More than 70,000 learners in Ukraine have taken advantage of an online education program offered in partnership between Gies College of Business and Prometheus. The program, launched in early 2024, offers a series of fully online business courses to learners in war-torn Ukraine through Prometheus World University. Gies Business’ participation furthers the College’s commitment to creating life-changing access to business education and provides an important service to a nation decimated by the Russian invasion that began in 2022 and continues today. The University of Illinois is among several schools participating in the program; others include Harvard, MIT, Michigan, Duke, California, and Johns Hopkins.

The online courses offered by Gies are asynchronous, meaning they are completely self-paced. They are free to join and are non-credit-bearing. Courses offered by Gies Business cover topics like digital media, digital marketing, project management, and corporate finance. Several of Gies’ courses boast completion rates far exceeding typical benchmarks for massive open online courses (MOOCs), and both learner satisfaction and engagement remain extremely high.

“At Gies, we believe business education should be accessible to anyone with the curiosity and commitment to learn—regardless of geography or circumstance,” said Amanda Brantner, director of content and educational portfolio strategy at Gies Business. “This partnership with Prometheus, made possible through the support of the US Embassy, exemplifies how we can extend high-quality learning beyond the bounds of traditional degrees to meet real needs in real time. We are proud to support learners in Ukraine with meaningful, flexible educational opportunities during an extraordinarily challenging moment.”

Material for each course was sourced from Gies’ existing MOOCs on these topics. Prometheus managed the process of translating the courses into Ukrainian and is hosting the courses on their platform. Gies plans to offer several more courses through this partnership, including content in accounting, finance, and organizational management.

“Providing access to high-quality business education through this program is a small but meaningful way to support Ukrainian learners as they navigate extraordinary challenges,” said Heitor Almeida, professor of finance and Stanley C. and Joan J. Golder Distinguished Chair in Corporate Finance. “I hope these courses empower students with tools to rebuild, lead, and thrive in a rapidly changing economic landscape.”

“The world is complex, messy, and uncertain—today’s leadership development must focus on the inner work that helps individuals navigate that messiness with integrity, inspiring others along the way,” said Elizabeth Luckman, clinical associate professor of business administration, whose course Leading Teams: Developing as a Leader is part of the program. “It’s an honor to see our course used in Ukraine to support ethical, responsible leadership in such a challenging context.”