukraine’s Future Leaders Begin Graduate Studies Despite Wartime Challenges
“Teaching and learning today is a challenge.
But we are overcoming it with extraordinary inspiration.”
With these words, Kyiv-Mohyla Academy
welcomed a new generation of graduate and doctoral students during a special
induction ceremony celebrating the beginning of their academic journey.
Despite the challenges of Russia’s ongoing
war, the Academy continues to prepare professionals who will help rebuild
Ukraine, strengthen local government, advance economic diplomacy, and shape the
country’s democratic future.
The new students joined graduate programs
at KMA_PRO, Kyiv-Mohyla Academy’s professional education division, including
Educational Management, Urban Governance Policy, Economic Diplomacy and
Government Relations, as well as doctoral studies in Political Science.
The ceremony featured welcoming remarks
from Denis Azarov, First Vice President of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy, Ukrainian
Ambassador Volodymyr Khomanets, and university faculty members.
One of the most significant moments came when Mykhailo Khutorianskyi, head of the Krasnorichenske community and a defender of Ukraine’s Snake Island, delivered the traditional student pledge on behalf of the incoming class. Mr. Khutorianskyi is now pursuing graduate studies in urban governance at KMA, demonstrating how military service, civic leadership, and education can contribute to Ukraine’s future.
The ceremony also recognized the important
role of scholarships in making advanced education possible during wartime.
Among the organizations supporting this
year’s graduate students was the Kyiv-Mohyla Foundation of America, whose
continued commitment to Ukrainian education helps provide opportunities for
students pursuing advanced professional training.
Additional scholarship support came from
the Association of Ukrainian Cities, the All-Ukrainian Association of
Territorial Communities, and Tetiana Nekhaichuk.
For the Ukrainian-American community, the
ceremony was also a reminder that support for education in Ukraine produces
lasting results - one scholarship, one student, and one future
leader at a time.
Ukrainian Veteran Leaders Visit Washington and Houston to Build New Partnerships
A delegation from the Defenders Leadership
Center at the National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy has returned to
Ukraine following a visit to Washington, D.C., and Houston, Texas, through the
Open World Program.
During their visit, Ukrainian
representatives met with members of the U.S. Congress, veterans' organizations,
universities, businesses, and community leaders to explore American approaches
to veteran support, education, career development, and reintegration into
civilian life. The delegation also shared Ukraine's
experience in helping military veterans transition into leadership roles and
contribute to rebuilding their country.
At Kyiv-Mohyla Academy, the Defenders
Leadership Center is already helping Ukrainian veterans develop the skills,
confidence, and professional opportunities needed for their next chapter.
The visit opened doors to new partnerships
and practical ideas for strengthening veteran education and support programs in
Ukraine.
Special thanks go to Razom for Ukraine,
Combined Arms, and all American partners who welcomed the delegation.
The visit was organized through the Open
World Program of the Congressional Office for International Leadership, with
the support of the U.S. Congress.
Supporting Ukraine's veterans means
investing in the leaders who will help rebuild Ukraine's future.