New grant awarded under Nansen EDU: Strengthening Norwegian–Ukrainian cooperation in higher education

The project is a three-year partnership that responds to the major pressure currently facing Ukraine’s legal and higher education sectors. Since the full-scale invasion, universities and justice institutions have had to deal with wartime conditions, ongoing reforms, and the demands of closer European integration.

Law faculties are struggling to retain students and maintain teaching quality. At the same time, prosecutors, investigators, defense lawyers, and judges are dealing with a massive growing number of cases, including war crimes and serious human rights violations. These challenges are made worse by the risk of losing students and professionals, gaps in specialized expertise, and uneven use of human rights-based and evidence-based approaches in legal education.

These challenges affect not only education, but also the long-term capacity of institutions responsible for upholding the rule of law. Ukraine also carries a historic responsibility to document and prosecute serious international crimes. This requires complex skills in international criminal law, evidence assessment, trauma-informed practice, and modern investigation methods.

Against this backdrop, the project aims to build strong, practical, and human rights-based criminal justice education within Ukrainian universities. The goal is to support a new generation of legal professionals who can carry out fair, non-coercive, and evidence-based investigations.

A strong and experienced partnership

The project brings together expertise from Norway and Ukraine. The University of Oslo, through NCHR, contributes international knowledge in human rights, criminal law and investigative interviewing. Ukrainian partner universities will integrate new courses into their programmes, while partner organization JustGroup connects the project to practitioners and supports implementation on the ground. Together, the partners will combine academic learning with practical experience, helping students gain skills that are directly relevant in today’s justice system.

“This project shows what strong partnerships can achieve when they are grounded in real needs. It combines proven approaches with new ways of teaching and learning, and has the potential to make a lasting contribution to how future legal professionals in Ukraine are trained.”

Focus on education, teaching, and practice

The project will develop new courses in areas such as human rights in criminal justice, investigative interviewing, and pre-trial investigation. These courses will combine theory with hands-on learning, including case work, simulations, and cooperation with practitioners.

A key element is strengthening university teachers through training and international cooperation, helping ensure that improvements continue after the project ends.

Students will also take part in applied research through a “StudLab” format, working on real-life cases together with practitioners. This helps bridge the gap between study and professional work.

Recognised quality and impact

The project received the highest possible evaluation score and was rated “Excellent.” Reviewers pointed to its strong relevance and importance in addressing Ukraine’s current challenges. They also highlighted its potential for long-term impact, especially through its focus on curriculum development, teacher training, and close cooperation between institutions.

Looking ahead

The project will run from 2026 to 2029 and is expected to strengthen legal education, improve cooperation between universities and the justice sector, and support the protection of human rights and the rule of law in Ukraine.

By investing in education and skills, the partnership aims to support both immediate needs and long-term development of the Ukranian education sector.