The second cohort of the "Community Recovery Academy" – a national initiative to train management teams for Ukraine's post-war reconstruction – has concluded in Kyiv. Over six months, representatives of 40 communities from 17 regions, including frontline and de-occupied areas, developed practical recovery solutions. For the second consecutive year, Metinvest Polytechnic has served as an educational partner of the project.
The university notes that participation in such initiatives makes it possible to align academic programmes with the real needs of communities already engaged in recovery. The focus is on training specialists in territorial development, economics, resource mobilisation, and local governance who are able to apply this knowledge in practice. This approach strengthens the link between education and reconstruction processes and shapes the content of modern curricula.
"Ukraine's recovery is primarily about people who are capable of taking action. That is why we integrate real reconstruction challenges into the learning process and develop cooperation with communities, business, and the state. Education must deliver practical results and already contribute to the country's recovery today," said Oleksandr POVAZHNYI, Rector of Metinvest Polytechnic.
The "Community Recovery Academy" programme is designed as an intensive practical course, encompassing 5 modules, 158 hours of study, 36 Ukrainian and international speakers, and analysis of the experience from 16 countries. Participants worked with approaches to recovery and sustainable development, economic growth, territorial transformation, documenting war damage, attracting investment and preserving human capital. The outcome was 29 recovery profiles – roadmaps that communities can use to plan their development.
"The 'Community Recovery Academy' is one of the ways in which the Association of Ukrainian Cities is shaping the future; it has prepared a second cohort of municipal teams capable of making management decisions. We see communities ready to attract investment and rebuild according to the principle of 'building back better'. Our task is to provide communities with knowledge, frameworks, and capacity so that the recovery process becomes irreversible and successful. This is not just an educational process, but an opportunity to apply the knowledge gained in practice for the benefit of communities and Ukraine," said Oleksandr SLOBOZHAN, Executive Director of the Association of Ukrainian Cities.
Such programmes teach communities to act in conditions of uncertainty and to work towards long-term development.
"Communities are the foundation for the reconstruction of the entire country. The Association of Ukrainian Cities has brought together partners and experts ready to support them on this path. The 'Community Recovery Academy' is primarily about shared responsibility for the future. It brings together leaders who want to gain leading expertise and effective tools. They receive all of this at the 'Community Recovery Academy'. However, we must remember who we are building for – for people, the struggle for whom still lies ahead," emphasised Vadym BOICHENKO, Head of the Mariupol Military Administration.
The project is implemented with the support of international and Ukrainian partners, including the Council of Europe and the Rinat Akhmetov Foundation.
"The 'Community Recovery Academy' is about scale and the future of Ukraine. Thank you for this opportunity to change our country together with you. Every community is not just a territory, but an asset and infrastructure. Recovery and development are carried out for people, around people and by people. The participants of the academy are changing the country today and building its future, and we will remain a pillar on this path. The Rinat Akhmetov Foundation will continue to support such important initiatives that drive change and help build the best possible future for Ukraine," said Kseniia SUKHOVA, General Director of the Rinat Akhmetov Foundation.
The academy's graduates note that the knowledge gained helped them create a community profile and define concrete steps for its recovery and development.
"Today, learning is not just a challenge of the times, but a necessity. We took part to learn new things, compare ourselves with others and become better," said Nadiia PYTIUKOVA, Deputy Mayor of Okhtyrka Council (Sumy region).
"The knowledge acquired at the academy makes it possible to move forward, address the challenges of war and exchange experience under the conditions we face. Local self-government bodies have very diverse experience – from communities that have faced occupation to de-occupied and rear areas. This experience is brought together in the 'Community Recovery Academy'," noted Olena PELESHOK, Acting Head of the Prysyvaska Military Administration (Kherson region).
"There is a desire to develop the community and the team working within it. Only by moving forward can we restore, preserve, and pass on our heritage to the next generation. Profound changes begin with small actions, and this is how the state is built. We have gained new knowledge, connections, and momentum for action in our work," emphasised Mykhailo KHUTORIANSKYI, Head of the Krasnorichenske Military Administration (Luhansk region).
In total, over two cohorts, the "Community Recovery Academy" has trained more than 230 managers for Ukraine's reconstruction. The project was founded by the Association of Ukrainian Cities and the NGO "Mariupol. Reborn" in partnership with the Council of Europe, Metinvest, SCM and the Rinat Akhmetov Foundation. The educational partners of the project are the National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy and Metinvest Polytechnic.
