On November 4-5, 2025, a working visit was held in Zwolle (Netherlands) as part of the pilot project "Strategic Partnership to Support Refugee Employment in European Countries", aimed at strengthening cooperation between universities, local authorities and civil society organizations to support refugees and temporarily displaced persons in the labour market. At the same time, as part of WIN2EDIH activities, a working visit to the European Digital Innovation Hub BOOST "Robotics EastNL" took place. The program included a number of presentations and discussions with the participation of representatives of the Windesheim University of Applied Sciences (Netherlands), Kyiv National Economic University named after Vadym Hetman, Petro Mohyla Black Sea National University, Kyiv School of Economics, SMK University of Applied Sciences (Lithuania), PXL University of Applied Sciences (Belgium), as well as partner initiatives and organizations working with Ukrainian refugees. A separate part of the program was visits to the municipality of Zwolle and public initiatives supporting Ukrainian communities, which allowed combining academic analysis with practical experience and laying the foundation for further joint projects and exchange of expertise.

KNEU was presented at the event by Olga Denisova, PhD in Economics, Associate Professor of the Department of Computer Science, and Bogdan Oksyuta, a master's student in the specialty "International Economics" of the MEIM faculty. They presented the university as a modern intellectual center that combines analytical research, innovative educational programs, and practical support for various target groups within projects aimed at restoring the Ukrainian economy through the development of digital competencies, entrepreneurial skills, and innovative initiatives.

Special attention is paid to further development and the results of the research "Digital Economy: Human Capital and Competencies of the Future" and the assessment of national innovation systems of EU countries, which include an analysis of the transformation of the labor market under the influence of digitalization, identification of in-demand digital and interdisciplinary skills, assessment of the ability of education systems to respond to new challenges, as well as a comparison of human capital support tools that can be adapted for the integration of Ukrainian refugees and temporarily displaced persons into the European higher education space and labor market.

Special emphasis is placed on sociological surveys that KNEU systematically conducts among internally displaced persons, Ukrainian refugees abroad, students, teachers and employers. These studies are aimed at identifying barriers to access to the labor market, needs for retraining, the level of digital skills, as well as expectations regarding training formats and support. The presented data indicate a high demand for new digital professions, the need for flexible retraining programs and the importance of integrating Ukrainian specialists into the European labor market, taking into account the long-term challenges of post-war reconstruction. The results obtained are used to adapt educational programs and retraining programs, develop online courses, build partnerships with European universities and formulate practical recommendations for state authorities, local communities and international organizations working with Ukrainians.

KNEU's achievements in the field of digital governance of ICT professions standards, harmonization of engineering and economic educational programs with the requirements of the digital economy, creation of knowledge graphs for educational and professional standards, as well as the university's participation in European networks supporting innovation and digital transformation were also presented. These initiatives form the methodological and practical basis for the sustainable recovery of Ukraine through the development of human capital, innovation, and modern digital infrastructure.

During the presentation, it was emphasized that the educational and scientific potential of KNEU finds systematic implementation in Win-Win activities. European Digital Innovation Hub WIN2EDIH coordinated by the university as the lead partner of the consortium. WIN2EDIH functions as a European digital innovation hub within the Digital Europe and operates on a one-stop model shop for small and medium-sized businesses, startups, higher education institutions and public sector institutions of Ukraine, with a priority focus on the regions of Central and Northern Ukraine. This format contributes to the deepening integration of the Ukrainian innovation ecosystem into the EDIH network. WIN2EDIH provides a range of services, including access to test tools before invest, digital competence development programs, expert support in finding sources of financing, forming partnerships and implementing digital and green transformation projects. A key element of the hub's infrastructure support is the Innovation digital platform Ukraine, designed as a modern integrated system with advanced functionality for coordination, acceleration and commercialization of high-tech projects.

On November 5, the delegation also visited the European Digital Innovation Hub BOOST «Robotics EastNL» University of Applied Sciences Windesheim, where Associate Lecturer in Industrial Automation and Robotics Dr. A. Schunderbeck presented the activities of the Industrial Automation and Robotics Laboratory and approaches to cooperation with enterprises in the region. It was demonstrated how, within the framework of the “test before invest” format services, enterprises, in particular small and medium-sized ones, can test solutions in robotics, digital manufacturing and process automation in a safe environment, receive professional advice and support from research and student teams before making investment decisions. The possibilities of cooperation between EDIH BOOST «Robotics EastN»and Win2EDIH. Potential areas include sharing expertise on the model "test before invest”, joint demonstration projects, internship programs, as well as involving Ukrainian teams in testing and adapting industrial solutions for the needs of rebuilding and modernizing the economy.

The participation of the KNEU team in the working visit to Zwolle was an important step in building an international partnership to support the employment of Ukrainian refugees, strengthen the role of universities in shaping evidence-based policy and exchange best practices between countries. Following the meetings, the parties outlined opportunities for further joint research, educational programs and pilot projects aimed at integrating Ukrainians into the European labour market and developing digital competencies necessary for the reconstruction of Ukraine.

Prepared by Denisova O.O., Ilnytskyy D.O.

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