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Ukraine IT chief awarded UK fellowship for wartime growth

Image: Catholic Church England and Wales [CC BY-NC-ND 2.0] via Flickr

Konstantin Vasyuk awarded fellowship of BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT, for helping industry “thrive”

The head of a Ukrainian IT association has been awarded a fellowship of BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT, in recognition of his promotion of the country’s tech industry during wartime.

Konstantin Vasyuk, executive director of the IT Ukraine Association, was awarded the fellowship from the UK professional body for helping Ukraine’s IT industry to “thrive, support the war effort and create new international business”.

According to BCS, Ukraine’s computer services industry generated $5.5 billion in exports so far this year, up by almost 13 per cent on the previous year, with exports to the UK second after the US, despite the conflict.

“Since the war started, we have demonstrated the sustainability and flexibility of Ukrainian tech,” said Vasyuk. “We have provided uninterrupted service to our customers and also gained unique expertise in military, unmanned tech and cybersecurity.

“The IT Ukraine Association will continue its activities in the UK and, together with our partners, create new business opportunities for Ukrainian tech companies in both European and global markets,” he added.

“Ukrainian tech remains attractive and competitive in the global market. Despite all the threats, we are ambitious to scale up the Ukrainian IT industry, transforming risks and challenges into opportunities.”

Rashik Parmar, group chief executive of BCS, said Vasyuk was a “committed and tireless ambassador for the role of IT in making the world a better place, and we are delighted to grant him a BCS fellowship which recognises his outstanding contribution to the IT industry”.

‘Ukraine is open for business’

The announcement came after BCS signed a memorandum of understanding with the Ukrainian association, which represents 80,000 IT professionals.

Speaking at a joint event in October, Parmar said the agreement would help Ukrainian IT firms succeed in the UK.

“Ukraine is open for business, and the memorandum of understanding allows us to build a mutually beneficial relationship. There’s so much talent there,” he said.

“By building this network, we can draw on our relationships to help them, and learn from their expertise, including what it takes to be brave and courageous.”