UKRAINETT participated in a meeting on 23 October at the University of Oslo with First Lady of Ukraine Olena Zelenska and Minister of Foreign Affairs Andrii Sybiha. The occasion marked the formal accession of UKRAINETT and three Norwegian academic institutions to the Global Coalition of Ukrainian Studies, a growing international alliance dedicated to advancing knowledge and understanding of Ukraine.
Photo: Office of Olena Zelenska
The Global Coalition of Ukrainian Studies was established with the support of the First Lady of Ukraine, the Fund of the President of Ukraine for the Support of Education, Science and Sports, the Ukrainian Institute, the Mission of the President of Ukraine in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, the Office of the Crimea Platform, the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine. The main goal of the Coalition is to unite the efforts of universities and research institutions from around the world to better understand Ukraine and develop Ukrainian studies.
In addition to UKRAINETT, the University of Oslo, UiT the Arctic University of Norway and KBT Vocational College joined the coalition last Thursday.
- The University of Oslo is the oldest university in Norway. From 2022, the Faculty of Humanities provided a course in Ukrainian language for individuals who already know a Slavonic language, and around 150 students have completed the course. From autumn 2025, an introductory course in Ukrainian is also being offered, with 50 students currently enrolled.
- UiT The Arctic University of Norway is the northernmost university in the world and a leader in Arctic and sustainability research. UiT actively supports Ukrainian students and scholars affected by the war, and has multiple ongoing projects related to Ukraine and Ukrainian refugees.
- KBT Vocational College is an accredited vocational school in Norway that offers higher vocational education. They empower Ukrainian newcomers in Norway through vocational training and a particular focus on migrant entrepreneurship.
Photo: Office of Olena Zelenska
Before these Norwegian institutions joined, the Global Coalition had already recruited 15 international institutions, including the University of Helsinki, the University of Vienna, Charles University, and Tartu University.
The ceremony at the University of Oslo was held at Lucy Smith’s house and hosted by Rector of the University, Ragnhild Hennum. Seated at the table alongside Ukraine’s First Lady Olena Zelenska, Minister of Foreign Affairs Andrii Sybiha, and Ragnhild Hennum were Christine Meklenborg Nilsen, Professor and Head of the Department of Literature, Area Studies and European Languages at the University of Oslo; Marthe Handå Myhre, Senior Researcher at the Norwegian Institute for Urban and Regional Research (NIBR), OsloMet, and Co-coordinator of UKRAINETT; Bente Haug, Vice Rector and Associate Professor at the Arctic University of Norway; and Nils-Erik Volden, International Coordinator and Lecturer in Social Entrepreneurship at KBT Vocational College. Students from the Ukrainian language course at the University of Oslo were present in the audience and had the opportunity to ask questions to the First Lady following the ceremony.
Photo: Office of Olena Zelenska
Olena Zelenska expressed gratitude to the institutions for joining the Global Coalition of Ukrainian Studies and said that she is “grateful for every initiative in support of Ukraine and for the efforts you make to expand knowledge about our country”.
UKRAINETT looks forward to continued collaboration with Norwegian and international partners in support of Ukraine’s academic resilience and cultural visibility.
Photo: Office of Olena Zelenska
Selected citations from: Norway Joined the Global Coalition of Ukrainian Studies – Olena Zelenska — Official website of the President of Ukraine.