NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF KYIV-MOHYLA ACADEMY

Their core work

NaUKMA is one of Ukraine's most prestigious universities, with strong social sciences and international relations departments. In H2020, they contributed Ukrainian and Eastern European perspectives to European research on security policy, conflict management, and geopolitical narratives. Their work focuses on how EU foreign and defence policy is perceived and implemented in conflict-affected regions — drawing directly on Ukraine's frontline experience. They bring irreplaceable local knowledge to projects studying EU crisis response and Russia-West relations.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

NaUKMA's earliest H2020 involvement (2015) centered on studying Russian strategic narratives and their influence in Ukraine — a topic of immediate domestic relevance following the 2014 conflict. By 2016-2021, their focus broadened to EU-wide security and defence policy, conflict management frameworks, and the effectiveness of EU external action. The trajectory shows a clear shift from a nationally-focused case study role toward contributing as a full analytical partner on pan-European security questions.

Moving from being studied as a subject of geopolitical conflict toward being an analytical voice on European security architecture — expect growing demand for their perspective post-2022.

How they like to work

NaUKMA has never coordinated an H2020 project, participating instead as a partner or third party in consortia led by Western European institutions. Despite only three projects, they have worked with 23 unique partners across 18 countries, indicating they join broad, multi-national research consortia rather than small focused teams. This profile suggests they are valued for their specific regional expertise and local access rather than for project management capacity.

Remarkably broad network for their project count: 23 partners across 18 countries, suggesting they were embedded in large pan-European security research consortia. Their connections likely span Western European policy research institutes and universities with strong international relations departments.

What sets them apart

NaUKMA offers something almost no other partner can: credible, academic-grade analysis of EU security and conflict policy from inside a country that is directly affected by those policies. For any consortium studying EU external action, defence policy, or conflict response in the Eastern neighbourhood, they provide ground-truth perspectives that Western institutions cannot replicate. Their location in Kyiv makes them an essential bridge between EU policy research and on-the-ground realities.

Highlights from their portfolio

• JOINT
  Their most recent and largest-funded project (€62,875), addressing the highly relevant topic of EU foreign and security policy in a contested world — with obvious resonance given Ukraine's geopolitical situation.
• EUNPACK
  Studied the gap between EU intentions and local outcomes in crisis response — NaUKMA's Ukrainian perspective was central to evaluating how EU comprehensive approaches are actually perceived on the ground.
• STRATNARRA
  Early project on Russian strategic narratives targeting the West, studied through the lens of influence in Ukraine — prescient research given subsequent developments in information warfare.