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Coventry University expert invited by Volodymyr Zelensky to speak at President’s Forum in Kyiv
Sir Ciaran Devane (right) speaking at the President's Forum in Kyiv
University news / Research news
Friday 30 May 2025
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An expert in peace and security from Coventry University has spoken at an event in Kyiv organised by Ukraine leader Volodymyr Zelensky on education reform and its contribution to the country’s reconstruction and resilience.
The President’s Forum in Ukraine’s capital city heard from a number of important voices including Sir Ciaran Devane, Director of the university’s Research Centre for Peace and Security. He addressed the forum and spoke on the contribution of higher education to reconstruction in Ukraine.
Coventry University Group’s efforts to help Ukraine rebuild and prepare for a brighter future have seen them partner with two universities in the country; Alfred Nobel University and Kyiv National University of Construction and Architecture (KNUCA). The collaborations are part of the Twinning Ukraine project which sees universities around the world supporting institutions in Ukraine and was set up in the wake of the Russian invasion of the country in February 2022.
Sir Ciaran is a former chief executive of the British Council which he guided in building connections and trust between the UK and more than 100 countries across the world.
To have the chance to speak with colleagues in front of the leadership of Ukraine and to showcase how Coventry University Group is helping to shape the future of education in the country was truly an honour.
The Group’s aim is to create better futures and nowhere is that more apt than in Ukraine right now where young people have had their education disrupted by the Russian invasion. The importance of preparing the next generations to lead this country to a brighter future is clear for all to see and it is a privilege for us, as an institution, to be an ongoing part of the effort.
Sir Ciaran Devane, Director of the university’s Research Centre for Peace and Security
A recent event saw 35 Ukrainian Mayors welcomed to Coventry University London as they met with British businesses to discuss ways of accessing funding and potential joint projects.
The visit was organised by the UK Ukraine Mayors’ Club, an association of former and current city mayors and heads of territorial communities.
Coventry University Group’s plans to help in Ukraine were also on display at the British Academy in London at an event hosted by the UK’s Science Minister, Lord Vallance, and Ukraine’s Deputy Minister for Education and Science, Oksen Lisovyi.
Dr Richard Tomlins, the Group’s Regional Director for UK and Europe, was among the guests invited by Lord Vallance to celebrate joint work by UK and Ukrainian scientists and researchers, and also attended the President’s Forum in Kyiv.
