As an associate partner of E³UDRES², Bohdan Khmelnytsky National University of Cherkasy (BKNUC) has joined the exhibition “Unissued Diplomas – Unterbrochene Bildungswege in der Ukraine” (“Unissued Diplomas – Disrupted Educational Paths in Ukraine”), which opened on 22 September 2026 at Fulda University of Applied Sciences (Hochschule Fulda, Germany).

The event, organised by Fulda University of Applied Sciences in cooperation with the E³UDRES² European University Alliance, is dedicated to Ukrainian students whose lives and education were disrupted by Russia’s war against Ukraine. The “Unissued Diplomas” initiative was launched by Ukrainian students in 2023 and has since been presented in various European countries, drawing attention to the war and its impact on education.

The university community has contributed stories and materials showing how Ukrainian students and academic staff continue to study, work, and support their country amid the war.

One of the stories shared by Bohdan Khmelnytsky National University of Cherkasy is that of Alina Pashchenko, known by her call sign “Freia”, a graduate of the Educational-Scientific Institute of Economics and Law, who studied International Economic Relations. On 30 June 2026, while her classmates were receiving their diplomas, she was serving as a UAV operator in the defence of Ukraine. On 1 July, she was killed while carrying out a combat mission. Alina was only 22 years old. Her diploma remained unissued. Alina’s story is one of many that remind us of the price Ukrainians continue to pay to live, study, and work.

Fifty-nine students and graduates of Bohdan Khmelnytsky National University of Cherkasy have lost their lives defending Ukraine. Another eight university students will never receive their diplomas. They have become part of the thousands of Ukrainian students whose lives have been taken by Russian aggression.

Through the exhibition materials, the university highlights the everyday lives of students during the war. Studying in shelters during air-raid alerts goes hand in hand with volunteering, weaving camouflage nets, donating blood, and fundraising to support Ukrainian defenders. For the university community, these are not merely ways to cope with hardship. They are daily expressions of resilience and responsibility.

Since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion, university staff and students have raised over UAH 5.66 million to support Ukraine’s Defence Forces.

Today, more than 100 students and 16 members of staff are serving in Ukraine’s Defence Forces, while the parents of 610 students are recognised as combatants.

Participation in the exhibition is also an opportunity to tell the European academic community what Ukrainian education looks like during wartime and how important international cooperation remains for Ukraine. The exhibition will be on display in the library of Fulda University until 17 October 2026.

For Ukrainian universities, this is more than just an exhibition. It is a way to preserve the memory of those who will never have the chance to receive their diplomas and to remind the world that behind every story of interrupted education stands a human life.

We remember. We continue to learn. We work for Ukraine’s future.

More information about the event is available in the German publication “Osthessen-Zeitung”.

International Relations Office