KSE university in Ukraine aims to raise investment per student to $10,000 – KSE President
The Kyiv School of Economics (KSE), a private Ukrainian university, is aiming to increase its investment per student to $10,000 through a new $40 million campus project, which includes the purchase of a golf club in the Obolon district of Kyiv. According to KSE President Tymofiy Mylovanov, this level of investment is crucial to training the kind of professionals Ukraine needs to survive and thrive as a nation under existential threat.
"The Russian empire is currently investing up to $10,000 per student at top universities like MIPT and MSU, and around $4,000 at average institutions – paying salaries to specialists, providing student stipends, and creating living conditions so they can focus solely on their studies. And what about Ukraine? Here, investment is about $1,500 at non-top universities, $2,500 at top ones, $4,000-5,000 at UCU (Ukrainian Catholic University), and up to $8,000 at KSE. We want to bring that number to $10,000," he told Interfax-Ukraine in an interview.
He explained that the deal includes $18 million for the acquisition of the golf club with 14,500 square meters of space and 5 hectares of leased land, while the remaining funds will go toward creating a modern educational environment. This initiative is part of a strategic plan approved at the onset of the war in 2022.
"KSE must move into engineering, STEM, democratic practices, and law. These are the fields essential for a democratic, strong Ukraine facing an existential threat. We're focusing on engineers, mathematicians, lawyers, psychologists, urbanists, and historians – what Ukraine needs today," Mylovanov said.
He added that the university's supervisory board tasked him with leading this push, setting aggressive goals: fundraise, expand influence and operations, build a team, and grow the student body to 2,000-2,500 by 2027. According to Mylovanov, the university may even reach that goal by 2025 or 2026.
Of the needed $40 million, $25 million has already been secured. The remaining $15 million will be raised from donors both within Ukraine and internationally.
Currently, KSE has 1,100 students, up from just 200 less than three years ago. Based on global benchmarks, KSE aims to provide 10-16 square meters of space per student. However, with only 4,500 square meters at present, students are squeezed into just 4 square meters each.
"We're operating in three shifts, renting additional space to meet licensing requirements. But we still need to own 10-12 square meters per student. Now that we've acquired about 15,000 square meters, plus rent in six other Kyiv locations – although few know this – we're getting close to accommodating 2,000 students," he said.
Mylovanov stressed that a significant portion of the $40 million will go toward scholarships, as only 45% of students currently pay tuition during the war, while 55% study for free.
"These are children of soldiers, veterans, internally displaced persons, or just talented people who can't afford tuition. We want education to be accessible. When people hear 'private university', they often think profit. But we're a non-profit. We spend money – we invest in people," he said.
KSE currently falls short of covering its operational expenses by $5-10 million annually. "We were hit hard by USAID, which used to provide several million dollars per year. I think we've lost about $15 million on already signed contracts. It hurts, but we'll survive," Mylovanov said.
He estimated that scholarships, top-tier faculty, educational infrastructure – technology, books, access to knowledge, international exchanges, trips, conferences, and forums – will account for around $10 million, or a quarter of the project's total cost. Of this amount, $3 million is earmarked for a contract with Olin College of Engineering, which is currently being finalized.
"They'll make us a sister institution. Olin is one of the top boutique engineering colleges, and even MIT [Massachusetts Institute of Technology] has expressed interest in acquiring it," Mylovanov concluded.
KSE is a private university and research center founded in 1996. It operates as a non-profit organization registered in the United States. Since 2022, KSE's donors have provided over $150 million for humanitarian, defense, and educational initiatives, including the development of university infrastructure.