Ukraine's Universities Enter the Drone Security System

Kseniia Smyrnova says Ukrainian science is becoming part of the country’s national security architecture, covering research on disinformation as well as work on drone and counter-drone technologies. The EU-Ukraine Drone Alliance is beginning to take practical shape, she said, but research centers aren’t yet included in its remit. The question now is who will shape that work—and whether Ukrainian researchers will have a place in decisions about research on Ukraine.

Science in the Security Architecture

Smyrnova, President of the Ukrainian Association of European Law and former Vice-Rector of Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, said security research spans the humanities and natural sciences. Humanities researchers analyse geopolitical shifts, forecast developments and work to combat disinformation. Natural sciences researchers are developing new defense systems and technologies that use artificial intelligence in drone and counter-drone systems.

“Ukrainian science is an integral part of our national security architecture. It is a priority, and all our efforts are directed towards it,” Smyrnova said. She described this work as “one of Ukraine’s key strengths.” In her account, universities and researchers belong inside a security project, not outside it: research, education and technology all form part of the same effort.

The EU-Ukraine Drone Alliance is “beginning to take practical shape,” Smyrnova said, though its current remit doesn’t include research centers. “Our next task is therefore to strengthen the alliance by incorporating scientific expertise and analysis. It really is an entire ecosystem,” she said. She sees the alliance’s next steps as a chance to broaden who contributes expertise.

Who Gets to Research Ukraine

Smyrnova pointed to research into the effects of electronic warfare systems on the human body and innovations in early warning of drone attack. She said these technologies should provide the basis for specific technological products. Her remarks link research into bodily effects and warning systems to product development, without spelling out what those products would be.

She said the future of Ukrainian universities will involve bringing education, science and industry together, and that Ukrainian scientists have an opportunity to put that concept into practice. “Our European partners understand how important it is to help us in this area, and we continue to advocate for Ukraine’s interests,” she said. The report doesn’t identify the partners or explain how the alliance will bring research centers in.

Smyrnova’s position on participation was blunt: “'No research about Ukraine without Ukrainian researchers' – a reworking of President Volodymyr Zelensky's statement, 'No negotiations about Ukraine without Ukraine'.” She said Ukrainian researchers must take part whenever anyone conducts research about Ukraine or applies its findings. She also said she is convinced Ukrainian science “will make the EU stronger.”

Funding, Grants and the Universities

The Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine allocated UAH 3 billion for a new performance-based basic funding model for scientists, and another UAH 1 billion to establish defense research centers at leading universities. Those figures show public money directed toward science and defense research, but the report doesn’t say how the ministry will distribute it among projects or researchers.

Smyrnova said universities need established project teams and leadership, along with researchers carrying out research and development. Dedicated teams can support grant applications and project management, she said. Universities already have experience setting up coordination centers and grant support services, she said, and they need to cut bureaucratic red tape so researchers take part more actively in international funding competitions.

The report also mentioned “Unissued Diplomas,” an exhibition presented at a Prague Conference about Ukrainian students killed in war. The exhibition appears alongside plans for defense research, placing the loss of students and the institutional drive to build security technologies in the same account. Smyrnova’s demand remains clear: Ukrainian researchers must take part in work about Ukraine and in applying its findings.