The cooperation for the master level program started in 2011, as a result of educational and research cooperation with Taurida National V.I. Vernadsky University in Crimea and Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv in the period 2011-2014.
This cooperation was focused on the establishment of research cooperation and a double degree in the field of Sustainable Management and was funded by the Eurasia Program (CPEA-2010/10117) administered by SIU (today’s HKDIR) with total funding of NOK 5.5 million. This initiative has contributed to several master’s students receiving double degrees and several PhD students being recruited for research education.
In 2014, cooperation with Taurida National V.I. Vernadsky University had to be ended abruptly after the Russian annexation of Crimea. The main partner of the cooperation was then shifted to Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv and other universities.
During 2016-2019, the cooperation was continued, thanks to a new project “Norwegian-Ukrainian cooperation in Public Sector Economy Education: Accounting, Budgeting and Finance” (NUPSEE). This project (CPEA-2015/10005) was funded by SiU (today’s HKDIR) with NOK 6 million.
Watch a short video about the NUPSEE project, where we talk about the main objectives and results achieved.
Thanks to the NUPSEE project, which has laid the foundation for a lasting academic partnership between Nord University Business School and Ukrainian universities, the cooperation has continued nearly a decade (as of 2025).
Under frames of the double degree, NUPSEE offers a tailored exchange semester at HHN in Bodø, where students dive into topics such as performance management, risk management, international public sector standards and many other topics. The program is designed to strengthen students’ analytical and practical understanding of how public institutions manage resources, deliver services, and shape economic outcomes. The courses are taught in English creating a truly international learning environment. More about the semester program here.
Through this collaboration, students from Chernivtsi National Fedkovych University, West Ukrainian National University, and Petro Mohyla Black Sea National University have also participated in semester exchanges at Nord University.
Between 2018 and 2025, the program has enabled:
- 131 Ukrainian master’s students to complete a semester exchange at Nord University.
- 33 students from Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv to earn a double degree from both Nord University and their home institution.
After the project funds ended, the mobility of master students coming from Ukraine was secured by obtaining ERASMUS KA1 Global mobility grants. In 2022, NOK 2.8 million was awarded to continue supporting Ukrainian students studying in Norway through 2025.
The long-term impact of the NUPSEE project is reflected not only in these numbers, but in the strong academic and cultural ties it has fostered – making it a cornerstone of Nord University’s commitment to international cooperation and support for Ukraine’s higher education sector.
The program spans four semesters and appears to combine core courses with elective options, as well as research components such as a master thesis.
The curriculum includes:
Semester 1 Semester 2 Semester 3 Semester 4 Global Trends Risk Management and Internal Control Elective Master Thesis Innovation and Change Processes Public Accounting & Financial Reporting according to IPSAS Advanced Research Design and Methodology Business Analytics Performance Measurement in the Public Sector Elective Valuation Elective Elective The purpose of the guide is to convey crucial information to help students with choosing a topic for their master thesis (MOPP), the writing process, and smooth and efficient completion of the final reporting.
You may find the guide for the master thesis here: Master thesis guide
2024:
Oleksandra Mukoied “Public debt management during times of crises on Ukrainian case”
2023:
- Dmytro Huk “Digitalization in ensuring transparency and efficiency of public finance policy”
- Kostiantyn Kovalov “Monitoring of financial performance of cultural mega- projects: experience from European Capitals of Culture”
- Veronika Klymenko “Financial management of local authorities: on–war and after–war perspective”
- Sviatoslav Liutyi “Optimisation of state budget expenditures in crisis: the case of Ukraine”
- Viktoriia Pylypchuk “Sustainability of public financial management. Case study: implementation of Sustainable Development Goals in public budgeting in Ukraine”
- Mykhailo Sharkov “Smart city development under the war: how to find a balance between security and resource-saving? The case of Kyiv”
2022:
- Yuliia Dmitriieva “Transparency and accountability of information of the defense budget”
- Filip Shulha “PPP Transaction Structuring in Ukraine”
- Kateryna Yefimenko “Gender Budgeting: A tool for improving Public Financial Management? The case of Ukraine”
- Yaroslav Matiash “Problems of Customs Tariff Regulations in Ukraine and the Application of Electronic Customs Innovations. Evidence from Ukraine”
2021:
- Anastasiia Chukh “Public e-procurement in Ukraine: success factors and challenges”
- Elyzaveta Bagriy “State financial policy on renewable energy: the case of Ukraine”
- Volodymyr Kovalenko “The paradox of the formation municipalities’ (hromadas’) budget revenues in Ukraine”
- Oleksandr Ponomarov “Local government finances under fiscal decentralization (on evidence of Ukraine)”
2020:
- Tamara Volodina “Governmental financial control and audit in ensuring the efficiency and effectiveness of public sector in Ukraine”
- Anastasiia Zorinets “Public health care system financing in Ukraine”
2019:
- Anzhelika Biletska “Peculiarities of spreading of public-private partnerships in a developing country -the case of Ukraine”
- Olena Danylenko “Public Financial and Non-Financial Policies on renewable energy in Ukraine: What is the role of the government?”
- Bohdan Dorosh “The role of control in shaping dialogue in participatory budgeting: case study of the city of Kyiv”
- Roman Dudnyk “Comparison of Norwegian and Ukrainian public procurement systems”
- Oleksiy Kondratenko “Features of budgeting under conditions of the formation of amalgamated territorial communities”
- Yaroslava Kryvoruchko “Governmental debt management in Ukraine”
- Olga Kuchevska “Modernization of the pension system in Ukraine”
- Hlib Polianovskyi “Financial support of higher education institutions. A comparative study of universities in Ukraine and Norway”
- Oleksandra Tymoshenko “IPSAS implementation in the Ukrainian public sector”
Bourmistrov, A., Iermolenko, O. and Vakulenko, V. (2019). Transformations of Public Sector and Its Financial System in Ukraine (Eds.), Volume 1 Current Issues of Public Sector Accounting, Budgeting and Finances in Ukraine. FoU Report 40. Nord universitet.
Bourmistrov, A. and Vakulenko, V. (2020). Transformations of Public Sector and Its Financial System in Ukraine (Eds.), Volume 2 Public Finances and Financial Markets: International Trends and Ukrainian Experience. FoU Report 54. Nord universitet.
Vakulenko, V. (2019). Glossary of Basic Public Sector Accounting, Budgeting and Finance Terms. FoU Report 41. Nord universitet.
Vakulenko, V. (2020). Business Practice in Ukraine: Ukrainian Business and Economic Outlook: A Growth Detected. FoU Report 53. Nord universitet.
Vakulenko, V. (2019). Business Practice in Ukraine: Multiplicity of Business Opportunities in Ukraine. FoU Report 39. Nord universitet.
Vakulenko, V. (2018). Business practice in Ukraine: Private and public realms of the Ukrainian economy. FoU Report 20. Nord universitet.
Vakulenko, V. (2017). Business practice in Ukraine: Management control in Ukrainian business environment. FoU Report 8. Nord universitet.