How do teachers, students and researchers carry on in a time of war. In February 2022, Russia invaded Ukraine, and life changed overnight.
Dniprotech University, in Dnipro, is in an area that has experienced power outages, bombing, drones and jets flying over. Yet, they have maintained a full education programme – utilising blended learning – and continue to build relationships with business and with international partners.
We spoke to Kseniia Tiukhmenova, Olena Krasovska and Tetiana Kuvaieva, from Dniprotech, in late 2025 about how they are operating in such a difficult situation.
Lancaster is twinned with Dniprotech as part of Universities UK’s Twin for Hope initiative, supporting Ukrainian universities through the crisis in matters relating to the brain drain, resilience, research, skills and knowledge exchange. We learn how this works, and the benefits both sides are gaining from the new relationship – even if our guests are too polite to admit they had not heard of Lancaster before the partnership started!
We find out about how a university in the industrial heart of Ukraine has grown and developed, how it has built expertise around sustainability, the enthusiasm of students for these topics, and the setting up a new rival (or partner) to the Pentland Centre.
Kseniia, Olena and Tetiana tell us about the power of universities in uniting people in a time of war, the importance of relationships with business, and the strength they gain from their endeavours now as they plan for post-war recovery.
Plus, Paul finds something positive to say about rankings, Jan smiles as the word benchmarking comes up unprompted, and there is talk of the legendary status of Ukrainian soil.
Find out more about the Twin for Hope initiative here: https://www.universitiesuk.ac.uk/what-we-do/creating-voice-our-members/campaigns/twinforhope-uk-universities-standing
Transforming Tomorrow
Sustainability is key for any business that wants to build a lasting legacy. From carbon footprints to biodiversity to modern slavery, seabeds to factory floors, everything matters.
On Transforming Tomorrow, we make the complex understandable, the theory practical, as we guide you through the ever-changing and often exciting world of sustainability in business.
Speaking to internationally renowned experts and business leaders, we uncover how to mainstream environmental, social and economic sustainability into purposeful business strategy and performance.
Whether you are leading transition in your business, want to build a corporation with a green heart or change your individual actions, or just want to know more about how space weather might affect your operations, Transforming Tomorrow is the show for you.
Hosts Jan and Paul bring insight, perspective, and not a little amount of disagreement, to all the subjects, helping you find the message among the madness.
Join us every Monday to uncover new insights and become a little more inspired that you can make a difference.
You can find transcripts for most episodes at: https://www.lancaster.ac.uk/pentland/resources-for-education-and-practice/transforming-tomorrow-podcast/transcripts/
Send your questions on any of the issues we discuss in Transforming Tomorrow to [email protected] or fill in our feedback form here: https://forms.office.com/e/7Bw4rDiRDt
Find out more about the Pentland Centre and its work here: https://www.lancaster.ac.uk/pentland/
Meet the Hosts
Professor Jan Bebbington is the Director of the Pentland Centre for Sustainability in Business at Lancaster University. Jan is an expert on accounting, benchmarking (to her co-host’s annoyance), and how business and sustainability intersect.
Jan loves nature and wants to protect it – and hopes she can change the world (ideally for the better). She is also motivated to address inequality wherever it is found and especially to eliminate forced, bonded or child labour. Transforming Tomorrow is one small step on that quest.
Paul Turner is a former sports journalist who now works promoting the research activities in Lancaster University Management School – a poacher turned gamekeeper as his former colleagues would have it.
Paul has always been interested in nature and the natural environment – it comes from growing up in Cumbria – and has been a vocal proponent of the work of the Pentland Centre since joining Lancaster University. He does not like rankings and benchmarking, and is not afraid to say so.