The year 2025 marked a period of systemic consolidation for the Ukrainian Science Diaspora. Amidst the conditions of full-scale war, the initiative’s efforts were focused on the preservation of human capital, the provision of researcher support, and the development of international networks intended to serve as a foundation for the reconstruction of Ukrainian science and education.
Mentoring program “Scientific Diaspora for Ukraine”
Throughout 2025, two cycles of the mentoring program were implemented: February – May 2025; September – December 2025.
The program engaged over 20 mentor–mentee pairs. Despite the challenges of wartime, participants achieved tangible results:
- scientific articles were prepared and published;
- conference abstracts were presented;
- grant applications have been prepared;
- CV has been prepared in accordance with European standards.
Community and Science Diplomacy
We continue to expand and consolidate a global network of professionals:
LinkedIn Community: Currently comprises over 800 members.
Join us: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ukrainian-science-diaspora/
YouTube Channel: A new platform has been launched for knowledge sharing and expert discussions. View the channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCoWFD8o7u59dhgZJzTETEmA
Science Diplomacy: A series of interviews with Ukrainian scientists abroad has been launched, highlighting the role of researchers as cultural and scientific ambassadors for Ukraine.
Analytics and Strategic Research
With the support of the “Migration for Development” (MEG) Program in Ukraine, implemented by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), a series of key initiatives were implemented in 2025. In particular:
The book "34 Stories: Science Diaspora for Ukraine" - a unique collection of scholarly experiences (in collaboration with Info Sapiens). Download PDF https://ukrdiaspora.nauka.gov.ua/documents/18/Info_Sapiens_Book.pdf.
The study "Impact Assessment of the Science Diaspora on the Recovery of Ukraine's Research and Higher Education System" https://surl.lt/rtgvih was conducted by the Ukrainian Science Diaspora.
Digital Transformation and IT Development
This year has been a breakthrough in the enhancement of our internal processes and digital tools:
- Effective Management: We have implemented the Kanban approach (Trello) and a weekly update system (Done/Next/Blocked), which has enabled us to structure the team's workflow effectively.
- Knowledge Management: A knowledge base and an onboarding guide have been created in Notion for new members.
Platform Updates:
- An intelligent AI-powered search in the Ukrainian language has been launched.
- The mobile version of the website was optimized, and technical issues (multilingual links, email newsletters) were resolved.
- Integration with a Telegram bot and LLM models has been implemented.
- Digital Map: In 2025, 147 new scientists were added to the map. Currently, it unites 378 researchers representing Ukraine in the global scientific arena.
- New pages (502, resources, podcasts) were added and tested. Throughout 2025, 53 news items and 15 events were published on the initiative's website.
We express our sincere gratitude to every mentor, volunteer, and researcher for their tireless efforts!
Special thanks to the “Migration for Development” (MEG) Program in Ukraine, implemented by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), for their support, trust, and partnership.