On January 25, Rector of Mykolas Romeris University (MRU), Prof. Dr. Inga Žalėnienė, signed a Memorandum of Cooperation with the Ukrainian state non-profit organization Fund of the President of Ukraine for the Support of Education, Science, and Sports. The memorandum was signed during the visit to Lithuania of the First Lady of Ukraine, Ambassador of the Global Coalition of Ukrainian Studies, Olena Zelenska, at the Ukrainian Center in Vilnius.
By signing this agreement, MRU joined the Global Coalition of Ukrainian Studies—an international initiative bringing together universities and other higher education and research institutions that promote the study and deeper understanding of Ukraine’s history, culture, language, and identity, while strengthening the role of the academic community in countering disinformation in the international arena.
Lithuanian universities joining the Coalition were warmly welcomed by the First Ladies of Ukraine and Lithuania, Olena Zelenska and Diana Nausėdienė, who emphasized the importance of academic cooperation and support for Ukraine.
Planned MRU Initiatives
Under the Memorandum of Cooperation, MRU plans to implement a wide range of academic and cultural activities dedicated to Ukraine and Crimean Tatar-related topics. These initiatives include Ukrainian language and culture education, academic discussions and events on Crimean Tatar issues, workshops introducing Ukrainian culture, events involving Ukrainian researchers and the broader Ukrainian academic community, exhibitions, and the organization of summer schools.
MRU also plans to actively contribute to international conferences, seminars, and roundtable discussions, promote cultural exchanges, and encourage the sharing of academic resources, expertise, and international best practices.
“Universities are strongholds of knowledge, living memory, and critical thinking, and their role in achieving sustainable peace is immense. Through the study of Ukrainian history and culture, we foster public understanding, strengthen resilience to disinformation, and help ground public discourse in truth rather than manipulation. Education thus becomes not only a source of knowledge but also a force for peace, and we are honored to contribute to this mission,” emphasizes Prof. Dr. Inga Žalėnienė, Rector of Mykolas Romeris University, President of the Lithuanian Rectors’ Conference, and Vice-President of the International Association of Universities.
About the Global Coalition of Ukrainian Studies
The Global Coalition of Ukrainian Studies is an international initiative presented in July 2024 in Washington, D.C. by the First Lady of Ukraine, Olena Zelenska. The Coalition aims to unite the efforts of universities and research institutions worldwide to disseminate reliable knowledge about Ukraine, its past and present, particularly in the context of Russian aggression.
The Coalition currently includes 55 members from 44 countries, with 203 higher education institutions worldwide having submitted applications to join.
MRU’s Support for Ukraine
Already in the first week following Russia’s full-scale military invasion of Ukraine in 2022, MRU provided accommodation in its student residences for students and academic staff arriving from Ukraine, as well as schoolchildren, teachers, and refugee families. The MRU community collected and delivered humanitarian aid and supported newcomers in settling in Lithuania.
Within the university premises, the “Gravitas Schola” general education school for Ukrainian refugee children was established, becoming not only a place of learning but also a space of community, safety, and stability for families displaced by war.
MRU also implemented the “Lawyers4Ukraine” project, mobilizing the academic and legal communities to support Ukrainian children injured during the war. The University has repeatedly initiated and contributed to fundraising campaigns, providing financial assistance and collecting and delivering medical supplies, clothing, and other essential items. Financial and social support has also been provided to Ukrainian students studying at MRU. Close cooperation with academic partners in Ukraine continues despite the ongoing war.
These initiatives reflect MRU’s consistent position—solidarity with Ukraine, academic responsibility, and the conviction that in times of war and crisis, a university must be not only a center of knowledge, but also a space of tangible support and clear values-based leadership.
