The exhibition presented the stories of Ukrainian students and will be on display until November 11, 2025. Valmiera — as an educational hub of the Vidzeme region — is one of the places hosting this international exhibition, offering everyone the opportunity to learn more about the experiences of Ukrainian students and the situation in Ukraine at the time.
The exhibition opening featured Member of the European Parliament Reinis Pozņaks, Deputy Chair of the Valmiera Municipality Council Ričards Gailums, Vidzeme UAS (ViA) Rector Agnese Dāvidsone, ViA Council Member Gatis Krūmiņš, ViA researcher from Ukraine Yuliia Kovalenko, and a ViA exchange student from Ukraine. The event was moderated by ViA Vice-Rector for Development Iveta Putniņa.
The exhibition present the stories of Ukrainian students who lost their lives during Russia’s invasion. The project serves as a reminder that the war continued — and that it claimed lives every single day. Each unissued diploma in the exhibition is accompanied by a personal story, revealing who the student had wanted to become and what their life had been like before the war.
Moving stories
“We shared the life stories of young people who would never graduate from their study programs and who would never walk through their university doors again. We invited reflection on the opportunities we had — and how fragile they really were. We hoped these stories would inspire thoughts on how to build better education for the future. Support for Ukrainian universities, their educators, and students was essential — and Ukraine’s experience was invaluable for our own learning,” said Iveta Putniņa, Vice-Rector for Development, Vidzeme University of Applied Sciences.
Over the past year, ViA — together with other E³UDRES² European University partners and representatives from Ukraine and the Western Balkans — had worked on a joint cooperation strategy. This initiative enabled Ukrainian university staff to actively participate in various on-site and online training events, take part in international weeks hosted by universities, contribute to the development of the “Future Universities” concept, and partially continue their daily academic duties and work with students.
The “Unissued Diplomas” project began in 2023 and was since showcased in more than 110 exhibitions across 24 countries.
Links
➝ Vidzeme UAS
Article created by: Vidzeme UAS
