University of Tartu Ukraine Centre
The University of Tartu Ukraine Centre (UTUC) was established in 2023 in the midst of the Russo-Ukrainian war with the aim of facilitating support to Ukraine from the University of Tartu (UT) and its partners. UTUC aspires to be the focal point that attracts expertise, connects stakeholders, and consolidates the efforts of UT and its partners to raise awareness about Ukraine. The centre also aims to help the Ukrainian nation in building a secure, democratic and prosperous future.
Mission:
To support Ukraine’s reconstruction, development, and European integration as well as to provide accurate knowledge about Ukraine and Ukrainians in Estonia and globally via applied and academic research, training and teaching, policy analysis and advice, and strategic communication.
Ukraine development support:
Presently, Ukraine needs enormous international aid to withstand and win the war, perform post-war reconstruction, implement EU integration reforms, and ensure sustainable development. Estonia is already facilitating Ukraine’s advance down this path. UTUC strengthens and enhances the University of Tartu’s Ukraine supporting activities, especially by promoting practical training for Ukrainian professionals in different fields.
Applied and academic research:
Whereas the available studies on Ukraine and Ukrainians lag behind the dramatic developments and are rather dispersed across disciplines, the centre endeavours to ensure an empirical, coherent, and comprehensive multi-disciplinary perspective. This will focus on contemporary society complemented by historical background knowledge and a forward-looking perspective on Ukrainian studies.
Training and teaching:
UTUC intends to partner with other departments to co-develop training programs for professionals in Ukraine. Moreover, the centre offers its flagship UT-wide course “Ukraine: A Nation at the Frontier”. This elective course aims to introduce Ukraine from different perspectives and examine how various developments in Ukrainian history and politics affect contemporary Ukrainians and their neighbours.
Policy analysis and advice:
UTUC is willing to provide policy analysis with actionable recommendations for the Estonian government, European Union institutions, international organizations, and other stakeholders. Such policy analysis aspires to enhance targeted and efficient assistance to Ukraine, support of sectoral reforms, aid to Ukrainian refugees, alongside ensuring the restoration of territorial integrity. Also, such analysis will support the Euro-Atlantic integration of Ukraine that can bring back peace and prosperity to the continent.
Strategic communication:
UTUC is committed to raising awareness on Ukraine-related topics on the web and on social media. The centre also disseminates information via its in-person and online events including public lectures and expert roundtables. The obtained findings are designed to be presented at meetings with Estonian and European decision-makers for informed policy action to benefit Ukraine, Estonia, and Europe.
- “Microcredential “Fundamentals of the European Union””, PI Ms. Maili Vilson (ESTDEV grant, funded by the Estonian Centre for International Development, 2024-2025).
- “Training programme "Supporting Ukraine's EU integration””, PI Ms. Maili Vilson (ESTDEV grant, funded by the Estonian Centre for International Development, 2024).
- “Development of the UT Ukraine Centre (UTUC) into an internationally influential, interdisciplinary and sustainable competence centre”, PI Dr. Dmytro Khutkyy (University of Tartu Development Fund, 2024).
- “Between Resilience and Democracy: Wartime Political Transformations in Ukraine”, PI Dr. Oleksii Kolesnykov (MSCA4Ukraine grant, funded by the European Union, 2023-2025)
- “E-democracy and innovative Governance in Dnipro Region: cooperation models and resilience of the society”, PI Dr. Kristiina Tõnnisson (ESTDEV grant, funded by the Estonian Centre for International Development, 2023-2024).
- “Supporting Ukraine through citizen engagement at Baltic Universities”, PI at UT Ms. Anna Beitane, (Erasmus+ grant, funded by the European Union, 2023-2024).
- “Public Communication Campaigns in the Ukrainian Hybrid Response to Russia’s Invasion”, PI Prof. Piret Ehin (MFA grant, funded by the Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 2023-2024).
- “Countering Disinformation and Increasing Media Literacy among Russian-speaking Communities in Estonia”, PI Prof. Piret Ehin (Public affairs grant, funded by the U.S. Embassy in Estonia, 2022-2023).
- “Survey among Ukrainian refugees in Estonia (follow up project)”, PI at UT Mr. Siim Espenberg (funding by the University of Turku, 2022-2023).
- “Survey among Ukrainian refugees in Estonia”, PI at UT Dr. Kerly Espenberg (funding by the University of Turku, 2022).
Khutkyy, Dmytro, Matveieva, Olga, and Diana Mirza-Grisco. 2023. “Voting in online surveys on open government policies in Moldova and Ukraine.” Internet Policy Review 12(2).
Khutkyy, Dmytro. 2022. “The Diffusion of Electronic Voting for Participatory Budgeting Projects: Evidence from Ukraine.” pp. 117-120. In Proceedings of the Seventh International Joint Conference on Electronic Voting E-Vote-ID 2022. Edited by R. Krimmer et al. Tartu, Estonia: University of Tartu Press.
Khutkyy, Dmytro. 2024. “The race is on to restore Ukraine. Is transparency only a distant Dream?” HROMADA, March 18, 2024.
Khutkyy, Dmytro. 2023. “E-democracy in the Dnipropetrovsk region of Ukraine: An overview.” Retrieved January 5, 2024.
Salzburg Global Seminar. 2023. “Ukraine Civil Society Forum. Recommendations on Displaced Persons.” Retrieved June 30, 2023.
Salzburg Global Seminar. 2022. “The Salzburg Statement of Ukrainian Civil Society.” Retrieved August 1, 2022.
Jussi S. Jauhiainen, Heidi Ann Erbsen, Olha Lysa, and Kerly Espenberg. 2022. Temporary protected Ukrainians and other Ukrainians in Estonia, 2022. Turku, Finland: University of Turku.
Cheporniuk, Nataliia. 2024. “Children fleeing the war: challenges that are not easy to cope with.” Rus.Postimees, June 25, 2024. (Published in Russian language specially for the Russian-speaking community of Estonia).
Khutkyy, Dmytro. 2024. “How are Ukrainians getting by in Estonia? Sociological survey data.” Rus.Postimees, June 11, 2024. (Published in Russian language specially for the Russian-speaking community of Estonia).
Nizhnikau, Ryhor. 2024. “War, society, and state: Ukrainian political model at crossroads.” Rus.Postimees, May 14, 2024. (Published in Russian language specially for the Russian-speaking community of Estonia).
Pritchard, Thomas. 2024. “The cult of education in Putin's Russia.” Rus.Postimees, April 30, 2024. (Published in Russian language specially for the Russian-speaking community of Estonia).
Schmidt, Anselm. 2024. “The fear of victory? Mixed reactions from the West to Ukraine’s successful strikes on Russian oil refineries.” Rus.Postimees, April 23, 2024. (Published in Russian language specially for the Russian-speaking community of Estonia).
Belova-Dalton, Oksana. 2024. “The terrorist attack in the Crocus City Hall: Why does Russia blame Ukraine and not ISIS?” Rus.Postimees, April 2, 2024. (Published in Russian language specially for the Russian-speaking community of Estonia).
Teperik, Dmitri. 2024. “Ukrainian Crimea: Not only territorially, but also mentally.” Rus.Postimees, April 2, 2024. (Published in Russian language specially for the Russian-speaking community of Estonia).
Kovalenko, Olga. 2024. “Pseudo-elections of a pseudo-president of Russia in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine.” Rus.Postimees, March 26, 2024. (Published in Russian language specially for the Russian-speaking community of Estonia).
Kovalenko, Olga. 2024. “What does it mean to be Ukrainian under Russian occupation?” Rus.Postimees, March 12, 2024. (Published in Russian language specially for the Russian-speaking community of Estonia).
Pritchard, Thomas. 2024. “Nuclear weapons in space: The reality and impact of a new frontier.” Rus.Postimees, March 5, 2024. (Published in Russian language specially for the Russian-speaking community of Estonia).
Terentjev, Jan. 2024. “The arsenal of democracy: Are European countries capable of providing what Ukraine needs?” Rus.Postimees, February 20, 2024. (Published in Russian language specially for the Russian-speaking community of Estonia).
Kolesnykov, Oleksii. 2024. “The high-profile resignation of the most popular military man in Ukraine: causes, consequences and new challenges” Rus.Postimees, February 13, 2024. (Published in Russian language specially for the Russian-speaking community of Estonia).
Navumau, Vasil. 2024. “The development trajectory of the Ukrainian media: “United News” as a rollback to centralization?” Rus.Postimees, February 6, 2024. (Published in Russian language specially for the Russian-speaking community of Estonia).
Khutkyy, Dmytro. 2024. “Peace initiatives during wartime: Do Ukrainians want peace?” Rus.Postimees, January 30, 2024. (Published in Russian language specially for the Russian-speaking community of Estonia).
Matveieva, Olga. 2024. “Between crisis and progress: Is growth possible in times of war?” Rus.Postimees, January 24, 2024. (Published in Russian language specially for the Russian-speaking community of Estonia).
Cole, Michael. 2024. “How war and music connected Liverpool and Ukraine.” Rus.Postimees, January 16, 2024. (Published in Russian language specially for the Russian-speaking community of Estonia).
Schmidt, Anselm. 2023. “In the context of drone attacks on Moscow, the word “escalation” has become an empty threat.” Rus.Postimees, September 19, 2023. (Published in Russian language specially for the Russian-speaking community of Estonia).
Watt, Parker. 2023. “What will happen to military assistance to Ukraine if a Republican wins the US presidential elections?” Rus.Postimees, September 5, 2023. (Published in Russian language specially for the Russian-speaking community of Estonia).
Kolesnykov, Oleksii. 2023. “Quo vadis, Ukraine? Trends in domestic political development during the war.” Rus.Postimees, August 16, 2023. (Published in Russian language specially for the Russian-speaking community of Estonia).
Matveieva, Olga. 2023. “Ukraine and NATO: Difficult decisions and fateful prospects.” Rus.Postimees, July 25, 2023. (Published in Russian language specially for the Russian-speaking community of Estonia).
Kurnyshova, Yuliia. 2023. “About the Vilnius summit, the “gray zone” and the security hierarchy.” Rus.Postimees, July 14, 2023. (Published in Russian language specially for the Russian-speaking community of Estonia).
Lees, Kadri. 2023. “Ukrainian refugees have succeeded in the Estonian labour market.” Rus.Postimees, July 11, 2023. (Published in Russian language specially for the Russian-speaking community of Estonia).
Kondratyk, Yurii. 2023. “The war not only brought pain and loss to Ukraine, but also made the Ukrainian nation monolithic.” Rus.Postimees, June 27, 2023. (Published in Russian language specially for the Russian-speaking community of Estonia).
Khutkyy, Dmytro. 2023. “Should you believe your own eyes? Fact checking in social media.” Rus.Postimees, June 13, 2023. (Published in Russian language specially for the Russian-speaking community of Estonia).
Matveieva, Olga. 2023. “How Russian propaganda in Germany changed after Russia's attack on Ukraine.” Rus.Postimees, May 23, 2023. (Published in Russian language specially for the Russian-speaking community of Estonia).
Khutkyy, Dmytro. 2023. “How Ukraine exercises digital resistance.” Rus.Postimees, May 2, 2023. (Published in Russian language specially for the Russian-speaking community of Estonia).
Matveieva, Olga. 2023. “The consequences of Russian disinformation: Stories of Ukrainians from occupied regions.” Rus.Postimees, April 11, 2023. (Published in Russian language specially for the Russian-speaking community of Estonia).
Khutkyy, Dmytro. 2023. “How the war has hardened Ukrainian society: Discoveries from sociological surveys.” Rus.Postimees, April 4, 2023. (Published in Russian language specially for the Russian-speaking community of Estonia).
Khutkyy, Dmytro. 2022. “Ukraine’s Wild Card.” European Digital Development Alliance, March 15, 2022.
Hutkõi, Dmõtro. 2022. “Ukraina on selle sõja jokker.” Postimees, March 15, 2022. (In Estonian)
Episode #15 Prospects of Ukraine's accession into the European Union – interview with Gert Antsu.
Episode #14 Western investment in Ukrainian defence technology – interview with Halyna Yanchenko.
Episode #13 Russian political warfare in Europe – interview with Anton Shekhovtsov.
Episode #12 Security alliances, NATO engagement, and Ukraine's victory – interview with Rainer Saks.
Episode #11 Global Ukrainian Community – interview with Mariana Betsa.
Episode #7 Monitoring and strengthening Ukraine's resilience – interview with Orysia Lutsevych.
Episode #6 Combating Russia's disinformation and fake news – interview with Yevhen Fedchenko.
Episode #5 Ukraine's "Peace Formula" – interview with Maksym Kononenko.
Episode #3 Ukraine, Russia, and the EU amidst the Russia-Ukraine war – interview with Andreas Umland.
Episode #2 Humanitarian issues of the Russia's war on Ukraine – interview with Jaanika Merilo.
You govern: Principles of e-governance (MOOC at eDnipro platform in Ukrainian)
Ukraine: A Nation at the Frontier (6 ECTS) SHRG.00.039 (regular course at UT in English)
History of Ukraine (Since the 19th Century) (4 ECTS) HVAJ.06.029 (regular course at UT in English)
Ukrainian for Beginners (on the Basis of English), Level 0 > A1.1 (6 ECTS) HVLC.05.077 (regular course at UT in English)
Head of the Centre:
Dmytro Khutkyy, Research Fellow in Digital Governance at the University of Tartu
Advisory Board:
Gert Antsu, Director of the Ukraine, Moldova and South Caucasus Division at the Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Estonian Special Envoy for Eastern Partnership
Paul D’Anieri, Professor of Political Science and Public Policy at the University of California, Riverside
Mark R. Beissinger, Henry W. Putnam Professor of Politics at Princeton University
Tymofii Brik, Rector of the Kyiv School of Economics
Piret Ehin, Professor of Comparative Politics at the University of Tartu
Yevhen Fedchenko, Associate Professor and Director of Mohyla School of Journalism at Kyiv-Mohyla Academy, Co-founder and Chief Editor at StopFake.org
Maksym Kononenko, Ambassador of Ukraine to the Republic of Estonia
Vira Konyk, Head of the Congress of Ukrainians of Estonia
Kaimo Kuusk, Estonia’s Ambassador to Ukraine 2019-2023
Orysia Lutsevych, Head of the Ukraine Forum at Chatham House
Matti Maasikas, Principal Advisor on Strategic Issues at the European External Action Service; former Head of the EU Delegation to Ukraine
Jaanika Merilo, Special Advisor to the Ministry of Social Affairs of Estonia, Advisor to the Ministry of Digital Transformation of Ukraine
Volodymyr Palamar, Chairman of the Board of the Association of Ukrainian Organisations in Estonia
Heiko Pääbo, Lecturer in Politics of Baltic Sea Region Countries at the University of Tartu
Kristi Raik, Deputy Director / Head of Foreign Policy Programme of the International Centre for Defence and Security
Rainer Saks, Member of Executive Board of CyberExer Technologies
Andreas Umland, Analyst at the Stockholm Centre for Eastern European Studies in the Swedish Institute of International Affairs, Associate Professor at Kyiv-Mohyla Academy
Associates:
Iryna Fyshchuk, Associate Professor at the University of Agder
Catherine Gibson, Lecturer in East European and Eurasian studies at the University of Tartu
Oleksii Kolesnykov, Research Fellow in Political Science at the University of Tartu
Olha Kovalenko, Coordinator for Regional Cooperation of the National Platform for Resilience and Cohesion
Olga Matveieva, Associate Professor at the Dnipro University of Technology, Research Fellow at the Ruhr University Bochum
Ryhor Nizhnikau, Senior Research Fellow at the Finnish Institute of International Affairs
Dmitri Teperik, Senior Policy Expert on Societal Resilience, Disinformation, Crisis Communication and Civil Security
Invitation for cooperation
We are open for collaboration for the cause of supporting Ukraine. You are welcome to contact us via email dmytro.khutkyy@ut.ee.