Kateryna Skyba, Vice-Rector for Scientific and Pedagogical Work, Doctor of Pedagogical Sciences and Professor, has been selected to participate in the international DOWIRA Lead (Developing Opportunities for Women’s Initiatives and Resilience in Academia) programme. Following a competitive selection process, 20 vice-rectors of Ukrainian universities joined the programme. These are leaders who have the opportunity to influence the strategic development of their institutions and implement institutional changes.
The programme is implemented by the British Council in Ukraine in partnership with the UK organisation Advance HE. Its particular value lies in combining international leadership development experience with practical learning, mentoring support and work on strategic projects designed to address the real needs of Ukrainian universities.
On 23 September 2026, the introductory DOWIRA Lead webinar took place. Yuliia Sobol, Head of Education Programmes at the British Council in Ukraine, delivered a welcome address and introduced the programme. Barbara Bassa, Director of Women’s Leadership Programmes at Advance HE, outlined the principles of collaboration among participants. Particular attention was given to bias and stereotypes in higher education and their impact on leadership, management decisions and opportunities. This session was led by Iryna Tytarchuk, Executive Director of ITFC and founder of WOMEN IN. Danielle Smith-Hanna (Advance HE) and Vita Svitlychna (British Council in Ukraine) presented digital tools for interaction and learning.
From 6 to 9 October 2026, the first in-person module, Rethinking Leadership in Higher Education, took place in Kraków, Poland. It marked the beginning of collaborative work on contemporary approaches to university governance, the development of management competencies and a deeper understanding of the role of women leaders as initiators of change.
The Kraków module covered a broad range of management challenges. Barbara Bassa, Director of Women’s Leadership Programmes at Advance HE, led a session on rethinking leadership for the future of higher education and, together with Liudmyla Tatsenko, facilitated a discussion on women’s leadership in higher education during wartime. Barbara Bassa and Olena Tupakhina led a session on adaptive leadership strategies in the face of extraordinary challenges.
A separate section focused on trauma-informed leadership, presented by Svitlana Tsymbaliuk and Olena Khadzhynova. A practical case study from the London School of Economics and Political Science was presented by Professor Emma McCoy, Vice-President and Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Education; Jacinta Stevens, Head of Organisational Development and Learning; and Amy Norton, Head of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion.
Svitlana Kalashnikova focused on institutional strategy, university flexibility and ensuring gender equality. The programme also included a discussion with female rectors of Ukrainian universities, moderated by Olena Khadzhynova, small-group work and an introduction to the Action Learning Sets format, facilitated by Barbara Bassa. The final practical stage involved working on institutional projects with Barbara Bassa and Svitlana Kalashnikova.
A Community That Empowers Every Participant
One of the most important outcomes of DOWIRA Lead is the formation of a professional community of vice-rectors from different regions of Ukraine. It provides a space for open exchange of experience, discussion of shared challenges, the search for partners and the launch of inter-university initiatives. In-person communication during the module laid the foundations for trust and further cooperation that may continue well beyond the programme itself.
For Kateryna Skyba, who is responsible for developing KhNU’s international relations, this network creates additional opportunities for joint educational and research initiatives, the exchange of management practices and the development of partnerships between universities.
DOWIRA Lead involves not only training modules but also regular mentoring sessions, work in Action Learning Sets and the development of a strategic institutional project. The programme focuses on gender-sensitive challenges within university environments, equal opportunities, the development of leadership potential and organisational resilience.
For Khmelnytskyi National University, participation in the programme is an opportunity to strengthen the work already underway to create an inclusive, safe and equitable academic environment, foster a culture of collaboration and support women at different stages of their professional development. A practical outcome is expected to be the development of an institutional initiative that translates new knowledge and management approaches into concrete changes.
The next in-person module, scheduled for 10–12 November 2026 in Lviv, will focus on university governance and financial management to support institutional resilience. In November and December, DOWIRA Lead participants are also expected to form DOWIRA Rise teams, each comprising four colleagues from their respective universities whose expertise will align with the themes of the institutional projects.
Kateryna Skyba’s participation in DOWIRA Lead represents both professional development and a new resource for KhNU. The knowledge, partnerships and professional solidarity fostered through the programme create the conditions for sustainable change at the university and for strengthening women's role in leadership across Ukrainian higher education.
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