Estonia and Ukraine open EdTech Centre of Excellence in Kyiv

WINWIN is the Ukrainian government strategy aimed at making innovation an integral part of national policy through 2030. As EdTech is one of the strategy’s priority areas, ESTDEV supported the establishment of the WINWIN EdTech Centre of Excellence, the development of the Centre's strategy, and the strengthening of the sector through comprehensive research and training. 

The COVID-19 pandemic and Russia’s full-scale war have highlighted the urgent need to strengthen Ukraine’s digital education infrastructure and digital skills and ensure equal access to quality education. The EdTech Centre of Excellence will help address these challenges by bringing together the public sector and education professionals and supporting evidence-based education innovation. 

“ESTDEV’s support of Ukraine’s education sector covers the entire education pathway, from early childhood education through general, vocational and higher education to extracurricular education,” said ESTDEV's executive director, Andrea Kivi. “Our aim is to respond to the urgent needs created by the war while also supporting long-term and systemic reforms that bring Ukraine’s education system closer to European standards.”  

According to Kivi, ESTDEV aims to work together with Ukraine to build an education system that is stronger, more inclusive and more modern. “Ukraine has demonstrated exceptional capacity for innovation and adaptation under the conditions of war, including in the digital sphere. The most valuable partnerships are those where both sides bring their experience, ideas and solutions to the table and learn from one another,” Kivi said. 

“Education is one of the pillars on which Ukraine’s future will be built. Estonia is proud to support Ukraine not only in addressing the immediate challenges caused by Russia’s war of aggression, but also in rebuilding its education system,” said President Karis. “There is much we can share with Ukraine from Estonia’s experience, but there is also much we can learn from Ukraine. Under extraordinary circumstances, Ukraine has demonstrated remarkable resilience and capacity for innovation.” 

“Ukraine’s EdTech ecosystem has already demonstrated its resilience, innovative capacity and ability to develop world-class solutions. The next step is to create the conditions that allow these solutions to become an integral part of the education system and to scale them more widely both in Ukraine and internationally. This research was conducted to ensure that decision-making is evidence-based rather than based on assumptions,” said Ivanna Didur, an associate partner at Civitta. 

Following the opening of the Centre, the first EdTech Ukraine Forum was held in Kyiv, bringing together representatives from the Ukrainian and Estonian governments, international organisations, education professionals, businesses and technology companies. The forum presented the findings of a comprehensive ecosystem study commissioned by ESTDEV and conducted by Civitta, which involved more than 65,000 respondents. The study provides an overview of the current state of the sector and its main challenges and development opportunities and offers recommendations for legislative changes and the further development of Ukraine’s EdTech ecosystem. 

A central theme of the forum was the role of artificial intelligence and digital technologies in addressing challenges in education. In his keynote address, President Karis spoke about Estonia’s experience with digital transformation and the role of artificial intelligence in shaping the future of education. Panel discussions also focused on the future of Ukraine’s education system, strengthening its EdTech ecosystem, and the practical use of digital technologies and artificial intelligence in teaching and learning. As part of the forum, the EdTech Showcase gave Ukrainian companies an opportunity to present their innovative education solutions.