Nearly USD 295 Million Secured for Ukraine’s Education and Science: URC 2026 Results
On 25–26 June, the Ukraine Recovery Conference (URC 2026) took place, serving as the key international platform for coordinating support for Ukraine’s recovery and reconstruction. Overall, more than 160 agreements worth over EUR 10 billion were concluded during the conference.
The delegation of the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine, led by First Deputy Minister Yevhen Kudriavets, worked at URC 2026 to attract new investments, strengthen international partnerships, and expand global support for Ukraine’s education and science sectors. As a result, nearly USD 295 million was secured for education and science.
Key outcomes
The World Bank announced an additional USD 286 million for Ukraine’s education sector
The funding will be provided through the LEARN programme, further strengthening Ukraine’s education system and supporting its continued recovery.
More energy-resilient schools
The Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine and the Council of Europe Development Bank (CEB) signed a Joint Statement of Cooperation. The partnership aims to help more schools ensure uninterrupted in-person learning, even during power outages, by strengthening their energy resilience.
Continued support for the School Meals Programme
The Ministry of Education and Science and the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) signed a funding agreement worth nearly UAH 350 million to support Ukraine’s School Meals Programme.
The funding will ensure that primary school students (Grades 1–4) in frontline communities across eight regions of Ukraine continue receiving free hot meals throughout the entire 2026/2027 academic year.
Around USD 600,000 to support Ukrainian science
UNESCO and the Government of Flanders announced the launch of a new two-year initiative to support Ukraine’s research sector.
Implemented under the UNESCO Action Plan for Science in Ukraine, the initiative will support Ukrainian researchers, strengthen international scientific cooperation, expand access to modern laboratory equipment, ensure the continuity of research activities, and contribute to the development of research infrastructure.
During the conference, partners also signed the Gdańsk Declaration of the International Coalition for Supporting Science, Research and Innovation in Ukraine, reaffirming their long-term commitment to advancing Ukrainian science and deepening international cooperation.
Education and youth recognised as a recovery priority
At URC 2026, investment in education and youth was recognised as one of the priorities for Ukraine’s recovery.
As part of the conference, the Ministry of Education and Science organised a high-level panel discussion entitled “Investing in the Next Generation: Education, Skills and Youth Empowerment for Europe’s Shared Economic Prosperity,” focusing on mobilising international investment for the development of Ukraine’s education system and youth.
Expanding international partnerships
Alongside the official conference programme, the Ministry’s delegation held a series of bilateral meetings with international financial institutions, partner governments, international organisations, and donors.
The discussions focused on expanding the coalition of partners, attracting new investments, supporting education reforms, rebuilding educational infrastructure, advancing science, and implementing joint initiatives.
Attracting investment for underground schools
At the Ukrainian Pavilion, the Ministry presented international partners with a virtual reality tour of an underground school.
The initiative aimed to raise awareness of Ukraine’s urgent need for safe learning environments and demonstrate to donors and investors practical solutions that are already helping children return to in-person education despite the ongoing war.
The Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine expresses its sincere gratitude to all international partners for their consistent support of Ukrainian education and science and for their joint efforts to invest in Ukraine’s human capital.