On 12-13 August 2026, a meeting of the Rectors’ Council of the Alliance of Ukrainian Universities took place in Chernivtsi. Within two days, the rectors together with the management team discussed the Alliance’s achievements, strategic challenges facing Ukrainian higher education, and priorities for further development.

Rectors from the Ukrainian Catholic University, the National University of Water and Environmental Management, the Alfred Nobel University, and the Chernivtsi National University participated in the Council’s work. SumDU was represented by rector Vasyl KARPUSHA and vice rector Ivan KOZII.

Throughout 2025-2026, SumDU served as the coordinating institution for the Alliance of Ukrainian Universities. This period marked a time of active and meaningful cooperation among the universities to develop partnerships, implement joint initiatives, and seek solutions to education challenges.

The participants presented and discussed the report on the Alliance’s activities for 2025-2026. Throughout the coordination year, an international group, a veterans’ support group, a library group, and a communication group were active. Student initiatives and other joint projects were implemented.

SumDU’s role involved not only organizing the work but also ensuring constant interaction among participating universities, developing joint solutions, and shaping the Alliance’s agenda in line with current needs of the Ukrainian university community.

“For SumDU, it was important not merely to fulfill a coordinating role, but to give it real substance – to create opportunities for collaboration, exchange of experience, and implementation of initiatives that strengthen each university and the entire Ukrainian education system. The Alliance’s results confirm that pooling efforts and managerial expertise enables us to respond more effectively to education challenges. I am convinced the results achieved this year will be of great importance for the Alliance’s further development,” – noted Vasyl KARPUSHA.

Special attention was paid to financial and organizational issues, updating the Alliance’s structure, and determining the focus area for the Alliance’s work in the coming year.

The conclusion of the coordination year marked an important milestone for SumDU in development of inter-university partnerships. Collaborative work within the Alliance has demonstrated that pooling the experience and managerial capabilities of Ukrainian universities creates additional opportunities for their development and strengthens the education ability to effectively respond to current Ukrainian needs.

SumDU thanks the Yurii Fedkovych Chernivtsi National University for its hospitality and for organizing the meeting, and all Alliance universities for their constructive cooperation, support, and trust.

Ahead lie new joint projects, important initiatives, and decisions. Together, we are stronger.