More Energy-Independent Schools: Ministry of Education and Science and the Council of Europe Development Bank Expand Cooperation

During the Ukraine Recovery Conference (URC 2026), the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine and the Council of Europe Development Bank (CEB) signed a Joint Statement on cooperation in the field of education.

The document was signed by First Deputy Minister of Education and Science of Ukraine Yevhen Kudriavets and Governor of the Council of Europe Development Bank Carlo Monticelli. The statement lays the groundwork for developing a partnership aimed at restoring and modernizing educational infrastructure. One of the key areas of cooperation is strengthening the energy independence of educational institutions.

“For the Ministry of Education and Science, ensuring the energy resilience of educational institutions is one of our top priorities. This directly affects children’s ability to continue in-person learning even during power outages caused by enemy attacks. This year, the state has already allocated UAH 2.3 billion to prepare educational institutions for the autumn-winter period. At the same time, we are actively working to engage international partners in order to scale up this support. Cooperation with the Council of Europe Development Bank opens up new opportunities for investment in solutions that will help make more schools energy-independent,” said First Deputy Minister of Education and Science of Ukraine Yevhen Kudriavets.

As part of the cooperation, the parties will explore opportunities to attract financing through loan and grant mechanisms for education-related projects. This includes implementing solutions that enhance the energy independence of educational institutions and strengthen their overall resilience.

Cooperation with the Council of Europe Development Bank is part of the Ministry’s broader efforts to engage international partners in the recovery and development of Ukraine’s education sector. The goal is to create more opportunities for safe, high-quality, and uninterrupted learning for children across the country.

Background: Ukraine became a member of the Council of Europe Development Bank in 2023. Since then, the Bank has supported projects in healthcare, housing, assistance to vulnerable population groups, and the country’s recovery. Education has been identified as one of the priority areas for future cooperation.