UK provides inspiration for renewal of Ukrainian university destroyed in war

​A delegation from The State Tax University (STU) in Ukraine, which was largely destroyed in the Russia-Ukraine war, visited some of the UK’s renowned academic estates to support plans to rebuild their main campus as a modern exemplar of university design. 

​Tours of the University of Cambridge, The University of Oxford, University College London (UCL), and the London School of Economics (LSE) will inspire plans to reconstruct the university in Irpin, which has historically been the cornerstone of civic education in Ukraine. STU now aims to set a new standard for the universities of the future as the country is rebuilt.

​International nonprofit Build Forward Ukraine hosted the visit, alongside Stantec, a global leader in sustainable design and engineering. Stantec’s outline concept was selected as the winner of an international competition to help design the rebuilt university.​

​Building hope for education in Ukraine
​Almost four years ago, tanks rolled south from Belarus toward the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv. Ukrainian defenders saved the capital by destroying the bridge connecting the town of Irpin to Kyiv. In response, Irpin was devastated in attacks that destroyed around 70 percent of the town, including Ukraine’s leading civic university, STU. 

​“Rebuilding STU will restore a key educational institution teaching public administration, international law, and accounting—essential disciplines needed to reinforce Ukrainian democracy,” said Margie O’Driscoll, chief executive officer of Build Forward Ukraine. “This trip has served as a key milestone in our mission to help Ukraine develop a model for reconstruction rooted in partnership, learning, and resilience. Before you can build, you need to have a clear idea of what you want to achieve, and this visit helped form that vision.”

​A delegation of STU’s leadership, academics, and students visited premier examples of educational design and architecture, including the University of Cambridge’s Judge Business School, Oxford’s Mathematical Institute, LSE’s Marshall Building, and the UCL East Marshgate building, among many others. The visit also offered the opportunity for the delegation to meet with leaders in the UK’s academic and design communities, as well as likely investors and funders for the project.

​Lessons in strength and resilience
​“Rebuilding STU as a model of transparency and sustainability allows our university to embody the values of our nation: strength, resilience, and democracy,” said Dmytro Serebrianskyi, acting rector of State Tax University. “The buildings and estates we have visited have given us new inspiration to help us realise our designs for the future. We’re delighted that Build Forward Ukraine and Stantec have been able to facilitate such positive, constructive experience for our university.”

​STU intends to progress initial designs for the new buildings with Stantec this year. The full timeline for reconstruction remains undetermined, but Stantec’s initial winning competition designs form the starting point. Stantec’s concept design embraces the spirit of city of Irpin—known as the “City of Parks”―and is rooted in community, nature, and the pursuit of knowledge. The designs acknowledge Ukraine’s rich history while creating forward-looking spaces for collaboration and cultural exchange.  

​“It’s a privilege to have been chosen to partner with STU on this unique project, which will be transformative for both the users of the university and the wider community of Irpin,” said Dathe Wong, design director for Stantec. “We hope that this visit will inspire similar creative approaches to new academic buildings across the country as Ukraine rebuilds. Ultimately, it’s important that the destroyed buildings are not simply replaced but the whole campus is reimagined to suit the current and future needs of the population. Our hope is for STU to be both a community gathering space as well as a regenerative civic and academic hub.” 

“We were delighted to welcome our counterparts from Ukraine and to share our estate as a model for the reconstruction of the State Tax University,” said Gayle Harris, head of the Programme Management Office in the University of Cambridge’s Estates Division. “Restoring and repurposing existing and historic buildings is a key part of Cambridge’s estates strategy, alongside developing a financially and environmentally sustainable estate. Creating high-quality spaces allow staff and students to do their best work and better connect to enhance university life.”

​About the State Tax University
​The State Tax University (STU), based in Irpin (Kyiv region), is one of Ukraine’s leading higher education institutions and the core university of the Ministry of Finance of Ukraine. It operates under the Ministry of Finance and provides education in economics, taxation, finance, and law. It also trains specialists for law enforcement agencies that combat corruption in state institutions.

​Today, STU serves approximately 4,500 students. Since December 9, 2022, Dmytro Serebrianskyi has been the Acting Rector.

​About Build Forward Ukraine  
​Build Forward Ukraine is a nonprofit made up of a group of architects, builders, and university leaders dedicated to advancing resilient design and construction to help Ukraine rebuild to scale even as the war continues. The group works with Ukrainian universities, government leaders, and NGOs to develop a model for reconstruction that is rooted in partnership, learning, and resilience.

About Stantec
Stantec empowers clients, people, and communities to rise to the world’s greatest challenges at a time when the world faces more unprecedented concerns than ever before.   

We are a global leader in sustainable engineering, architecture, and environmental consulting. ​Our professionals deliver the expertise, technology, and innovation communities need to manage aging infrastructure, demographic and population changes, the energy transition, and more. ​

Today’s communities transcend geographic borders. At Stantec, community means everyone with an interest in the work that we do—from our project teams and industry colleagues to our clients and the people our work impacts. The diverse perspectives of our partners and interested parties drive us to think beyond what’s previously been done on critical issues like climate change, digital transformation, and future-proofing our cities and infrastructure.  ​

We are designers, engineers, scientists, project managers, and strategic advisors. We innovate at the intersection of community, creativity, and client relationships to advance communities everywhere, so that together we can redefine what’s possible.​

Stantec trades on the TSX and the NYSE under the symbol STN.

Media Contact
Calum Metcalfe
Stantec Media Relations
Email: calum.metcalfe@stantec.com
Phone: +44 1612 458 904