What is changing in Ukrainian education and how it is being adapted to new realities — these issues were the focus of the annual Serpneva-2025 conference held on August 21 in Kyiv. Educators, managers, government leaders, international and non-governmental organizations discussed ways to transform education and create an environment where young people can realize their potential. One of the partners of the event was the Ukrainian-Swiss EGAP Program, implemented by East Europe Foundation.

The conference gathered more than 500 participants. The program of the event was divided into three thematic areas: “Content”, “Teacher”, and “Space”. It covered key areas ranging from preschool and general secondary education to extracurricular, vocational, and pre-higher education. Special attention was paid to the topics of barrier-free environment and digital transformation of education.

Olena Zelenska, the First Lady of Ukraine, was a special guest of the event. Yuliia Svyrydenko, the Prime Minister, also attended the event.

Oksen Lisovyi, Minister of Education and Science of Ukraine, opened the event by stating: “Education is the foundation on which the future of the country is built. It shall give children the skills to overcome challenges and build social resilience”.

One of the conference topics was the discussion of international experience. Attention was paid to the Swiss model of vocational education as an example of effective integration of young people into the economy. As Simone Troller, Deputy Head of Cooperation at the Embassy of Switzerland in Ukraine, noted, one of the key factors for success is the close link between education and the labor market.

“In Switzerland, young people do not usually go straight to university, but choose vocational education. They spend two days a week at an educational institution and three days working in companies, where they perform real tasks, have a mentor, and gradually take on responsibility. This creates a strong link between education and the economy. It is also important that the doors to university remain open. After receiving vocational education, young people can go on to university or academic education”, said Simone Troller.

For East Europe Foundation, education is not just a sector, but a critical infrastructure for the development of the state. Therefore, the conference presented the results of projects supported by the EGAP Program. 

One of them is the development of STEM education. Today, at the initiative of the EGAP Program, 21 schools in five regions have modern laboratories where students can learn science through practice, create models, program robots, and work with 3D printers. This was announced by Viktor Liakh, President of East Europe Foundation.

“We have gathered all the experience — instructions, safety rules, methodological materials — into one package, and we are ready to share it free of charge with anyone who wants to launch a STEM class in their school. What is more, we are working to ensure that these laboratories are not cookie-cutter, but tailored to the context of the community — whether agricultural, industrial, or environmental. And most importantly, we support teachers. Because they are the ones who ignite children’s passion for research, mistakes, and discoveries. STEM is not about technology. It is about dreams and those who help make them come true”, emphasized Viktor Liakh.

Sofia Sakalosh, Digital Community Development Project Manager at the EGAP Program, spoke more about approaches to setting up STEM spaces in schools. She emphasized that access to technology shall be available not only in cities, but also in rural schools, where innovations are usually the last to come. That is why the STEM Project of the EGAP Program is focused on systemic support for such schools. 

The digital transformation of education is about creating a safe, convenient, and effective environment for learning and teaching. Mariia Tereshchuk, Head of the Mriia Educational Mobile App, spoke about this at Serpneva-2025. She emphasized that Mriia already covers almost 2,000 schools and ensures continuity of education — even during air raids, in shelters or in a remote format. 

“The app allows teachers to automate routine tasks, parents to stay involved, and students to learn in an interesting and convenient digital space”, emphasized Mariia Tereshchuk.

The event was organized by the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine with the support of the Swiss-Ukrainian project DECIDE “Decentralization for Improved Democratic Education”, implemented in Ukraine by a consortium consisting of the DOCCU NGO and the Zurich University of Teacher Education with the support of Switzerland, EGAP Program, implemented by East Europe Foundation with the support of Switzerland, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) in Ukraine, and the Ukrainian-Swiss project “Public-Private Partnership for Improving Vocational Education in Ukraine” (EdUP), implemented with the support of the Swiss government, private partners, and the Swiss Foundation for Technical Cooperation and Development “Swisscontact”, with the support of the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine.