Higher education between the academy and the barracks: the new role of the student in a military state
From September 2025, Ukrainian students will face a new reality in which basic military training will become a mandatory part of the educational process. It will include both theoretical classes in educational institutions and practical training in military units and centers. According to the Ministry of Defense, refusal to pass the practical part will lead to expulsion from the university. This innovation is already causing a public outcry. Some believe that in the conditions of war such training is vitally necessary. Others argue that it violates students’ freedom of choice and changes the very essence of education. Some see this as a step towards the militarization of the youth, while others believe that this is an attempt by the state to form the basic defense capability of the population. The border between security and freedom in Ukraine is becoming less and less tangible, and right now it is worth thinking about whether we are losing more than we are gaining.
Implementation of a new stage of military training reform
In September of the 2025-2026 academic year, a new stage of the military training reform will be implemented in higher education institutions of Ukraine – mandatory basic military training (BZVP) for students. This step is implemented on the basis of changes to of the Law of Ukraine “On Military Duty and Military Service”, signed by the President of Ukraine on January 15, 2025, and should become a key element in the formation of a new state defense capability system.
BZVP become part of the educational process in higher educational institutions, which will include 300 academic hours, of which 90 hours are allocated to theoretical training in universities, and 210 hours will be occupied by a practical course in the training centers of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The theoretical part will be integrated into the curriculum as a separate discipline, and the practical part will be conducted during the holidays. War veterans and ex-servicemen who have experience, appropriate education and physical training will be involved in teaching.
Training will include training in tactics, the basics of military discipline, first aid, psychological resilience, international humanitarian law, and weapons skills. Considerable attention will be paid to practical exercises: shooting, orientation in the terrain, the basics of survival in combat conditions and working with combat weapons, including assault rifles, machine guns and grenade launchers. The program was prepared taking into account the challenges of wartime and adapted based on the experience of European countries such as Israel and Norway. Its purpose is to increase the level of personal and national security, to form students’ basic military skills and conscious readiness to defend the state. It is worth noting that students who are studying on the basis of full general secondary education will undergo BZVP in the second year of study. Those who entered after obtaining an educational degree of junior bachelor or professional junior bachelor, will start training from the first year. The program covers both full-time and dual study students.
It should be noted that a mandatory theoretical part is provided for all students. The practical component is mandatory for medically fit men. Women will be able to participate in practical classes only at their own will, provided they are registered in the military and pass the military medical commission (MMC). Men who are found fit but refuse to take the practical part will be expelled from the university according to current law.
After completing the course, the student takes a military oath, receives a certificate and a military accounting specialty. This makes it possible to avoid the compulsory military service prescribed for men aged 18 to 25. In addition, passing the BZVP will be a necessary condition for employment in the civil service, local self-government bodies, and the prosecutor’s office. Before the practical training, all participants will undergo a medical examination. Persons who, according to the results of a medical examination, are recognized as unfit for military service, will be exempted from passing the practical stage. At the same time, it should be noted that the changes to the legislation do not provide for forced mobilization of students before they reach the age of 25. Both young men and women between the ages of 18 and 25 can voluntarily join the service on a contractual basis.
The introduction of BZVP causes an active public discussion, because education, which should remain a space for the development of thinking, is increasingly subordinated to security goals. Against the background of the growing militarization of youth, the question arises about the balance between human rights and the interests of the state, which is increasingly difficult to maintain in the conditions of war. Officials insist that the purpose of the course is not to militarize, but to overcome fear. “We want people to stop being afraid of such words as “uniform,” “gun,” and “range’,” — asserts Mykhailo Vynnytskyi, Deputy Minister of Education. Such a presentation sounds almost therapeutic: the state seems to simply care about the psychological well-being of young people. However, when it is not about a voluntary choice, but about a rigid “either you do an internship or you leave the university”, it is difficult to talk about overcoming fear. And while students are forced to overcome their gun phobia under threat of expulsion, it remains an open question why those who implement these courses do not follow the example of the countries cited. In the same Israel or Norway, military training is a nationwide affair, without privileges for the “chosen”. There, the children of politicians and businessmen serve together with everyone. In Ukraine, slogans about patriotism sound loudly, but they often remain slogans only for “ordinary” people. Because, apparently, fear is the only thing that is really trying to overcome en masse. But for some reason only those who do not have positions and access to official offices.
Despite the statement of the Ministry of Defense that students who refuse to undergo the practical part of military training will be expelled from universities, the legal reality looks somewhat different. Article 53 of the Constitution of Ukraine declares that full general secondary education is mandatory and obligates the state to ensure accessibility and free education at all levels in state and communal educational institutions. This includes not only school, but also preschool, vocational, higher and postgraduate education, as well as the development of various forms of education and the provision of scholarships and benefits. At the same time, the legislation on higher education clearly defines the list of grounds for expulsion. It can be the student’s own desire, academic failure, violation of the terms of the contract with the university or other cases expressly provided for by law.
However, among these reasons, there is no mention of the refusal of basic military training. Nor Law of Ukraine “On Higher Education”, nor Law “On Military Duty and Military Service”, nor appropriate Cabinet Resolution No. 734, which regulates the passing of the BZVP, do not contain provisions that would allow students to be expelled for refusing to participate in this course. Moreover, even Law No. 4197–IH, adopted specifically to regulate the new norms regarding BZVP, also does not provide for such sanctions. This means that the public statements of government officials currently do not have any legal basis. Therefore, an extremely alarming situation arises when state institutions operate not with legal norms, but with political messages. And if we talk about “overcoming fear”, as officials suggest, then perhaps we should start by overcoming the fear of legal responsibility for exceeding one’s authority, because the law is not an option that can be interpreted at one’s discretion.
From NVP to BZVP: the evolution of military education in Ukraine
It is interesting that the basic combined military training, which will start in the fall of 2025, is presented as something fundamentally new. However, this is by no means the first attempt to integrate elements of military training into Ukrainian education. Prior to that, Ukraine already had a system of educational military training (NVP), which existed for years, albeit in a much softer format, without loud statements about deductions and training ground discipline.
NVP, known to many since Soviet and post-Soviet times, was an attempt to lay down basic knowledge of state defense at the school or university level. The positive side of this training was that it did not create the illusion of army life, but still gave a basic idea of civil defense, the basics of military affairs, first aid, and in some places, even shooting. For many, it was the first and only touch on the topic of protecting the country, which at least partly prepared them for the reality of war. But despite the good intentions, the NVP had many problems. It was often conducted formally, with minimal involvement and without real practice. The lessons were outdated, the methodology was inflexible, and the students’ motivation remained almost zero. In practical classes, they learned more often “how not to fall asleep” than how to shoot.
In many cases, military training turned into an additional burden without a clear meaning. The NVP remained in the memory of students rather as something bureaucratic-ritual, rather than truly useful. Her experience showed that if military education does not have practical meaning, motivation and transparent rules, then it does not work. The current reform has a chance to become something qualitatively different. But only under one condition, if it is really effective, voluntary in its essence and motivated not by fear, but by responsibility. And most importantly, if the lessons of the NVP are not forgotten, but understood.
World models of combining education and military training: lessons for Ukraine
When it comes to combining education and military training, Ukraine is by no means a pioneer. Many countries of the world have long integrated the army component into the educational process, but each did it in its own way, taking into account national values, political culture and the level of trust in the state.
Israel, is the most famous example of this. Everyone without exception undergoes military training and serves there, including the children of officials, IT experts, artists and future startups. Higher education in Israel often begins only after the army, so young people come to study already with discipline, responsibility and a clear understanding that the state is not an abstraction. It is important that there are no double standards: there service is not perceived as a privilege or a punishment, but a common cause.
Finland is another example of a state that combines a high level of education and a flexible model of defense training. There, students can undergo military service according to a hybrid model: partly during their studies, partly during the summer period. At the same time, the state guarantees support to the student, rather than giving him an ultimatum.
Switzerland implements the unique concept of “armed citizen”. Almost every man does military service and keeps a weapon at home. But in parallel with this, a deeply thought-out system of military education in a civilian environment works. The higher school does not become a barracks, but it does not distance itself from the defense culture.
USA have their own format embodied in the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) programs operating at many universities. Students voluntarily choose the military track and receive benefits, scholarships, and career opportunities for it. It is important to understand that voluntariness is real here, and there is no coercion of any kind.
Ukraine does not need to blindly copy Israel or Finland, because we have our own way. It is also not worth pretending that we “invented the bicycle”. There are things in the world that have been proven by time: the army does not work on fear, and education does not survive in an atmosphere of coercion. If we are already building our own model, then it is time to do it without self-deception. Military service should not be selective, like somewhere at a VIP party. If the country prepares for defense, then absolutely everyone should prepare without exception. The fact is that the concept of “untouchable student” does not exist in the countries we like to refer to. Everyone serves there, from the son of a deputy to a future scientist. And here, unfortunately, it is still easy to guess whose child will definitely not end up at the landfill. Officials should understand that such pretended “equality” is offensive to society and deadly to trust in the state.
But in addition to the issue of equality, the current training model is no less questionable, namely how effective and safe it is for the education system. Because despite loud promises and patriotic messages, the new system carries a number of serious risks and threats. Everything that is presented as a “program of national importance” deserves special attention and sober criticism. Basic military training for students looks on paper like a response to the challenges of the times. But in reality, it can become another unreformed system with a loud start and quiet sabotage.
The first and most obvious risk is the transformation of the educational process into disciplinary pressure. Formulations like “refusal – and you will be excluded” do not sound like an invitation to prepare, but like intimidation. It turns out that we are officially launching a state program that is already in conflict with the laws from the very first statements. This is not just a crack in the system, but a signal of legal anarchy.
The second risk is manifested in the simulation of preparation instead of the real result. So far, it has not been specified anywhere who, where and with what resources will conduct the practical part of the program. According to the official calculations of the Ministry of Defense, the full training of one student within the scope of the BZVP program will cost the state approximately UAH 82,000. However, the reality looks much more modest. The Ministry of Education declares that it has UAH 62 million for the implementation of the program. At the same time, the Ministry of Finance clarifies: this amount is intended for the training of 67,000 students. While the total number of participants is expected to be at least 100,000. If you divide 62 million by the actual number of students, then each one accounts for about 920 hryvnias. And this with a declared need of 82 thousand. So we have a difference, which is not just numbers, but a mirror of how easily the system can be brought to a dead end: there is a course, but there is not enough money for its implementation.
The state of preparation for the innovation of the universities themselves, teachers and military units has not been studied either. One gets the impression that the students are in for a conditional “show” lasting 300 hours, where instead of shooting, they will have to look at slides, and instead of really acquired skills, there will be just a tick in the test. If this preparation is reduced to a formality, then it is obvious that it has no benefit, but only a series of obvious additional problems.
Do not forget about personnel quality. The Ministry of Defense of Ukraine claims that young people will be taught by motivated veterans who have gone through the war, have experience and a desire to pass on knowledge, and this is really great. However, if those who stayed away from the army themselves, but received the “crust of the BZVP teacher”, will come en masse, then the students will feel a lie in the first 10 minutes of the class.
Also, the implementation of this program will inevitably lead to deepening of social inequality. It is already obvious: someone will pass all training courses and take an oath, and someone will “easily” avoid practice based on medical certificates or official connections. It is interesting that there is such a probability indicates Deputy Minister of Education Mykhailo Vynnytskyi himself says that the compulsory nature of such courses creates a favorable environment for corruption, because students who do not want to undergo an internship may have an incentive to “solve issues” unofficially. Therefore, the state, by such statements of officials, signs itself in its inability to fight corruption and control its own innovations.
However, society is most confused by the skew in the very understanding of education. When the main criterion for a successful student is not academic success, not projects, not research, but the ability to disassemble a machine, then we risk losing higher education as a space for the development of critical thinking. A nation that wants to win in the future must not only be able to shoot, but also have intelligent specialists in various fields. And if the university ceases to be a space of thought, it quickly turns into a branch of the Ministry of Defense.
However, this is not a call to cancel the BZVP, it is only an attempt to point out the weaknesses of the program. After all, it should not be used as another experiment on people. Because if you want to teach, don’t start with threats. Otherwise, we have yet another situation when the ministries are once again creating a loud reform, which will be drowned in the swamp of Ukrainian reality, somewhere between the assembly hall, the photo report and the official office.
It is also unclear why government officials confuse motivation with coercion. A person who is forced to serve is unlikely to be taught anything, but rather simply broken. And such a person will never become a pillar of defense, but rather a threat within the system. Those who know what they are there for and why are effective in the army. And this consciousness is not born under the pressure of ultimatums like “shoot or fly from above.” It should not be forgotten that the law cannot be replaced by the will of an official. If the deduction for the refusal of BZVP is not prescribed in any current law, then no press conferences make it legitimate. Students should understand the rules of the game, and not live in the fog of “ministerial interpretations”. Otherwise, this whole structure will crumble from the very first lawsuit in court, and it will hurt everyone.
And the most important thing: education should not turn into a barracks. We all understand very well that today we live in a long and bloody war. Of course, training young people is critical under such circumstances. However, universities are not advanced, but an environment where specialists should grow, so this process should be approached sensibly and carefully.
