Norway Joins the Global Coalition of Ukrainian Studies

Last week, Ukraine’s first lady, Olena Zelenska, visited the Norwegian capital to welcome several Norwegian universities into the Global Coalition of Ukrainian studies. The visit highlighted Norway’s academic cooperation with Ukraine as well as the longstanding connection between the two countries. Here’s a look at the visit and Norway’s part in the Coalition.

What is the Global Coalition of Ukrainian Studies?

In July 2024, First Lady Olena Zelenska launched the Global Coalition of Ukrainian Studies during a visit to the USA to foster unity among universities worldwide and promote Ukrainian academic studies.

The objectives of the Coalition include:

• Developing the interdisciplinary field of Ukrainian studies
• Countering misinformation and promoting truthful information about Ukraine’s history and culture
• Collaborating with universities around the world to support Ukraine’s “academic resilience”
• Supporting the development of new Ukrainian studies projects and initiatives
• Strengthening research and education about Ukraine

A joint effort between the Presidential Foundation for Support of Education, Science, and Sports, the Office of the Crimean Platform, the Ukrainian Institute, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, and the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine established the Coalition. The First Lady serves as the Ambassador for the Coalition.

Before Norway joined last week, 15 universities were already active members of the Coalition, including the University of Helsinki, the University of Tartu, Charles University, the University of Hradec Králové, the University of Manitoba, Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, the University of Witwatersrand, the University of Pretoria, and Tampere University. More than 35 countries have also applied for Coalition membership, with 17 in the approval stage.

Norway joins the Coalition

On Thursday, 23 October, First Lady Zalenska, a well as the Ukrainian Minister of Foreign Affairs Andrii Sybiha, met with leadership from the universities in Norway to initiate Norway into the Coalition at a signing ceremony at Lucy Smith’s house on the Blindern campus of the University of Oslo. The ceremony also included representatives from the UiT The Arctic University of Norway, KBT Vocational College, and UKRAINETT, the Norwegian Network for Research on Ukraine.

After the ceremony, students from the Ukrainian studies program at UiO were invited to a Q&A session with First Lady Zalenska. According to the Rector of UiO, both the First Lady and the students "greatly appreciated the opportunity to meet and converse."

Norway’s involvement in Ukrainian studies and support

Norway has supported Ukraine in various ways since the start of the conflict in 2022. During her visit, First Lady Zalenska spoke with Masud Gharahkhani, President of the Norwegian Storting (Parliament). She thanked him and the Norwegian government for its ongoing support:

I thank both the Storting, where all nine represented parties support Ukraine, and the Government of Norway for their steadfast backing. We value Norway’s participation in air defense procurement initiatives for Ukraine and all the social, educational, and medical assistance provided to 80,000 of our people.

As well as government support, Norway’s university and higher education system have worked to promote understanding about Ukraine and have offered practical and academic support to Ukrainian students. Some initiatives include:

• The Humanities faculty at UiO started offering Ukrainian studies in 2022 in a course titled “Ukraine in Eastern Europe,” and recently started an introduction course in Ukrainian that has enrolled fifty students.
• Oslo Metropolitan University supports UKRAINETT, a network of researchers and academics in Norway who study subjects related to Ukraine. It also serves as a central point for Ukrainian academics and researchers who have been displaced to Norway during the conflict.
• The University of Tromsø, one of the world’s leading Arctic studies and sustainable development research centers, works to support both displaced students and academics, as well as “academic initiatives related to Ukraine.”
• KBT Vocational College, which offers accredited higher vocational education, has worked to help displaced Ukrainians integrate into Norwegian society and focuses on migrant entrepreneurship.
• The Norwegian government recently launched two education-related initiatives aimed at supporting Ukraine.
  • The Nansen EDU program fosters partnerships between Norwegian and Ukrainian higher education institutions that will strengthen Ukraine’s HE sector and support education and skill development in critical sectors needed for Ukraine’s recovery and development.
  • The Program for Ukrainian Competence (UA-KOMP) works to strengthen Norwegian expertise on Ukraine to support Norwegian policy-making, administration, and business relationships with Ukraine. It also aims to increase Norwegian public knowledge and awareness about Ukraine.

What’s next?

Norway’s induction into the Coalition marks a continuation of support from Norway and other countries for Ukraine. The Rector of UiO noted that the university would “continue the good cooperation [that was started in 2022] through this agreement.”

The First Lady said during her visit that she was “grateful for every initiative in support of Ukraine and for the efforts [Norway makes] to expand knowledge about [Ukraine].”

She emphasized the importance of academic knowledge and continued research in the current situation. “Everyone who today chooses to learn about Ukraine and the Ukrainian becomes a part of the great story of restoring justice and reaffirming humanity.”

The induction ceremony in Oslo corresponded with a visit by Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy to the Norwegian government the day before. During the visit, the Norwegian government confirmed its continued cooperation with Ukraine by announcing that it would be contributing an additional 1.5 billion NOK (approximately 150 million USD) to secure electricity and heat for Ukraine in the coming winter months.