PROJECTS | -sergius

WorldWideStudies

The WorldWideStudies (WWS) scholarship programme helps the best and brightest Ukrainian students make their dreams come true. WWS for the first time systematically provides access to the world's best universities for Ukrainian young people regardless of their financial background. WWS supports talented Ukrainian students and young professionals in getting world-class higher education.

The program encourages Ukrainians to study abroad for a get a Master’s degree abroad at one of the world’s 200 best universities (based on the 200 Top Universities rankings of The Times Higher Education and QS). After receiving their degree, WWS scholars are expected to work for a minimum of 5 years in Ukraine in their chosen fields.

Scholarships are awarded in six fields that are crucial for the development of Ukraine: Agriculture; the environment and ecology; alternative energy; aerospace engineering; law; and public administration. Grants are to be used primarily to cover university tuition fees, books and medical insurance. The amount is determined individually on the basis of need and merit. On average, grants cover up to 60% of the total amount required.

Participants are selected by an independent commission selection panel on the basis of an open and nationwide competition. Candidates choose a university and apply independently, and become eligible for a scholarship if they are accepted. 17 young Ukrainians became WorldWideStudies scholarship holders in 2010, 19 students got grants in 2011, and 19 in 2012.

Cradles of Hope

In order to curb infant mortality in Ukraine, we develop a network of neonatal centers throughout the country, with state-of-the-art medical equipment and well-trained medical staff. Twenty five “Cradles of Hope” neonatal centres have been opened by early 2012.

We strive that not a single newborn has died in Ukraine because of lack of timely, appropriate medical care and necessary equipment. While implementing nationwide project "Cradles of Hope", the Foundation has set the following key objectives: to reduce infant mortality in the country and improve quality of lives of the saved children, and to help our country in transition to international standards for birth registration.

Continuing implementation of the program “Cradles of Hope”, in 2011 the Foundation became a partner in the national project “New Life”. As part of this project, which focuses on opening perinatal centres throughout Ukraine, the Foundation has committed to supply all 27 intensive care units for newborns with modern medical equipment, allocating UAH 100 million for this purpose.

Since “Cradles of Hope” program launch, 151 855 infants have been born in partner hospitals. 26 566 of them were patients of intensive care and resuscitation units. According to doctors, 12 452 babies were saved due to, among other things, the equipment installed within the "Cradles of Hope" project.

Legal clinics / Legal Aid

In cooperation with the Open Society Institute and the International Renaissance Foundation we support legal clinics and legal aid projects to promote equal access to justice for Ukrainian citizens, bolster the rule of law and safeguard human rights.
Legal clinics

This project helped to establish a network of 37 legal clinics in 21 different regions in Ukraine. Legal clinics, where law students offer free legal services to the general population, serve two main goals: educating people in legal affairs, and providing legal services to those who need but cannot afford them. These legal clinics are extremely important for Ukraine, where the educational system for lawyers desperately lacks practical skills, and where the majority of citizens cannot afford to hire a private lawyer.
Legal aid

This project, launched in 2007, provides free legal representation for criminal defendants, i.e.: access to a public attorney prior to police interrogation; the right to decline an attorney’s help only in his/her presence; and notifying public attorneys of each detention case. This initiative was launched in three regions of Ukraine: East (Kharkiv), Center (Bila Tserkva) and West (Khmelnitsky).

The three public defenders’ offices made contracts with the regional law-enforcement departments and provided legal aid for criminal defendants from the moment of detention. This has resulted in fewer number of detentions performed by the district offices involved and fewer people imprisoned as a prevention.

PROJECTS