Kyiv School of Economics President Speaks at Isenberg

“In crisis, it’s important that humans do what they agreed to do,” said Tymofiy Mylovanov, president of the Kyiv School of Economics and associate professor at the University of Pittsburgh when he visited the Isenberg School of Management on February 12, 2024.

The former minister of economic development, trade, and agriculture of Ukraine gave a presentation to the UMass INFORMS student chapter on his experience leading the Kyiv School of Economics (KSE) during wartime in Ukraine, alongside his experience in higher education in Ukraine and the partnership between UMass Amherst and KSE. Mylovanov highlighted the struggles that KSE faculty and students are facing—a 20-minute drive on a highway could take as long as five hours.

What Does It Mean To Be A University During War?

“There is light, there is food, there is shelter, kids are studying,” Mylovanov said. “If we don’t create such an environment, kids will leave. And we can win the war, but we won’t have people. We have to prepare for people leaving Ukraine, trauma, and conflict.” He discussed how funding, donor priorities, government and stakeholder objectives, migration, mobilization, and student body all play a more prominent role in higher education amid war. Yet KSE continues to aim to recruit top talent and pilot rapidly with stronger team alignment and motivation, market-driven products, and quality in everything done by the university. The designation of a CEO, the pushing of payroll, the encouragement to get students to safety outside of the school and communicate how this was done. Some students left the country and university, some people reached out for jobs after finding safety, and some joined the military.

“Your principles have to be very, very agile,” noted Mylovanov, thinking about the impact of war on university life. Basic needs, such as toilets, need to be considered. “The thing that scared me the most on the first day of the war is that I ran out of gas,” he said. “The gas stations are overwhelmed. I still have nightmares about it.” However, amid everything, KSE has seen enrollment triple, as the school opted for offline learning throughout the war. KSE also has recently added eight new majors, including psychology, due to the impact of war on Ukrainians’ mental health.

KSE's Impacts On The War

KSE has played a prominent role in the support of Ukraine in the current war, with more than 10,000 donors donating over $87 million dollars to war efforts in 2022-2023. Mylovanov emphasized the role the school will take once the war is over as well, highlighting Ukraine’s goals of maintaining democratic practices, a resilient and recovering economy, and national defense and high-tech manufacturing support.

Isenberg and UMass Amherst have partnered with KSE since March 2022 through a program assisting scholars and students affected by the ongoing war on Ukraine. The partnership resulted in a virtual scholar program, hosting 15 Ukrainian researchers, and an on-campus residency program, hosting four.