FSU Ukraine Task Force

In early August 2024, FSU’s Ukraine Task Force welcomed nine senior higher education leaders from Ukraine. Eight members of this group were alumni of the U.S. Department of State-sponsored Community College Administrator Program (CCAP) implemented in 2016 and 2018.

On June 25, Florida State University became the first American university to host fellows from the BridgeUSA Ukrainian Academic Fellows program. After one month of working in partnership with FSU's Ukraine Task Force (UTF), the four Ukrainian fellows left Tallahassee enriched personally and professionally.

Florida State University is hosting four academic fellows from Ukraine for a monthlong visit through the BridgeUSA Ukrainian Academic Fellows Program (BridgeUSA UAFP). FSU is the first university in the United States to host fellows through the program.

For ten years, Florida State University's Learning Systems Institute (LSI) has administered the U.S. Department of State's Community College Administrator Program (CCAP). In partnership with Santa Fe College, 15 CCAPs have been held for 15 countries. Two of those groups were community college administrators from Ukraine. 

Dr. Andrii Paziuk had many reasons to accept the invitation from FSU's Ukraine Task Force and travel to Tallahassee. He came to establish relationships for future collaborations, connect with colleagues in cybersecurity, human rights law, and science and technology, find opportunities for students in Ukraine, and, more importantly, share a message.

Florida State University’s Ukraine Task Force (UTF) hosted Andrii Paziuk, a professor of international and comparative law at the National Aviation University in Kyiv, Ukraine, on campus June 6-12. The goal of the visit was to connect with colleagues, establish relationships for future collaborations and discuss future opportunities for students in Ukraine.   

Dr. Anna Romanova, a former member of the Ukrainian Parliament, has joined the Learning Systems Institute at Florida State University. As a researcher, Dr. Romanova utilizes her passion, expertise, and network to inform FSU's Ukraine Task Force.

Established in 2022, FSU’s Ukraine Task Force was initially created to forge partnerships between FSU and Ukrainian scholars and educate the FSU community about Ukraine. The charge was to explore mechanisms and actions whereby the university can provide meaningful help locally, nationally and internationally to affected students, scientists and academics.

As the newly appointed Program Director for FSU's Ukraine Task Force, Dr. Fuentes is responsible for facilitating connections between Ukrainian universities and FSU faculty.