A vigil held at the Senate House for all those affected by the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Helping Ukraine’s reconstruction

19 July 2022

The article at a glance

The National Bank of Ukraine and Cambridge Judge Business School launch unique training programme to foster innovations in Ukraine’s financial sector.

The National Bank of Ukraine (NBU) and Cambridge Judge Business School are launching a unique initiative: a training programme designed to facilitate innovations in Ukraine’s financial sector, which begins on 25 July. The implementation of such programmes for professionals in the financial market is part of the NBU’s Fintech Development Strategy in Ukraine until 2025.

Mauro Guillén
Professor Mauro Guillén

“Today, Ukraine and the financial market in particular, is tackling unprecedented challenges. The implementation of such programmes creates a unique opportunity for engaging in a dialogue with the best experts from Ukraine and abroad. Despite martial law, we are working to find solutions that will add value to Ukraine’s financial sector in the future,” said NBU Deputy Governor Oleksii Shaban. “We are very grateful to Cambridge Judge Business School for its contribution to such an important mission as the development of the innovative financial sector in Ukraine.”

“The University of Cambridge together with the global academic community stands in solidarity with Ukraine. The University launched within its ecosystem a comprehensive package of support, Cambridge University Help for Ukraine. The training programme that is being launched in collaboration between the NBU and Cambridge Judge Business School is also part of the initiative, and seeks to develop a strategic vision of the future of the financial sector in partnership and with active participation of NBU experts and the financial community,” said Professor Mauro Guillén, Dean of Cambridge Judge Business School. 

According to the Programme Manager, Cambridge Judge Professor of Finance Andrei Kirilenko, a native of Ukraine, the programme’s implementation reflects the UK’s global strategy for providing partnership assistance to Ukraine.

“The executive education programme developed by Cambridge Judge Business School for the National Bank of Ukraine contains an overview of modern digital technologies and inclusive principles that we hope will serve as a foundation for the reconstruction of the financial sector of Ukraine. When the war ends, the rebuilding will begin,” said Professor Andrei Kirilenko.

The training is free of charge for the programme participants and includes only a donation of each participant to the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The programme consists of lectures and brainstorming clubs.

“It is during such brainstorming sessions that the programme participants will be searching for new values and senses for the Ukrainian financial market and Ukrainian people that will later translate into a strategic vision of further development of the financial sector,” said the coordinator of the NBU and Cambridge Judge Business School’s training programme, Kate Shcheglova.

The programme is being carried out with the assistance of permanent partners, in particular Mastercard and Deloitte in Ukraine.

The list of programme participants has been composed, with training commencing on 25 July. Upon successful completion of the programme, participants will be awarded certificates from Cambridge Judge Business School and will be able to join the global academic community as participants in this initiative involving the business school.

Cambridge University Help for Ukraine is a package of new support for students and academics displaced by the war on Ukraine, which has been developed together with the Ukrainian government and Ukrainian universities to help ensure that the vibrant Ukrainian Higher Education sector continues to operate.

The programme includes fully funded residential placements in various subjects for more than 30 students and academics to continue their studies and research in Cambridge, as well as placements for medical students and help for academics still working in Ukraine.

A hardship fund is already helping affected students currently studying in Cambridge, and plans to boost the studies of evacuated Ukrainian schoolchildren are also being developed as part of the support package.

Professor Stephen J Toope, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cambridge, said when the programme was announced last month: “Since the start of the invasion, the University has been working with education leaders in Ukraine to support academics and students whose lives have been torn apart in this humanitarian tragedy. From the online resources which were immediately made available to displaced Ukrainian students at the beginning of the conflict, through to the comprehensive package of support that now makes up Cambridge University Help for Ukraine, there has been an undiminished determination across our community to do everything we can, and to stand with Ukraine.”

Professor Kamal Munir, Pro-Vice-Chancellor (University Community and Engagement) at the University of Cambridge, and Professor of Strategy & Policy at Cambridge Judge Business School, said: “Cambridge University Help for Ukraine provides support not just for displaced academics and students but also to those trying to rebuild the Ukrainian economy. This programme by Cambridge Judge Business School is an innovative and inspiring initiative which will have Cambridge academics working with Ukrainian financial sector and regulators to lay the foundation of a modern, inclusive and dynamic economy.”