A Year of Strategic Partnership: Outcomes of Cooperation between UzhNU and the University of Lancashire in 2025
The year 2025 became a milestone in the development of British–Ukrainian academic partnership at Uzhhorod National University. Cooperation with the University of Lancashire (United Kingdom) within the framework of the UK–Ukraine University Twinning Scheme reached a qualitatively new level, encompassing education, research, culture, and infrastructural support for the university under wartime conditions.
An important step in strengthening bilateral relations was the official visit of the UzhNU delegation to the University of Lancashire in November 2025. During meetings between UzhNU Rector Professor Volodymyr Smolanka and Vice-Rector for Academic Affairs Myroslava Lendel and the leadership of the British university, agreements were reached on expanding cooperation, particularly in the fields of medical education and research. Discussions with representatives of the School of Medicine and Dentistry, as well as the coordination of a further partnership roadmap with Deputy Vice-Chancellor Ruth Connor and Director of International Partnerships Paul Rowe, laid the foundation for new joint initiatives.
Within the framework of this visit, Uzhhorod National University officially supported a strategic initiative of the President of Ukraine’s Foundation and submitted an application to join the Global Coalition for Ukrainian Studies. This step demonstrates the university’s commitment to strengthening the presence of Ukrainian scholarship and culture in the global academic space. The signing of the corresponding Memorandum of Understanding and partnership agreement is expected in early 2026.
A particularly vivid dimension of the cooperation was the Ukrainian Culture Week, held at the University of Lancashire in November 2025. UzhNU acted as a key partner of this large-scale initiative, implemented within The UK–Ukraine Twinning Initiative and coordinated by Cormack Consultancy Group, with the support of the President of Ukraine’s Foundation for Education, Science and Sport, the Ministry of Culture and Strategic Communications of Ukraine, and the Ukrainian Institute. The central event took place at the Harris Museum in Preston and focused on rethinking Ukrainian identity. The program combined interactive student presentations, an academic lecture on the challenges facing Ukrainian civic culture during wartime, and a screening of a landmark Ukrainian animated film.
UzhNU’s participation in these events became a convincing example of cultural diplomacy and affirmed the university’s role as an active ambassador of Ukraine in the United Kingdom. It also confirmed the mutual interest of both institutions in deepening integration in the educational, scientific, and cultural spheres.
Cooperation with the Cyprus branch of the University of Lancashire also remained consistently active. In 2025, for the fourth time, UzhNU students took part in a summer language school in Cyprus, where intensive English language study based on British methodologies was combined with elements of cultural diplomacy and intercultural exchange. Students described this mobility format as extremely valuable for their professional development and integration into the European educational space.
Significant progress was also achieved in research cooperation. Throughout the year, collaboration intensified between UzhNU’s departments of political science and public administration and journalism and their counterparts at the University of Lancashire. The result of more than six months of joint work was the preparation of a research project dedicated to veterans’ issues, with submission planned for early 2026.
Practical support for the university proved equally important. Within the partnership with the University of Lancashire and The UK–Ukraine Twinning Initiative, UzhNU received three high-capacity power units, which have already been integrated into the university’s unified backup power system. Together with existing photovoltaic installations, this has ensured the stable operation of key academic buildings even during emergency power outages, guaranteeing the continuity of the educational process.
In addition, the university received more than 80 copies of modern educational and academic literature in economics from its British partners, which are already being actively used in teaching and research.
In summary, 2025 demonstrated that cooperation between Uzhhorod National University and the University of Lancashire is not only a symbol of international solidarity with Ukraine, but also a practical instrument for advancing education, research, culture, and institutional resilience. This experience provides a solid foundation for new joint initiatives in 2026 and beyond.
Anastasiya Lendel
