Colleagues from Edinburgh Global have received the Principal’s Medal and a USG Award for leading a large-scale donation of IT equipment, including laptops and desktop PCs, to Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv (KNU). Principal's Medal The Principal's Medals celebrate the attainments and dedication of staff and students who have delivered exceptional service or support to the University or the wider community, and who have strongly demonstrated the University’s values. Together, Michelle and Ian receive this award on behalf of the wider KNU donation team, which included Michael Maclennan who provided a huge amount of vital IT support. Michelle, Michael and Ian gathered equipment from across the University and arranged for its safe transfer to colleagues in Ukraine. They also worked in collaboration with the Edinburgh Remakery to deliver additional all-in-one computers as part of the aid package. The donation was gratefully received by KNU, allowing one of our key strategic partners to equip their refurbished Maksymovych Scientific Library which had been badly damaged in a missile attack in 2022. We provided this vital resource of computing equipment to KNU by repurposing University IT equipment which would otherwise be recycled. We refurbished laptops from Edinburgh Global staff and worked with colleagues in the School of Social and Political Sciences' IT Team, who provided laptops from their renewal cycle. There is potential to do more to help. Seeing this project's positive impact on our partners at KNU is so gratifying. Ian MacDougall Edinburgh Global Communications & IT team USG Awards Alongside winning the Principal’s Medal, the Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv (KNU) Donation Team received the Changemakers Award at the 2025 USG Awards. The Changemakers Award is dedicated to an individual or team that has driven significant positive change within the organisation. Edinburgh Global colleagues also won awards in the Collaborating for Success and Exceptional Student Experience categories. Collective effort The donation team’s awards recognise not just their leadership but also the collective efforts of all those who contributed, demonstrating the transformative power of community solidarity in addressing global crises. We stand with KNU and Ukraine during this invasion, committing to a future of ongoing collaboration and support. Discover more Find out more about our partnership with KNU Edinburgh Global winners at the 2025 USG Awards 2025 Principal’s Medal Winners Publication date 25 Nov, 2025
