Twenty-four Ukrainian professionals who returned from across the globe – from New Zealand and Japan to Morocco and the United States – have completed their first six months in public service under the second cohort of the Create Ukraine programme.
Working across eight state institutions, participants presented key progress on major national projects spanning European integration, investment, education, energy, and cultural heritage. As these strategic initiatives transition from planning to execution, the teams are on track for full delivery by the end of the year.
Participants are embedded across six ministries and two government offices, including the Ministry of Economy, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Culture and Strategic Communications, and the Government Office for Coordination of European and Euro-Atlantic Integration.
Tetyana Berezhna, Deputy Prime Minister for Humanitarian Policy of Ukraine – Minister of Culture and Strategic Communications:
“Human capital is the country’s greatest asset. Create Ukraine provides opportunities and a practical mechanism for Ukrainians with international experience to return and contribute to the development of the state. The Ministry of Culture has been strengthened by five professionals who are working to support Ukrainian cultural products, preserve cultural heritage, and advance cultural diplomacy. These are important areas that help amplify Ukraine’s voice globally and preserve our national identity.”
Inga Stanytė-Toločkienė, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Lithuania to Ukraine:
“In a very short time, the participants have delivered impressive results and demonstrated just how broad and diverse the Create Ukraine programme is. It spans the fields of economy, energy, education, culture, social policy, European integration, and many others. This diversity is one of the programme’s greatest strengths. The interim evaluation confirmed its effectiveness while also identifying opportunities to make it even stronger. For us, this sends the most important message: Create Ukraine has a strong future ahead and will continue to grow.”
Key Achievements Across Government Sectors
To support Ukraine’s European integration, participants evaluated over 200 provisions of the EU Services Directive, identifying key legislative issues before final adoption. Over the last six months, the team benchmarked European prosecution standards and built an interactive platform to guide citizens and professionals through Ukraine’s path toward EU membership.
To drive economic recovery, participants supported the launch of the United States–Ukraine Reconstruction Investment Fund, featuring $150 million in initial capital aimed at attracting global private investment. The team also helped coordinate major business forums in Japan and at URC2026, while launching the state’s official tracking system to monitor the €9.5 billion Ukraine Investment Framework.
In strategic communications, participants analyse the international media landscape, develop targeted outreach materials for global partners, and support the organisation of the Summit of First Ladies and Gentlemen. This work directly strengthens Ukraine’s global voice and ensures effective presentation of national priorities abroad.
Across the environmental, agricultural, and energy sectors, participants advanced climate policy, waste management reform, and the harmonisation of agri-food legislation with EU standards – including a detailed analysis of new EU wine sector regulations. The team also helped secure international backing for the Energy Support Fund of Ukraine.
In social policy and education, participants focused on strengthening diaspora engagement and supporting returnees. The team contributed to the launch of two Unity Centres in Germany and Sweden, with plans to expand across Europe, and supported the “Dodomu” digital platform, providing Ukrainians abroad with vital adaptation resources. They also advanced key initiatives in multilingual education, digital transformation of science, and research infrastructure.
Cultural diplomacy and heritage preservation marked another critical area of impact. Participants personally inspected over 50 museums across six regions to establish a coordination center for evacuating cultural valuables from frontline zones. Beyond emergency response, the team introduced the “Tysiachovesna” initiative – a new funding model for Ukrainian cultural products, and helped coordinate international conferences involving leaders from 38 countries.
Create Ukraine Programme is modeled after the successful Lithuanian model Create Lithuania, which has been helping bring professionals back to work in the public sector for 14 years. Create Ukraine is implemented by the Lithuanian International Partnerships Center together with KSE Foundation.
Darius Skusevicius, Ambassador-at-Large for the Coordination of Ukraine’s Recovery and Reconstruction, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania:
“For Lithuania, supporting Ukraine means supporting its people, reforms, and institutions. Create Ukraine brings these three elements together by strengthening the state, accelerating transformation, and creating opportunities for Ukrainian professionals abroad to return home. Create Ukraine also reminds us that reconstruction is ultimately a story about individual decisions. Each participant made a decision that deserves to be named out loud: you chose public service, inside Ukrainian government institutions, in the middle of a full-scale war. That decision is itself an act of resilience — and, I would argue, an act of courage.”
Arturas Zarnovskis, Ukraine Recovery and Peace Programmes Coordinator, Lithuanian International Partnerships Center (CPVA):
“It is a great honor for Lithuania to share its experience and support Ukraine in creating new opportunities for professionals with international backgrounds. Create Ukraine is valuable not only because every participant brings unique experience, but also because it is building a systemic pathway for Ukrainians abroad to return, join the public sector, and deliver strategic reforms and projects. The programme’s key value lies in the model itself. It is a clear roadmap from international experience back into Ukraine’s public service, applicable across institutions. It is not limited to a single ministry or policy area. Over two programme cycles, Create Ukraine has demonstrated how such a map can contribute to stronger institutions, European integration, and recovery. We believe it can become a lasting driver of Ukraine’s institutional renewal and it’s European future.”
Applications for the next cohort of the Create Ukraine programme are now open
The programme continues to scale up. Ukrainians living abroad who wish to contribute their expertise to state reforms and national recovery are invited to apply by 14 August on the programme’s website: here.
About Create Ukraine
The Create Ukraine programme is funded by Lithuania through the Lithuanian Fund for the Development Cooperation and Humanitarian Aid and is aimed at supporting the return and successful integration of Ukrainian professionals currently living abroad into Ukraine’s public sector.
The programme is implemented by the Lithuanian International Partnerships Center (CPVA) together with the KSE Foundation, with the support of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania and in close cooperation with the Government of Ukraine.
