Estonia has opened an education-technology Centre of Excellence in Kyiv to speed up the use of digital technology in Ukraine’s education system and give institutions, policymakers and entrepreneurs a place to develop and test new ideas.
The WINWIN EdTech Center of Excellence will operate as a cooperation platform focused on technology-based innovation and a more resilient education system.
Estonia backs the Excellence centre in Kyiv
The centre will be located in the same building as the Tallinn Mechanism Project Office and the offices of Diia, the Ukrainian state e-gov service. The Estonian Centre for International Development (ESTDEV) has signed a €300,000 financing agreement with the East Europe Foundation to renovate a 225-square-metre office space. The site will also include an EdTech demonstration centre.
“Once again, we are implementing a project in Ukraine where we combine the renewal of the physical environment with substantive systemic changes,” said Tarmo Needo, ESTDEV’s programme manager for Infrastructure Development. “Together with Ukrainian partners, we are designing and building a modern and inspiring work environment that supports innovation and the development of education.”
President of Estonia Alar Karis, Ukraine’s Minister of Digital Transformation Oksana Furchak, and Ukraine’s Minister of Education and Science Andrii Butenko officially opened the WINWIN EdTech Centre of Excellence in KyivESTDEV, President of Estonia Alar Karis, Ukraine’s Minister of Digital Transformation Oksana Furchak, and Ukraine’s Minister of Education and Science Andrii Butenko officially opened the WINWIN EdTech Centre of Excellence in Kyiv
ESTDEV has also assembled a consortium led by Estonian consulting company Civitta, the EdTech Ukraine Association and EdTech Estonia to analyse Ukraine’s EdTech sector. The work will compare the availability and use of digital solutions in Ukraine with practices in Estonia, Finland and Singapore, including the use of artificial intelligence and augmented reality.
Training and pilots planned for digital education
The project includes policy recommendations, an action plan and a training programme for teachers and other participants in Ukraine’s education ecosystem. The programme will introduce international practices and help develop the skills needed to create and implement EdTech solutions.
“The Digital Transformation in education brings innovative solutions directly to the classroom. It supports teachers and makes learning more modern and accessible,” said Kristi Kulu, ESTDEV’s programme manager for Education. “Estonia’s experience in digital education will help Ukraine realise this ambition.”
Ukraine’s education system has faced disruption from the COVID-19 pandemic and Russia’s full-scale war, accelerating the shift to distance and hybrid learning. Limited access to technology, gaps in teachers’ digital skills and insufficient infrastructure for inclusive education, particularly for children with disabilities, remain challenges.
ESTDEV will invest a total of €425,000 in the initiative. The centre supports Ukraine’s WINWIN strategy, which aims to develop the country into a global innovation hub by 2030 and strengthen digital education as part of its recovery.
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