About Oxford-Kharkiv Association (OKA)

Tim is a long standing resident of Oxford. Until his recent retirement Tim was a Director at
the City Council.

After ten years’ service, Tim recently stood down as the Chair of the
board of the Low Carbon Hub, and now continues to be a Non-Executive Director on the board of two Local Authority Trading Companies.

Up until the start of the conflict Tim was working with charities and social enterprises in Russia on a programme funded by the British Embassy in Moscow. Tim has been active in the Oxford Perm association, has worked with Oxford’s twin city Grenoble, and has experience of how twinning works in Oxford.

He was born and brought up in New Brighton on the Wirral and came up to Oxford in 1982 to read Biochemistry at Hertford College. In 1986, he did a year of teacher training at Homerton College, Cambridge, and then returned to Oxford for further study, this time in Physiology at the Queen’s College. In 1999, he was elected to the City Council representing people in Jericho and West Oxford for the Labour Party. Colin was Sheriff of Oxford in 2010 and Lord Mayor of Oxford in 2018. He is currently employed as the Chief Technician at the Oxford University Medical Sciences Teaching Centre. Colin has long had an interest in all our city twinning links and is currently Vice Chair of the Oxford Bonn Link, Vice Chair of Oxford International Links, the organisation that helps coordinate the work of all Oxford’s civic Links, and now Secretary for the Oxford Kharkiv Association. Colin remains a committee member of the Oxford Perm Association, although the Civic link with Perm was cut in 2022. In his spare time, he enjoys cycling, reading, and DIY, and once a week, he helps students from Kharkiv learn to speak English.

PhD in Law, Associate Professor, Certified International Mediator. Research Fellow of the University of Oxford and Associate Professor of V.N. Karazin Kharkiv National University, Kharkiv, Ukraine.

Viktor has 15 years of experience practising law in Ukraine, focusing on contracts, human rights, and medical and international private law.

He has 11 years of entrepreneurial experience and has participated in extensive international grant activities (Erasmus+, Tempus, GIZ, etc.). He is the author and co-author of more than 130 publications.

Viktor has experience as a commercial director and director of development and marketing.

George is a Ukrainian scholar originally from Kharkiv, with a strong commitment to strengthening ties between Kharkiv and Oxford.

He completed an MSt in the Study of Religions at the University of Oxford (Jesus College), following an MA with distinction in Buddhist Studies at the University of Hong Kong and a Diploma for Graduates in Philosophy at the University of Otago. He previously studied Biology at V.N. Karazin Kharkiv National University. His academic work focuses on comparative philosophy, particularly the dialogue between European phenomenology and classical Buddhist thought.

Alongside his academic work, George has been actively involved in community and outreach initiatives since may 2022. As Partnerships Officer and former Vice President of the Oxford University Ukrainian Society, he has contributed to organising events that promote Ukrainian culture and raise awareness of Russia’s war against Ukraine.

Through his involvement in the Oxford–Kharkiv Association, George supports initiatives aimed at maintaining and deepening academic, cultural, and civic links between his home city of Kharkiv and Oxford, particularly in the context of ongoing challenges faced by Ukraine.

PhD in Law, Research Fellow of the University of Oxford (Law Faculty), and an Associate Professor at Yaroslav Mudriy National Law University, Kharkiv, Ukraine.

Ievgeniia is the Head of the Research Centre for Sustainable Development Law and has more than 10 years of experience in environmental, climate, and energy law from international, European, and Ukrainian perspectives.

She has co-lead a number of international educational initiatives and research projects. Since 2023 - institutional coordinator of Europe-Ukraine Energy Transition Hub (EUETH) - an international consortium aiming to leverage the green reconstruction of Ukraine and provide support to strengthen Ukraine’s governance, regulatory frameworks, and market mechanisms in the field of energy, sustainability, and climate action.