N. Karazin Kharkiv National University, in partnership with the University of South-Eastern Norway and three other Ukrainian universities, is launching the international educational project FLEX-EDU UA–NO: Flexible, Resilient and Personalised Higher Education Systems for Crisis and Post-Crisis Contexts.
The project will run from 1 July 2026 to 30 June 2029. The consortium was awarded a grant of NOK 5 million under the Nansen EDU – Norwegian–Ukrainian Cooperation in Higher Education programme. The consortium comprises the University of South-Eastern Norway, V. N. Karazin Kharkiv National University, Odesa Polytechnic National University, Sumy State University and Kremenchuk Mykhailo Ostrohradskyi National University.
At Karazin University, the project will be implemented by the Department of Pedagogy, Methodology and Education Management and the Department of Electrical Engineering and Electric Power Engineering of the Educational and Scientific Institute “Ukrainian Engineering Pedagogics Academy”.
For Ukraine, high-quality engineering education is now an essential prerequisite for technological development and the country’s future recovery. Specialists in radio electronics, digital technologies, automation, robotics and other modern engineering fields are particularly needed. At the same time, the war and distance learning have substantially restricted students’ access to laboratory equipment and hands-on training. FLEX-EDU UA–NO addresses this challenge by combining Ukraine’s experience of delivering education in crisis conditions with Norwegian expertise in remote laboratories, digital pedagogy and adaptive educational technologies.
The project will establish a multimodal learning environment combining remote laboratories with browser-based access to real equipment, virtual simulations, affordable experimental kits and project-based learning. This will broaden opportunities for students to gain practical experience even when access to conventional laboratory facilities is limited. The project has a distinctly interdisciplinary character, bringing together specialists in pedagogy and vocational education methodology with experts in contemporary engineering fields. FLEX-EDU UA–NO envisages piloting the model at no fewer than three Ukrainian universities, involving at least 300 students and 50 lecturers, as well as developing educators’ professional competences through modular programmes and micro-credentials. FLEX-EDU UA–NO aims not only to address current educational challenges but also to support the long-term digital transformation of Ukrainian higher education, advance flexible models of engineering training and strengthen sustainable Ukrainian–Norwegian cooperation.
