Empowering Ukraine through digital learning

The digitalisation of education has become a national priority of Ukraine — not only to modernise curricula, but also to make learning accessible and resilient in times of war. 

Since the beginning of Russia’s attacks, millions of Ukrainian students and teachers have been forced to adapt to disrupted learning environments. Schools have been damaged or destroyed, families displaced, and traditional teaching methods upended. In this context, digital education has emerged not just as a tool for innovation, but as a lifeline for maintaining educational access across regions. 

Digital platforms, cloud-based resources, and remote learning technologies have made it possible to preserve the right to education, even in bomb shelters, evacuation zones, or when separated from school communities. Moreover, in an era where digital transformation shapes national resilience and competitiveness, education plays a central role — cultivating the knowledge, skills, and adaptability needed to rebuild the country and shape its European future.  

IT Studios: A New Era for Informatics Education in Schools  

Among the flagship digital educational initiatives is IT Studios, developed by the Ministry of Digital Transformation of Ukraine and the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine in cooperation with the EU-funded project EU4DigitalUA, implemented by FIAP. 

These studios offer reimagined informatics lessons that integrate digital materials and practical skill-building for school students of 1–11 grades. The IT Studios platform provides: 

-Over 500 interactive exercises 

-320+ educational sessions 

-Modules ranging from digital literacy, and media creativity to computational thinking and programming
 

“IT Studios is a rethought approach to teaching computer science through digital educational materials for students and teachers, with maximum focus on practice and application of skills in real situations. More than 30% of the country’s educational institutions already use IT Studios in the educational process. Educational resources of modern informatics change the idea of modern education and lay the foundation for the future, where technology becomes the driving force of the country’s development,” said Valeriya Ionan, Advisor to the First Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine on Innovation, Digitalisation & Global Partnerships, Ministry of Digital Transformation of Ukraine.
 

Cooperation to boost digital education in Ukraine
 

The EU4DigitalUA project stands as a pivotal initiative supporting Ukraine’s journey toward an innovative and inclusive digital society. Funded by the European Union, the project has been advancing digital learning and institutional capacity building in Ukraine since 2020 — with a clear mission: to bring international expertise, modern tools, and European values into the core of Ukraine’s digital governance and education systems.

The main goal of EU4DigitalUA is to increase Ukraine’s competitiveness through transparent, citizen-centered digital governance. With the Ministry of Digital Transformation of Ukraine as the primary beneficiary, the project focuses on three key pillars which are implemented by FIAP: 

-Institutional strengthening and capacity development 

-Communication and public awareness 

-Data protection

By equipping both public officials and the younger generation with 21st-century digital skills, EU4DigitalUA helps lay the foundation for Ukraine’s sustainable development and European integration. 
 

AI Knowledge in Ukrainian Schools 

As AI tools become increasingly integrated into everyday life, Ukraine is taking steps to bring them into the classroom. A joint study by Projector Creative & Tech Institute and the Junior Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, conducted in September–October 2023, sheds light on the current landscape of AI usage in Ukrainian education. 

This gap points to a critical need for ongoing teacher training and support — an area where EU4DigitalUA’s initiatives like CDTO Campus and digital upskilling programs continue to play a transformative role. 

CDTO Campus: Training Ukraine’s Digital Government Leaders 

Beyond classrooms, EU4DigitalUA also plays a transformative role in public administration providing training programs on AI and personal data protection for CDTO Campus — Ukraine’s national learning initiative for Chief Digital Transformation Officers (CDTOs) and their teams in government and public bodies. 

Designed to build high-level digital leadership, the Campus offers training in numerous educational programs in GovTech, cybersecurity, and artificial intelligence, adapted to the modern requirements of public administration. 

One of the most recent programs delivered through CDTO Campus was “EU4DigitalUA: Implementing AI in e-Government”, completed in May 2025. This course was tailored for civil servants and focused on: 

-AI adoption strategies in public administration 

-Ethical and legal frameworks aligned with EU standards 

-Best practices from Spain and other EU countries 

-Practical use cases and adaptation for the Ukrainian context

Spanning eight comprehensive modules, the course combined lectures from international experts, group discussions, and hands-on case studies. 

A Path Forward: AI in the Classroom and Beyond 

As part of its long-term strategy, the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine has published practical guidelines for integrating AI into school curricula. These include safe usage recommendations, toolkits for teachers and students, and strategies for ethical use and responsible AI adoption. In this context, digital literacy plays a pivotal role as a driver of Ukraine’s innovation economy. With a reputation for producing top-tier tech talent, Ukraine is leveraging digital education to accelerate its recovery. 

From transforming how schoolchildren learn informatics, to training the next generation of public digital leaders, EU4DigitalUA initiatives reinforce the importance of education as the backbone of digital transformation. By fostering digital literacy, supporting AI integration, and aligning with EU standards, EU4DigitalUA helps Ukraine build a resilient, future-ready state where knowledge and innovation drive the country forward on its European path. 

✍🏽 Team of the project EU4Digital in Ukraine

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