What happens when a country’s brightest minds leave? Ukraine confronts this question as millions of its citizens seek safety and opportunity abroad. Ranking 3rd-4th among 177 countries worldwide for brain drain in 2024, Ukraine faces both the immediate impact of Russia’s war and decades of economic challenges pushing skilled professionals elsewhere.
Since the Soviet Union’s collapse in 1991, Ukraine has lost an alarming 80% of its scientists. A key factor is that Ukraine invests only 0.4% of its GDP in research and development—a fraction of the EU’s 2.3% average.
“Work in Ukraine is devalued,” explains Lyudmyla Shangina of the Razumkov Center, “especially qualified work requiring education.” This creates a troubling cycle where young Ukrainians invest years in education only to face limited prospects afterward.
Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022 dramatically accelerated this exodus, creating Europe’s largest migration crisis since World War II. Today, 6.9 million Ukrainians—approximately 15% of the pre-war population—live as refugees abroad.
Yet amid this crisis, the Create Ukraine program is attempting what seems impossible: bringing Ukrainians back home. Offering government positions with competitive salaries, the program is successfully attracting talented professionals despite the war. Euromaidan Press spoke with several participants to understand their motivations and vision for Ukraine’s future.
Lithuania’s brain gain strategy finds new life in Ukraine
Ukraine’s pursuit of European Union membership presents a double-edged sword while navigating war and an uncertain future. Though EU integration promises long-term benefits, open borders could accelerate the talent exodus that’s already depleting the country.
Ukraine is not alone in this challenge. Across post-Soviet nations, brain drain has become a familiar story. Lithuania experienced significant emigration after gaining independence and joining the EU in 2004, driven by low wages and high unemployment. Poland faced similar talent outflows, launching campaigns to bring educated citizens home.
Yet experts now recognize potential benefits in skilled emigration. Beyond remittances, brain drain can evolve into a two-way exchange where professionals gain international knowledge and connections before returning with enhanced skills and fresh perspectives.
Lithuania’s innovative response offers Ukraine a promising roadmap. In 2012, the Lithuanian government launched Create Lithuania (Kurk Lietuvai), targeting accomplished expatriates with at least two years of international experience who wish to drive meaningful change through public service. The program has been remarkably successful, with about 80% of participants remaining in Lithuania afterward.
One such participant was Dalia Krapavickaitė, who earned her bachelor’s in Lithuania before pursuing two master’s degrees abroad. When Russia’s full-scale invasion began during her final studies, she saw an opportunity to adapt Lithuania’s successful model for Ukraine’s wartime context.
In 2024, this vision materialized as the Create Ukraine program, with one key adaptation: while Create Lithuania participants tackle multiple projects across institutions, Create Ukraine focuses participants on single, high-impact initiatives at the Ministry of Economy.
“They bring new perspectives and ways of thinking,” Krapavickaitė told Euromaidan Press. “They’ve improved academically in a more creative and diverse way, bringing more out-of-the-box ideas.”
She emphasizes that this complements the value of those people who stayed in Ukraine: “When combined with these changemakers who return, joining forces becomes the recipe for moving the country forward.”
Why these young Ukrainians chose to return home
The Create Ukraine program attracts talented professionals aged 22-35 back to their homeland, offering them positions on the Ministry of Economy’s advisory team to implement reforms and foster innovation during wartime. While this initiative alone cannot solve the nation’s brain drain challenge, it represents a promising model that could be replicated across other institutions and industries.
Several participants shared their stories about what motivated them to return to Ukraine despite the ongoing war.
Yuliia Mishchuk: “Abroad, something was missing”
When Yuliia Mishchuk studied abroad, she sought more than education—she discovered new possibilities for life itself. Growing up in Western Ukraine’s Dubno and completing her bachelor’s in Kyiv, she faced an educational system where professors would say, “Only 2-3 of you will become translators, and the rest of you, we don’t know what you’re here for.”
This environment pushed her toward a master’s program in strategic communications in Italy, where she encountered a dramatically different approach.
“From the very beginning, you are treated as a full-fledged personality, as someone who will be an expert,” she explains. “Professors saw students as equals, not as lesser beings.”
Her perspective-shifting began earlier during a Work and Travel program in the United States.
“I understood there are many ways to live your life,” Mishchuk reflects. “The more cultures you see, the more options you discover, and the more freedom you feel.”
After three years in Italy, Mishchuk faced a crucial decision. “I decided to stop applying for Italian vacancies and started looking for ways to benefit Ukraine,” she says. After exploring various opportunities, she discovered Create Ukraine.
“The main motivation was ensuring my work had value for my country,” Mishchuk explains. “I feel a great duty as a citizen to make my contribution now.”
Today, she serves as a communication officer at the Ministry of Economy, focusing on human capital development. She coordinates between sectors, secures financing for retraining projects, and develops communication strategies for initiatives like women’s economic empowerment.
Drawing from her international experience, Mishchuk identifies education reform as crucial for encouraging returns. “Our education is very outdated. There’s often a big gap between what you study and what employers need.”
This insight drives her dream of launching a project to create opportunities for internships and exchanges abroad, particularly at the school level. “Even brief exposure to another culture is vital for forming a more mature society with fewer prejudices.”
Despite Create Ukraine being a 10-month program, Mishchuk is committed to staying. “I still see Ukraine as the right place where I can be useful. I find it difficult to see meaning in staying abroad now. Here, I clearly see my purpose.”
Roksolana Smerechynska: “I wanted to come here and build that future I see for Ukraine”
Roksolana Smerechynska’s experience studying international governance and diplomacy at France’s Sciences Po University revealed a different educational approach than what she had known in Ukraine. After completing her bachelor’s in philology and translation at home, she discovered the power of practical, community-centered learning abroad.
“Within our master’s program, an internship is a mandatory component, taken very seriously,” she explains. “All classes were incredibly practical.” Beyond hands-on education, Smerechynska found a strong sense of community that transformed her perspective.
She now sees glimmers of this approach in select Ukrainian institutions like the Kyiv-Mohyla Academy, Ukrainian Catholic University, and Kyiv School of Economics. However, it remains the exception rather than the rule. As part of Create Ukraine, she experiences that same spirit of solidarity she valued in France.
When war erupted, Smerechynska felt an unmistakable calling to return. “For me, it felt like an inner duty. I wanted to come here and build that future which I see for Ukraine,” she explains. Today, she works at the Ministry of Economy on human capital development, focusing on requalification and skills improvement programs.
Rather than viewing talent migration as a “brain drain,” Smerechynska reframes it as “brain circulation.” “Youth is very mobile in general,” she observes. “You can enrich yourself as a person, as a professional, and then return home again, bring something with you.”
Her vision for Ukraine centers on opportunity and inclusion: “That all people would have the opportunity to create, to realize themselves in an economically prospering and inclusive country.”
Above all, what keeps her connected to Ukraine is its people. “This is about understanding each other—from the first word, literally. This is about shared values, shared vision, and understanding. And about creativity—actually, incredible creativity… and resilience. This is what really distinguishes us.”
She concludes with a simple truth: “I have many friends from different countries, but I feel the most connected with Ukrainian people.”
Ukraine’s missing millions: who will return?
Of the 6.9 million Ukrainians abroad, Germany hosts 1.3 million, Poland shelters 900,000, and the Czech Republic ranks third. Many professionals fled not only from violence but due to uncertainty about personal safety, job security, and living conditions.
Attitudes toward return have shifted dramatically. When Russia first invaded, over 95% of refugees wanted to return home. That number has now fallen below 80%, with a Kyiv International Institute of Sociology survey revealing that half of all Ukrainian refugees in Germany, Poland, and Czechia don’t plan to return at all.
The demographic implications are severe. Demographers predict Ukraine’s population could fall to 30 million by 2030, down from 41.2 million before the war. With the birth rate at just 0.9 children per woman in 2023—the third lowest globally—Ukraine faces a downward spiral for its workforce.
The challenge extends beyond refugees. Ukraine must also address its 700,000 internally displaced persons and combat ageism and sexism in hiring practices. According to Minister of Social Policy Daryna Marchak, focusing solely on young workers is unsustainable, with Ukraine’s average population age at 44.7 years.
Military drafts have further complicated the crisis. With more men conscripted, filling traditionally male-dominated roles has become harder. Before the war, women made up 55% of the unemployed—now, it’s 81%.
The International Labor Organization projects Ukraine will face a labor shortage of 8.6 million workers over the next decade. Education has been hit hardest, with 25,000 positions unfilled and nearly 3,800 educational institutions damaged since the invasion began.
The crisis spans all sectors. Kyivavtodor, the capital’s road maintenance enterprise, faces a 28-30% worker shortage. The Kyiv Metro struggles with specialized position vacancies, while ATB-Market, Ukraine’s largest supermarket chain, reports critical personnel shortages in physical labor roles.
Veterans face particular challenges—30% cannot find employment despite the labor shortage. While most employers claim no obstacles to hiring veterans, a gap exists between willingness and practice. Many veterans return with physical health problems (63.61%), psychological difficulties (50.57%), or face lack of understanding from society (63.32%).
With up to one million veterans expected to return from combat—many with serious injuries—Ukraine must normalize disability accommodation and provide comprehensive support for career transitions.
What Ukraine may do to bring its people back
The decision to return home weighs heavily on millions of Ukrainian refugees caught between safety concerns abroad and the pull of family ties at home. While language barriers and cultural differences present challenges, research by sociologist Nataliya Zaitseva identifies family separation as the primary factor driving returns, as martial law keeps many Ukrainian men at home while their families seek safety elsewhere. Ukrainian men aged 18-60 are prohibited from leaving the country due to general mobilization requirements, creating divided families across borders.
Ukraine’s leadership recognizes that rebuilding communities must focus on human development and resilient infrastructure. Former Deputy Prime Minister Hennadiy Zubko emphasizes the need for reliable services like schools with uninterrupted electricity and internet access, despite ongoing Russian strikes on energy systems.
In December 2024, Ukraine established the Ministry of National Unity to address refugee repatriation. The Ukrainian Parliament appointed Oleksii Chernyshov, former head of Naftogaz, as Minister. While some view repatriation efforts during wartime as potentially wasteful political theater, the ministry promises to:
- Work on dual citizenship legislation to allow Ukrainians to maintain connections with host countries while preserving Ukrainian identity
- Establish Unity Hubs in eight key countries with large Ukrainian populations, beginning with Germany, Poland, and the Czech Republic
- Offer economic programs like E-Oselya (housing) and E-Robota (employment)
- Support educational and cultural initiatives, including weekend schools for children and language classes for adults.
“I continuously emphasize economic development because I’m convinced it’s the primary factor that will motivate Ukrainians to return home—after the security factor,” says Chernyshov, estimating that approximately 70% may return under the right conditions: 30% once security and stability are established, followed by an additional 40% with further development.
Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal acknowledges the urgency of the situation, noting that many Ukrainians, especially children, have already adapted to life in new countries. “Today, less than 80% of Ukrainians are ready to return. The first priority is security, as well as work and housing. We need to work on this.”
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