WASHINGTON, D.C. (June 26, 2026) – The McCain Institute at Arizona State University (ASU) is proud to announce the inaugural cohort of its McCain Global Leaders Ukraine Fellowship (MGLU).
Nine fellows have been selected to join the three-month pilot program, which runs July through September 2026. Focused on post-war reconstruction, the program will provide Ukrainian fellows with the opportunity to hone their leadership and technical skills, as well as engage with international experts in post-war reconstruction.
“We are thrilled to welcome nine outstanding individuals – all of whom embody Senator McCain’s legacy of service over self – to our inaugural McCain Global Leaders Ukraine Fellowship,” said McCain Institute Executive Director Evelyn Farkas. “This stellar group of leaders represents the policy, business, media, culture, legal, and veteran communities. They are playing a critical role in shaping their country’s recovery, strengthening its democratic institutions, and shaping Ukraine’s long-term future, and I am confident that they will do great things during the program and beyond.”
The 2026 McCain Global Leaders Ukraine fellows include:
- Vitalii Bielobrov, Deputy Mayor of Kherson.
- Oleksandr (Sashko) Chubko, Independent Film Producer and War Correspondent.
- Nataliia Hendel, Researcher and Human Rights Lawyer, National Academy of Legal Sciences of Ukraine.
- Yevhenii Malik, Head of National Security and Defense Programs, Kyiv School of Economics.
- Oleksandr Romanishyn, Founder of UA2USA and former Deputy Minister of Economic Development, Trade, and Agriculture.
- Anna Serdiuk, Editor-in-Chief, Vilne Radio.
- Olena Shevchenko, Co-Founder and Head, NGO Insight.
- Roman Tychkivskyy, Director of Strategic Initiatives and Veterans Support, Ukraine-Moldova American Enterprise Fund.
- Oleksandra Ustinova, People’s Deputy, Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine.
During the three-month hybrid program, fellows will participate in regular online leadership modules and thematic discussions and attend a week-long workshop in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina in August. The cohort will work together on action-oriented cross-sectoral projects focused on reconstruction that put the knowledge, skills, and networks they have gained through the fellowship to practical use in their work and communities.
To learn more about the McCain Global Leaders Ukraine program, click here.