The State Tax University (STU) in Irpin is one of the country's leading universities, focusing on economics, finance and law. As Russian tanks rolled towards Kiev at the start of the expanded aggression, a bridge between Irpin and the capital was destroyed; the Russian army then levelled 70% of the town.
Ukraine is now seeking to rebuild the university. Stantec won an international competition for an outline concept for the new STU, and supported the UK tour alongside Build Forward Ukraine.
鈥嬧�淩ebuilding STU as a model of transparency and sustainability allows our university to embody the values of our nation: strength, resilience, and democracy,鈥� said Dmytro Serebrianskyi, acting rector of State Tax University. 鈥淭he buildings and estates we have visited have given us new inspiration to help us realise our designs for the future. We鈥檙e delighted that Build Forward Ukraine and Stantec have been able to facilitate such positive, constructive experience for our university.鈥�
Margie O鈥橠riscoll, chief executive officer of Build Forward Ukraine, said 鈥淩ebuilding STU will restore a key educational institution teaching public administration, international law, and accounting鈥攅ssential disciplines needed to reinforce Ukrainian democracy.
鈥淭his trip has served as a key milestone in our mission聽to help Ukraine聽develop a model for reconstruction rooted in partnership, learning, and resilience.聽Before you can build, you need to have a clear idea of what you want to achieve, and this visit helped form that vision.鈥�
鈥婽he聽delegation of STU鈥檚 leadership, academics, and students聽visited聽examples of educational design and architecture, including聽the聽University聽of Cambridge鈥檚聽Judge Business School, Oxford鈥檚 Mathematical Institute, LSE鈥檚 Marshall Building,聽and聽the UCL East Marshgate building,聽among many others.聽The聽visit聽also offered the聽opportunity聽for the delegation聽to meet with聽leaders in the UK鈥檚 academic and design communities,聽as well as聽likely investors聽and funders聽for the project.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a privilege to have been chosen to partner with STU on this聽unique project, which will be transformative for both the users of the university and the wider community of Irpin,鈥� said Dathe Wong design director for Stantec. 鈥淲e hope that this聽visit聽will inspire similar聽creative approaches to new academic buildings across the country as Ukraine rebuilds.聽Ultimately,聽it鈥檚聽important聽that the聽destroyed buildings聽are聽not simply replaced聽but聽the whole campus is reimagined聽to suit the current and future needs of the population.聽Our hope is for聽STU聽to聽be聽both a community聽gathering space聽as well as聽a regenerative civic and academic hub.鈥澛�
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