Main points
- The Ministry of Social Policy and KSE Foundation have started accepting applications for the third stage of the Create Ukraine program.
- The project aims to return Ukrainian professionals from abroad to work in government agencies.
- Citizens of Ukraine aged 22 and above can participate.
- Applicants must have lived abroad for the last two years, have international work experience, or a foreign education.
- The program provides a one-year paid contract for 26 experts and training on the Government Relations course.
- Applications are open until August 14, 2026.
The Ministry of Social Policy, Family, and Unity of Ukraine has opened recruitment for the third stage of the Create Ukraine program. The initiative is aimed at attracting Ukrainian experts with international experience to develop state reforms, European integration processes, and country rebuilding. Selected candidates will return to Ukraine for a year of work in advisory teams at ministries and government offices. Applications from candidates will be accepted until August 14.
Social Policy Minister Denys Ulyutin emphasized the need for the state to have expertise from citizens who have been working or studying abroad for a long time. Government institutions are ready to accept professionals who want to directly influence internal transformations in Ukraine. The project was created based on the successful Lithuanian model Create Lithuania, which has been helping to attract experts to work in the government sector for fourteen years. In Ukraine, the initiative is being implemented by the Lithuanian Center for International Partnership together with KSE Foundation. Foundation Director Svitlana Denysenko noted the stable growth of government demand for international experience, which is transforming into a measurable impact on the economy and government institutions.
The Create Ukraine program has been operating since 2024. During its existence, the initiative has helped return 34 professionals and expanded the geography of work from one ministry to nine government agencies. In 2026, the organizers scaled up the recruitment and canceled the upper age limit for candidates. The new cohort will consist of 26 participants aged 22 and above. A mandatory condition is living outside Ukraine for at least the last two years, as well as having international professional experience or a diploma from a foreign university. Participants in the third stage will receive a paid contract for a year and will undergo a specialized certification course in Government Relations from the Kyiv School of Economics. The project is fully funded by the Lithuanian Fund for Development Cooperation and Humanitarian Aid.
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Transformation of Professional Education in Ukraine and New Requirements of the Labor Market
