Relocated universities of Ukraine: Spatial-temporal mapping, trajectories, and lessons from two waves of displacement (2014–2025)

Type of the article: Research Article With the outbreak of war in eastern Ukraine in 2014 and especially after Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022, many Ukrainian universities underwent forced relocation. This phenomenon remains underexplored in both national and international academic literature, despite its profound consequences for Ukraine’s higher education system. This study aims to identify the spatial-temporal trajectories of relocated universities in Ukraine, to typologize models of adaptation, and to formulate lessons based on empirical analysis. Methodologically, the study relies on mapping, monitoring data on the institutional capacity development of relocated Ukrainian universities, case studies, and an analysis of legislation and regulatory documents. The study examines relocation trajectories of 35 higher education institutions, drawing on multiple data sources collected between 2014 and 2025. Two waves of relocation were recorded: the first (2014–2016) involved 14 universities, and the second (2022–2024) included 21. Most relocated universities are state-owned (24 out of 35), although the share of private institutions increased during the second wave. The study provides the first spatial-temporal mapping of relocated Ukrainian HEIs, reconstructing their movement across regions and over time and identifying recurrent adaptation patterns. The study concludes that relocation is not only a physical transfer but also an institutional transformation. It requires, even prior to the actual move, the development of an indicative action plan, followed by a rethinking of staffing models, the establishment of distance learning as a dominant mode, the provision of state and local support policies, a targeted focus on international cooperation, regulatory recognition of non-standard network models, and differentiated financing instruments.Acknowledgments The authors sincerely thank all those who supported this research within the framework of the project “Institutional capacity building of relocated universities: monitoring study and recommendations for improvement in national scale”. The authors would like to thank Tetiana Zaporozhets, Maksym Folomieiev, Viktoriia Rudyk, Serhii Melnyk, Dariia Ivashchenko, and Olena Tupakhina for their valuable support in data collection, expert evaluation, and insightful discussions. We are also grateful for the partial support of the research conducted by Yana Sychikova and Ihor Lyman, provided in the framework of a state budget project “Ukrainian universities in new realities: the impact of the war and mechanisms for preserving the scientific and personnel potential of training specialists in high-tech industries”. Finally, the authors would like to express their deepest gratitude to all Ukrainian defenders, whose courage and resilience made it possible to complete and publish this work.