The Ukrainian Leadership Academy (ULA) continues to work actively with the younger generation of Ukrainians, even in the midst of a full-scale war. Today, 32 students live and study at one of the four ULA centres in Kyiv. The training programme for them lasts 10 months and combines the physical, emotional and intellectual development of young people.
History and present of the Kyiv campus
The Ukrainian Leadership Academy was founded in 2015 and has since been helping young people unlock their leadership potential and strengthen their social impact. In over 10 years of existence, in addition to Kyiv, the UAL also had centres in Kharkiv, Mykolaiv, Mariupol, Poltava, Uzhhorod, Chernivtsi, Lviv and Ternopil. After the full-scale invasion, the work of some centres had to be suspended and the children moved to relatively safer cities.
“Here on our campus, you can see a little bit of our history. For example, here is UAL Poltava, when we had a branch in Poltava. Here is a photo from the 2018 expedition, when we travelled to the EU and had meetings at the European Parliament,” says Yulia Hryhoruk, communications mentor at UAL Kyiv, showing archival photos from the life of UAL.
Educational model and social responsibility
The philosophy of teaching students at UAL is based on shaping the worldview of responsible and conscious members of the community through their interaction with leading experts and opinion leaders from various fields: education, business, government and public sectors, etc.
Volunteering is also an important part of the training programme: from helping animals to weaving camouflage nets and participating in socially important events.
Leadership example and motivation for applicants
The head of the UAL Kyiv branch, Bohdan Skoropad, is a graduate of the academy who has seen the effectiveness of the training programme first-hand.
‘After studying at the Ukrainian Leadership Academy, my life changed dramatically. I returned to my city, began to create a community of people, and unite a public organisation. We started to create various projects for young people, various workshops, and created a youth space,’ recalls Bohdan.
According to him, the motivation of today’s applicants is deep and conscious. It is not just a pause in their studies, but a search for meaning.
‘Today, there is a strong desire to search for one’s own identity. We have many students who have returned from abroad. We have children, students who have lived in the occupied territories for more than 10 years, and they have chosen to live in Ukraine,’ emphasises the head of the centre.
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Returning from overseas to study at home
Sofia Bokovnya lived in Canada for over three years, where she finished school and started university. But later she decided to return to Ukraine.
‘I felt that Ukraine was my home, that my family was there. I couldn’t be there because I was too far away. And I felt that I wanted to be in Ukraine, I wanted to be at home. I wanted to go to university here and study here. I wanted to speak Ukrainian and see my parents and relatives,’ Sofia shares.
Sofia describes her studies at the Ukrainian Leadership Academy as an intense period of growth: ‘For me, the ULA is a transformative experience that has changed my personality. It’s a 10-month programme, but it feels like five years of university.’
Cultural development and finding your own path
Another student, Sofia Shatalyuk, enrolled at the UAL after studying political science in order to rethink her goals.
‘I felt a little lost and wanted to find a new cause that would drive me, bring me pleasure, and allow me to be as useful as possible to Ukraine, to the state, to the nation,’ Sofia explains her decision.
Now she is actively involved in cultural projects, in particular the preparation of nativity scenes.
‘It is at the Academy that I want to finally understand what brings me the most satisfaction. Currently, I am involved in organising the ’Christmas Together‘ project. I am responsible for the creative part, writing scripts for nativity plays and preparing workshops,’ says the student.
Location of centres and admission requirements
In 2022, for security reasons, the Ukrainian Leadership Academy temporarily suspended the work of some of its centres. However, it continues to develop in the cities where it is present and has ambitious plans for the future.
‘We currently have three centres of the Ukrainian Leadership Academy. These are Kyiv, Uzhhorod and Lviv. This year, we also opened a boarding school in Ternopil,’ says Bohdan Skoropad.
Every year, the Ukrainian Leadership Academy recruits active, conscious and motivated young people from all over Ukraine for its training programme. The selection process for the 2026-2027 academic year will begin soon.
“So we advise you to subscribe to the UAL pages on Instagram and Facebook, follow the updates and submit your application. Studying at the Ukrainian Leadership Academy is an experience that will change your life for the better forever. Here, in addition to communicating with top teachers, lecturers, and invited experts from various fields, travelling to advocacy campaigns in Europe, and participating in socially important initiatives, you will also become part of a community of UAL students and graduates who are change makers in our country. Because, as the motto of the Ukrainian Leadership Academy says, ‘We create ourselves – we create Ukraine! Every tomorrow begins today,’ says the head of the Kyiv branch of the UAL.
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