'Decisive for Ukraine's future'

UiT has, over several years, provided support to both students and researchers from Ukraine who are unable to remain in their home country. In this way, they have been offered a safe haven for both studying and conducting research.

Now, UiT will also contribute to strengthening the Ukrainian rule of law and democracy through the project 'Clarification of Legal Frameworks for Investment, EU Integration, and Justice in Ukraine (UA-KLAR). 'The project aims to enhance the competence of the Norwegian public, private, and voluntary sectors regarding the regulation of investments in Ukraine, Ukraine's relationship with the EU and EEA, and the justice process in Ukraine.

Portrait of a woman. — Gaiane Nuridzhanian, Associate Professor at the Faculty of Law, UiT Foto: Stina Guldbrandsen.

Granted three million kroner

'Economic growth and investments, cooperation with and integration into the EU, compensation for war victims, and a legal reckoning after the war are crucial for Ukraine's future, recovery, and rebuilding,' says Gaiane Nuridzhanian, project leader and associate professor at the Faculty of Law, UiT.

The project has been allocated three million kroner through the Norwegian Programme for Ukrainian Competence. The programme is funded by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs through the Norwegian Nansen Programme and is managed by HK-dir.

The two other partners in the project are Professor Yulia Chernykh from the Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences and Professor Liliia Oprysk from the University of Bergen. The three Ukrainian legal experts have extensive knowledge and experience in the project's subject areas. Additionally, they have a broad network of Ukraine experts who can contribute to the project's implementation.

Norwegian Programme for Ukrainian Competence

Funded by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs through the Norwegian Nansen Programme and managed by HK-dir.
Provides support for competence building in Norwegian businesses, professional environments, public administration, and the voluntary sector.
The competence building aims to better equip Norwegian actors to contribute to Ukrainian resilience and reconstruction.
Additionally, the programme seeks to ensure that Ukrainian experiences can benefit Norwegian society.

Better understanding of challenges

'To provide support to Ukraine in the right way, it is essential to build knowledge in key areas. We need to know more about how to make safe investments in Ukraine within a European context. We must also establish a solid foundation for investigating and prosecuting war crimes and human rights violations in Ukraine, ' emphasises Nuridzhanian.

She believes that the need for this type of knowledge is particularly strong in Norway, which is one of Ukraine's most active supporters.

'To support democracy in Ukraine, we first and foremost need knowledge about Ukrainian society, its history, and culture. We also need a better understanding of the challenges Ukrainian society faces in its efforts to build democracy and the rule of law. Norwegian universities have a significant role to play in developing such knowledge, ' she concludes.

Kortnytt fra Faculty of Law, Department of Social Sciences, School of Business and Economics, Centre for Peace Studies (CPS), Faculty of Humanities, Social Sciences and Education

Bredesen, Kim kim.bredesen@uit.no Rådgiver