On 23 October, British newspaper The Times published an opinion piece by Amber Rudd, former UK Home Secretary and co-founder of Friends of the Kyiv School of Economics (Friends of KSE). In the article, she called on British businesses to invest in the education of Ukraine’s younger generation and introduced the first campaign of the newly established charity.
Amber Rudd emphasised that building a strong and independent state requires skilled professionals who can develop Ukraine’s economy and technology sectors, including engineers, innovators, economists and entrepreneurs. She highlighted the Kyiv School of Economics (KSE) as one of the institutions preparing the country’s future leaders. KSE combines programmes in traditional disciplines, including economics and law, with emerging specialisations such as autonomous systems and microelectronics.
“The best way to thank the heroes who have fought and sacrificed so much is to fund a quality education for them and their children,” Amber Rudd wrote in her column.
She also introduced the first campaign by Friends of KSE, a charity established in the UK to support KSE’s development. The campaign aims to fund scholarships for children of Ukrainian service personnel who were killed, wounded or taken prisoner while serving in the Ukrainian Armed Forces, as well as for veterans discharged from service due to injuries.
Friends of KSE was founded by Amber Rudd, Nick Boles, Margot James, Simone Finn, Emily Benn and Katie Perrior. On 21 October, the organisation held its inaugural event in London, bringing together representatives of British political, business and civil society communities in support of Ukrainian education.
Friends of KSE will work to expand the network of international partners helping to make world-class education at KSE University accessible to Ukrainian defenders and their children. The initiative aims to mobilise international support to expand educational opportunities for Ukrainians whose lives have been changed by the war.