The European Union has recommended 22 new projects involving 105 organisations from Ukraine for funding under the Erasmus+ Capacity Building in Higher Education (CBHE) action in 2026, the EEAS announced on 27 July 2026. The projects focus on sustainable development, post-war rebuilding, green and digital transitions, water and climate resilience, and modernisation of STEAM education, among other priorities. Ukraine ranks among the top five countries by number of projects recommended for funding, with 180 projects overall involving over 1,639 higher education stakeholders from nearly 116 countries.
The 22 projects are differentiated into three strands based on impact and partner experience: fostering access to cooperation, partnerships for transformation, and structural reforms. Among them, 15 are national projects, 4 regional, and 3 cross-regional. The project teams include 194 partners from 29 countries: 79 from EU programme countries and 27 from partner countries such as Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Moldova, and Turkey, alongside 105 Ukrainian partners. The Ukrainian partners represent 61 higher education institutions, the Ministry of Education and Science, the National Agency for Higher Education Quality Assurance, the National Qualification Agency, and 10 other organisations including IT clusters, businesses, and NGOs.
Ten Ukrainian universities act as project coordinators, including National University Kyiv Aviation Institute (two projects), Lviv Polytechnic National University, and National N. Karazin Kharkiv National University. Seven partnerships include six relocated universities from temporarily occupied territories. The most projects were awarded to Dnipro University of Technology (5), Lviv Polytechnic National University (4), and National N. Karazin Kharkiv National University (4). Since 2015, the Erasmus+ CBHE calls have funded 140 projects for Ukraine, contributing to higher education reforms, European integration, and post-war reconstruction through innovation and best practices from EU member states.
The Erasmus+ programme supports lifelong learning, mobility, partnerships, and policy development in education, training, youth, and sport. The announcement underscores the EU's continued investment in Ukraine's education sector amid the war, with a focus on resilience and modernisation. The projects are expected to benefit Ukrainian students, academics, and institutions by fostering international cooperation and aligning with EU standards, while also supporting the country's long-term recovery and integration efforts. The impact on stakeholders includes enhanced capacity for Ukrainian universities to engage in EU research and education networks, though the administrative burden of managing multiple projects may challenge some institutions. The EU's funding also signals sustained political and financial support for Ukraine's education sector, reinforcing the broader EU-Ukraine partnership.