BridgeUSA UPRR Programme: International Cooperation for Ukraine’s Recovery

In 2026, Serhii Kostrikov, Professor of the Department of Kostyantyn Niemets Socio-Economic Geography and Regional Studies, was selected as one of ten finalists of the prestigious international technical assistance programme BridgeUSA: University Partnerships for Resilience and Recovery (BridgeUSA UPRR).

The programme is administered by American Councils for International Education (ACTR/ACCELS), with the support of the U.S. Embassy in Ukraine and additional funding from partner U.S. universities. More information about the organisation is available on the official American Councils for International Education website and the relevant Ukrainian portal.

BridgeUSA UPRR aims to establish long-term partnerships between Ukrainian and U.S. scholars in the areas of joint research, educational programme development, and the exchange of teaching experience. Its key objective is to prepare specialists who are critically needed for the reconstruction and recovery of Ukraine.

This year’s selection process, as in previous years, was highly competitive: out of nearly one thousand applicants across the fields of Engineering, Medicine and Mental Health, Urban Studies and Urban Planning, Biology, and Environmental Science and Conservation, only ten finalists were selected. They formed two cohorts: the BridgeUSA UPRR Spring-Summer Cohort (four specialists) and the BridgeUSA UPRR Fall Cohort (six specialists).

Professor Serhii Kostrikov successfully completed the nationwide multi-stage selection process. From September 14 to October 12, 2026, he will participate in the programme at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, USA. His programme will involve active cooperation with two key academic units of the University:

• Department of Geography: delivering lectures and seminars for students and faculty, working jointly on research projects, and exchanging teaching experience in GIS and urban remote sensing.
• Havighurst Center for Russian and Post-Soviet Studies: a series of public lectures on “Ukraine and Karazin University: Resilience and Education Despite the War,” participation in the Center’s activities, and discussions of joint research projects focusing on urban resilience, the consequences of war, and Ukraine’s post-war reconstruction.

In addition, the programme includes:

• a visit to Ohio University to deliver a lecture on GIS and Urban Remote Sensing;
• meetings with the Governor of Ohio, mayors of several mid-sized cities in the state, and urban planning specialists in various locations;
• co-leading, together with an American colleague, a student field trip within the Urban Planning and Regional Development course to Chicago, where students will spend several days collecting data on the current state of the urban environment.

The BridgeUSA UPRR programme is an important instrument for supporting Ukrainian higher education and research during wartime. It not only opens new opportunities for Ukrainian researchers but also contributes to the country’s recovery by developing human capital and strengthening Ukraine’s integration into the global academic community.