Igor Lyman

The devastating russian military invasion of Ukraine forced millions of people to flee their homes. Among those affected are highly skilled scientists, resulting in a significant loss of human capital for Ukraine, which is crucial for the post-war reconstruction. To address this pressing issue, the Young Scientists Council (YSC) at the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine launched the “Ukrainian Science Diaspora” initiative to mitigate the brain drain.
The purpose of this study is to outline the first steps taken by this initiative. Moreover, it demonstrates lessons learned from the pilot meetings. The essence of the initiative is to keep links with scholars who left Ukraine and join the efforts of different migration waves of Ukrainian scientists for the further rebuilding of Ukraine. The YSC and other institutions prepared the analytical report on the needs and plans of Ukrainian scientists abroad. In addition, the paper highlights various events and activities organized by the YSC and other self-formed associations of Ukrainian scientists worldwide, working together to establish networks that could take the form of public organizations or be part of local unions of scientists.
At present, efforts are focused on identifying Ukrainian scientists interested in joining this initiative, with the ultimate goal of identifying areas where Ukrainian scientists can participate in post-war reconstruction. The success of this initiative will undoubtedly play a crucial role in ensuring that Ukraine can retain its valuable human capital and continue to thrive in the face of adversity.

Acknowledgment
This study is co-funded by the European Union through the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA) within the project “Europeanisation of Doctoral Studies in Line with the Innovative Doctoral Training Principles in Europe: Towards a Common Future” 101083493 – EDOCS – ERASMUS-JMO-2022-HEI-TCH-RSCH https://edocs.snau.edu.ua/en/

Type of the article: Research Article

With the outbreak of war in eastern Ukraine in 2014 and especially after Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022, many Ukrainian universities underwent forced relocation. This phenomenon remains underexplored in both national and international academic literature, despite its profound consequences for Ukraine’s higher education system. This study aims to identify the spatial-temporal trajectories of relocated universities in Ukraine, to typologize models of adaptation, and to formulate lessons based on empirical analysis. Methodologically, the study relies on mapping, monitoring data on the institutional capacity development of relocated Ukrainian universities, case studies, and an analysis of legislation and regulatory documents. The study examines relocation trajectories of 35 higher education institutions, drawing on multiple data sources collected between 2014 and 2025. Two waves of relocation were recorded: the first (2014–2016) involved 14 universities, and the second (2022–2024) included 21. Most relocated universities are state-owned (24 out of 35), although the share of private institutions increased during the second wave. The study provides the first spatial-temporal mapping of relocated Ukrainian HEIs, reconstructing their movement across regions and over time and identifying recurrent adaptation patterns. The study concludes that relocation is not only a physical transfer but also an institutional transformation. It requires, even prior to the actual move, the development of an indicative action plan, followed by a rethinking of staffing models, the establishment of distance learning as a dominant mode, the provision of state and local support policies, a targeted focus on international cooperation, regulatory recognition of non-standard network models, and differentiated financing instruments.

Acknowledgments
The authors sincerely thank all those who supported this research within the framework of the project “Institutional capacity building of relocated universities: monitoring study and recommendations for improvement in national scale”. The authors would like to thank Tetiana Zaporozhets, Maksym Folomieiev, Viktoriia Rudyk, Serhii Melnyk, Dariia Ivashchenko, and Olena Tupakhina for their valuable support in data collection, expert evaluation, and insightful discussions. We are also grateful for the partial support of the research conducted by Yana Sychikova and Ihor Lyman, provided in the framework of a state budget project “Ukrainian universities in new realities: the impact of the war and mechanisms for preserving the scientific and personnel potential of training specialists in high-tech industries”. Finally, the authors would like to express their deepest gratitude to all Ukrainian defenders, whose courage and resilience made it possible to complete and publish this work.

Type of the article: Reflexive Preface

Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 has challenged the conventional understanding of the university as an institution inherently tied to a fixed territory and campus infrastructure. This paper adopts a collaborative autoethnographic approach to reflect on how universities transform amid war, forced displacement, and prolonged instability. Drawing on the experience of Berdyansk State Pedagogical University after the occupation of its home city, as well as on reflections developed through Ukrainian–Australian academic dialogue during a series of public lectures and scholarly discussions in Australia in 2026, we examine the reconfiguration of academic life beyond territorial constraints. Rather than presenting results in the form of discrete empirical findings, the study develops a reflexive analytical account of how institutional continuity is sustained through mobility, distributed networks, and relational forms of coordination. The concept of the “university without walls” is advanced as a way of interpreting these transformations not merely as a temporary response to crisis, but as an emergent model of a post-territorial university. The analysis suggests that, under conditions of geopolitical disruption, the defining features of the university shift from physical infrastructure to relational capacities: trust, collaboration, and the ability to maintain academic community across dispersed contexts. By situating lived experience within a broader analytical framework, the paper contributes to ongoing debates on the future of higher education in a world marked by instability, inequality, and global interdependence.

Acknowledgments
Yana Sychikova and Igor Lyman express their sincere gratitude to their co-author Tim Winkler and the Future Campus team for organizing the symposium and supporting the research visit to Australia. The authors also thank Stephen Matchett for his support during their stay in Sydney and for his professional synthesis of the symposium discussions.
The authors are grateful to Online Education Services (OES) for their sponsorship and for organizing a warm and welcoming meeting, as well as to the organizers of the Universities Australia Solutions Summit 2026 for covering the costs associated with attending the event.
Special thanks are extended to Professor Maree Meredith, a proud representative of the Bidjara people, for organizing the cultural program and for her personal support during the visit to Australia.
The authors also sincerely thank the University of Melbourne and the Faculty of Education, as well as the Dean of the Faculty, Professor Marek Tesar, for organizing the public lecture, the open academic dialogue, and the formal dinner that became an important part of this scholarly exchange.
Finally, the authors express their deepest gratitude to the defenders of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, whose courage and sacrifice make it possible to continue academic work even in times of war.