Official support
Official support from the Office of the President of Ukraine
Kyrylo Budanov, Head of the Office, met the founders and extended the Office's support to the initiative. Read the news
Shargei Initiative
We connect Ukrainian cities, utilities and universities with proven American technology, engineers and scientists. Purely civilian.
Support the workUkrainian priorities.American capability.
Who we are
Officially supportedby the Office of the President of Ukraine
Founded June 2026Co-founders in Ukraine and the United States
Purely civilianScience, education and research; water, energy and emerging technology
Founded in 2026 by Igor Pomaz, a Ukrainian lawyer who studies natural sciences, and Dr. Paul M. Sutter, an American astrophysicist, science communicator and member of the External Council of NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts.
Igor leads legal, regulatory and municipal work in Ukraine; Paul leads scientific and academic work in the United States. A Ukrainian institution names a specific need, and we bring together the American technology, experts or university partners to meet it. Execution and ownership stay with the Ukrainian side.
Official supportfrom the Office of the President of Ukraine since June 2026. Read the news
Our namesake
Oleksandr Shargei
known to the world as Yuri Kondratyuk
- Born in Poltava, Ukraine, in 1897.
- Persecuted by the Soviet regime, he took the name Yuri Kondratyuk to survive, and was later arrested and forced to work in a prison design bureau.
- Self-taught and self-published, he worked out how to land on the Moon and return: leave the main ship in lunar orbit and send a small lander down.
- NASA chose that lunar-orbit rendezvous for Apollo, and Apollo 11 flew it in 1969.
A Ukrainian idea, carried out with American capability. That is the partnership we build today.
Accomplishments
Technical assistance
Ukraine matched with the American Water Works Association
Working sessions with AWWA's chief executive and senior leadership, and AWWA's committees opened to Ukrainian utilities.
Technical assistance
First signed letter from a Ukrainian state agency
The State Agency of Water Resources of Ukraine wrote to AWWA to open formal cooperation.
Technology transfer
A Ukrainian municipality is evaluating an American hydropower pilot
The pilot would put InPipe Energy's turbines inside existing water mains, generating distributed hydropower that makes the local grid more secure and resilient.
Science and education
Working with the Fund of the President of Ukraine
Joint work with the Fund for Education, Science and Sports to bring American scientists to Ukrainian universities.
Science and education
Kyiv Polytechnic matched with Drexel University
Drexel signed a letter of interest, and five KPI departments were matched to Drexel courses for a paired master's program.
Science and education
Official partnership with Ukraine Global Scholars
The foundation that has helped 400+ Ukrainian students win more than $100 million in scholarships will help select our students.
3Ukrainian state agencies
6Ukrainian cities
4Ukrainian universities
3US universities
4Senior US engineers
2US technology companies
View the full recordHide the full record
| Partnership approved to help select students for our university programs | Ukraine Global Scholars | Approved |
| A US government agency begins assessing support for a Kyiv hydropower pilot | US Trade and Development Agency | Under review |
| Ukraine's four priority water needs delivered to AWWA's manufacturers | American Water Works Association | Delivered |
| First signed letter from a Ukrainian state authority, sent to the American Water Works Association | State Agency of Water Resources and AWWA | Signed |
| Joint work begins on bringing American scientists to Ukrainian universities | Fund of the President of Ukraine for Education, Science and Sports | Under way |
| First meeting with AWWA's chief executive and senior leadership | American Water Works Association | Held |
| Letter of interest for a partnership with Kyiv Polytechnic | Drexel University | Signed |
| Five KPI departments matched to Drexel courses for credit recognition | Kyiv Polytechnic Institute and Drexel University | Matched |
| First advisory sessions, followed by written guidance on treatment and pipe repair | Mykolaiv and Kharkiv water utilities | Delivered |
| Ukraine's water agency approves consultations with our American experts | State Agency of Water Resources | Approved |
| Drexel University takes up a partnership with Kyiv Polytechnic | Drexel University | Engaged |
| Kyiv-Mohyla Academy sets up a working group for a paired master's program | Kyiv-Mohyla Academy | Under way |
| Senior American water engineers form a volunteer advisory group | Water Resilience Advisory Group | Formed |
| Keynote at INSCIENCE, Ukraine's largest popular-science and deep-tech conference | INSCIENCE | Delivered |
| The Head of the Office of the President meets the founders and gives the initiative official support. Read the news | Office of the President of Ukraine | Official support |
Our three pillars
Pillar 1
Science and education
American science in Ukrainian universities, and Ukrainian talent that stays rooted at home
- Fund of the President of Ukraine. We work with the Fund for Education, Science and Sports, a state institution that supports talented young Ukrainians, to bring American scientists to Ukrainian universities.
- INSCIENCE. In June 2026 Paul gave a keynote at INSCIENCE, Ukraine's largest popular-science and deep-tech conference, and lectured at Kyiv-Mohyla Academy.
- Kyiv Polytechnic and Drexel. Two major STEM universities, matched for a paired master's program: students complete one credit-matched semester at Drexel, then return to Kyiv to defend their thesis and graduate with a Ukrainian degree.
- Ukraine Global Scholars. Our official partner in selecting students. Over ten years it has helped 400+ Ukrainians win more than $100 million in scholarships.
Pillar 2
Technical assistance
American water experts working side by side with Ukrainian utilities
- American Water Works Association. Founded in 1881, AWWA is the world's largest association of water professionals, with about 50,000 members and some 250 technical committees. We brought AWWA together with Ukraine's State Agency of Water Resources, and AWWA has opened its committees and standards to Ukrainian utilities. This is our first priority in water.
- Water Resilience Advisory Group. Four senior American water engineers advise Ukrainian utilities pro bono, with the State Agency's approval. For a utility about to run out of treatment chemicals, they delivered designs for truck-transportable treatment units within weeks.
Pillar 3
Technology transfer
Proven American systems, deployed in Ukrainian cities
- Distributed hydropower from Kyiv's water mains. With the American company InPipe Energy, we are preparing a pilot in Kyiv: turbines inside existing water pipes that generate electricity underground from the water already flowing through them. Power made at many small sites, close to where it is used, is harder to knock out than power from a few large plants, so the grid becomes more secure and more resilient. A US government agency is reviewing support for the pilot.
- Pipe inspection robots. In Chernihiv, robots from the American company Motmot, which enter live mains through fire hydrants, could map pipe condition before failure.
Every system we bring is commercially proven and non-ITAR: civilian technology, clear of defense export controls. Pilots are financed so that no upfront cost falls on city budgets.
Operating principles
- Purely civilian
- Science, education, water and energy. No military or dual-use work.
- Ukrainian-led
- Ukrainian institutions set the priority and keep the decisions.
- Talent stays home
- Students graduate from their Ukrainian universities and build careers in Ukraine.
- Nonpartisan
- Supported by the Office of the President; funded by private and institutional sponsors, not the Ukrainian budget.
- Pilot, then scale
- Every program starts as a measurable pilot.
- Minimal overhead
- As much of every gift as possible goes to programs.
Ways to give
Gifts go first to our paired master's program: a Ukrainian student spends one credit-matched semester at an American university, then comes home to finish the degree and build a career in Ukraine. One student's semester costs about $23,000. Use the slider to see what a gift underwrites.
We keep administrative overhead to a minimum, so gifts go as directly as possible to programs. Our US nonprofit entity is being established; until then, gifts begin as pledges and we follow up with the details.
That pays for two weeks at an American university for a Ukrainian master's student.
Pledge $2,500Partner with us
Opportunities for collaboration
Universities
Host Ukrainian master's students for a credit-matched semester. Include your institution and the office that handles international agreements.
Scientists
Lecture, advise or co-supervise students at a partner university in Ukraine. Include your field.
Engineers
Serve on a pro bono advisory panel for Ukrainian utilities. Summarize your domain and experience.
Technology providers
Pilot a commercially proven, non-ITAR civilian system in a Ukrainian city. Describe where it already operates.
Sponsors
Underwrite a student fellowship or a city pilot. Named fellowships are available.