Edge Hill University (EHU) and Yaroslav Mudryi National Law University (NLU) were twinned in autumn 2021 after being introduced by the Charles Cormack Group. In early 2023, Universities UK (UUKi) awarded Edge Hill a grant as part of its Twin for Hope campaign, supporting a multifaceted collaborative project comprised of capacity building, research, knowledge exchange and policy support activities.
Twinning Activities
- #TwinforHope £100,000 Grant
- 2023 Summer School
- Connecting with Parliament
- Edited Collection: International Law after the Ukraine War
- Dual Masters Programme
- Photograph Exhibition: The Price of Freedom
#TwinforHope £100,000 Grant
The University paired with Yaroslav Mudryi National Law University (YMNLU) in 2022 and first awarded a cash injection of £100,000 in March 2023.
Projects funded by the award included the launch of the International Justice and Human Rights Centre at Edge Hill and an online researcher development programme for Ukrainian academics. As part of the award, EHU employed Dr. Olena Chub, a displaced academic from NLU, as a Postdoctoral Fellow. Her role is multi-faceted, including nurturing the relationship between the two universities, planning joint activities starting in September 2023, and applying for funds to facilitate their successful development.
As part of the project, colleagues from NLU attended a comprehensive online research training programme with EHU’s Graduate School followed by an in-person summer school held at Edge Hill University in July 2023.
2023 Summer School
Edge Hill hosted a Sumer School in July 2023. The International Justice and Human Rights Centre in the School of Law, Criminology and Policing hosted eleven academics from NLU for a one week Summer School. We welcomed ten NLU colleagues, plus Dr Olena Chub (employed as EHU Research Fellow), to Edge Hill University’s Ormskirk campus for research and policy-focused activities. The Summer School was organised by Dr Jennifer Giblin (Associate Head of the School of Law, Criminology, and Policing).
During the week, colleagues from Edge Hill and NLU discussed various areas of international law, with a particular focus on international law in relation to the Ukraine conflict. The Summer School featured workshops on the UK’s response to the conflict and UN sanctions and countermeasures. Alongside this, all colleagues, both EHU and NLU, presented on their research which allowed for discussions, feedback and the identification of overlapping research areas. The presentations also acted as preparation for NLU colleagues prior to the Parliamentary event held on the Thursday of the Summer School (see below).
Edge Hill also granted all participants full access to Edge Hill’s Library resources (including library and learning services in-person and online). Participants then retained access to the online resources after the summer school had concluded.
Connecting with Parliament
The final element of the project was a Parliamentary event on ‘Ukrainian Legal Research and Networking: Ukraine’s Reconstruction and Reparations’ hosted at Parliament by Edge Hill University, in collaboration with the House of Commons International Affairs and National Security Hub.
The event brought together UK and Ukrainian academics and policymakers to share research and policy perspectives on key issues stemming from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Dr Patrick Butchard (Senior Lecturer in Law, Edge Hill University and International Law Research Fellow for the House of Commons Library) opened and introduced the event. The event featured presentations by Iurii Barabesh, Vice-Rector YMNLU (virtually); Oksana Senatorova (Associate Professor, YMNLU) and Olena Chub (Associate Professor, YMNLU). Following the presentations, attendees split into three rooms for speed-networking sessions or roundtables, with colleagues from NLU leading discussions and exchanging knowledge with policymakers, including members of Select Committees.
The event highlighted research areas that Parliament specialists were either unaware of or wished to explore further, facilitating valuable interactions. An independent EHU evaluation noted that the ‘the project’s connection with the UK Parliament has opened doors for further collaborations and engagement with members of select committees and policy makers, facilitating a dynamic exchange between academics and policy stakeholders’.
Further work between the International Justice and Human Rights Centre at EHU and NLU’s academics would provide more opportunities to share research and insights within these policy circles. The upcoming publication and book launch is one example of such an opportunity.
Twinning Poster
