On April 9, 2026, the BridgeUSA UPRR team organized an opening event for the “AI in Higher Education” program, developed in collaboration with the Ukraine Task Force team in Florida State University and with the support of Digital Education Council.
AI in Higher Education is a series of online events for the BridgeUSA UAFP/UPRR community, designed to support Ukrainian educators and academic leaders in building practical AI skills for teaching, learning, research, and daily work. Through expert‑led sessions and shared resources, participants will gain hands‑on tools while exchanging knowledge across disciplines, strengthening resilience and innovation in Ukrainian higher education. The program will run March through November 2026.
The event started with the opening remarks from:
- Viktoria Mikhailenko, Education Projects Coordinator, U.S. Embassy Kyiv
- Nataliia Misiura, Director of Programs, Ukraine
- Ksenia Ivanenko, Higher Education Partnerships and Capacity Program Manager, Field Operations and Programs, Washington, DC
- Vilma Fuentes, Program Director, FSU Ukraine Task Force, Associate in Research, Learning Systems Institute, Florida State University
- Dina Vyortkina, Assistant Dean for Innovation and Instructional Technology Enhancement, FSU Anne Spencer Daves College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences, Florida State University
“It is a great pleasure to see how many impactful alumni projects are coming out of the BridgeUSA program and how inspired participants are when they return. The difference you make in Ukraine, together with partners in the United States, is simply fantastic, and this project proves the lasting impact of these initiatives”, Viktoria Mikhailenko, Education Projects Coordinator, U.S. Embassy Kyiv.
During the event, Dina Vyortkina gave a presentation about AI at Florida State University. The participants also had a chance to work in breakout rooms according to their academic fields and discuss the approach to using AI in their Ukrainian universities.
In total 35 participants joined the event, including 17 BridgeUSA UAFP/UPRR 2024 and 2025 alumni and 9 BridgeUSA UPRR 2026 finalists from 21 unique universities across Ukraine.
The event recording is available via the link (Passcode: M7xnc8D+)
BridgeUSA Ukraine Program for Resilience and Reconstruction provides a 1-month fellowship for Ukrainian faculty at the U.S. higher education institutes for long-term collaboration on joint research, shared pedagogy, course development, and publications. The alumni network comprises 26 participants, with the program set to run through the end of 2026. The program is funded by the U.S. Embassy in Ukraine with additional support from the U.S. host universities.