A campus to train Ukraine’s next generation digital leaders

In a modest building in the heart of Kyiv, a quiet revolution is taking place - not with protests or political upheaval, but through a new kind of classroom. Here, government officials debate cybersecurity protocols, develop artificial intelligence (AI)-driven public service prototypes, and learn how to lead transformation in the midst of uncertainty.  

This is the CDTO Campus, Ukraine’s bold experiment in training public sector digital leaders at scale. 

Born out of necessity and sharpened by crisis, the CDTO Campus is now shaping what may become a blueprint for digital public administration far beyond Ukraine’s borders. 

Launched in 2023 as a project of the Ministry of Digital Transformation and implemented by East Europe Foundation, CDTO Campus fills a gap few countries have addressed: How to systematically train Chief Digital Transformation Officers (CDTOs) and their teams, that is, those responsible for driving digital reform within government institutions. 

Unlike traditional civil service training or short-term tech bootcamps, CDTO Campus blends public administration, leadership, GovTech, cybersecurity, AI, and user-centred design in programmes that last four to five months.  

With four faculties - GovTech, Cybersecurity, AI, and Diia (for internal teams) - the CDTO Campus has already developed 27 programmes, graduated over 1,200 students, and built a teaching roster of more than 100 experts. 

It’s not a university. It’s not a business school. But it operates with the intensity of both, with a clear mission: Equipping public servants not just to manage, but to lead digital transformation. 

What makes it different 

"We don't teach programming," says Galyna Pustova, CEO of CDTO Campus.  

"We train people to understand the real constraints and challenges of digitalisation in the public sector - from outdated regulations to security threats during war." 

CDTO Campus students work on real problems from their ministries or local governments, designing minimum viable products (MVPs) or system proposals that can be implemented immediately.  

The Ministry of Justice, for example, tasked students with developing an AI-based assistant for free legal aid, a tool now moving toward full-scale implementation. 

Each programme admits students through competitive selection, with five–10 applicants per seat. Programmes are free for public servants and supported by a consortium of international partners, including GIZ, Visa Foundation, and the Swiss-Ukrainian EGAP Programme.  

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Cisco has even developed tailored course content and equipped the CDTO Campus with physical infrastructure. 

Digital reform as a leadership challenge 

The position of CDTO was formally introduced by the Ukrainian government in 2020.  

Today, Ukraine has 46 CDTOs in the central government and 15 in regional military administrations. Over 1,200 digital leaders operate at the local level, many working in communities near the frontlines. 

These are not ordinary IT managers. As Pustova puts it, "You can’t just be a manager. You have to be a strategist, an innovator - sometimes even a dreamer." 

Ukraine’s public sector digital transformation - from the globally recognised Diia platform to AI tools for pensions and veteran services - is increasingly seen not as a matter of technology, but of leadership. 

"Our students deal with real pain points - not just innovation for innovation’s sake," says Pustova.  

The CDTO Campus places strong emphasis on peer learning and community building. Students are grouped into interdisciplinary teams that often include officials from different ministries or cities.  

Offline modules, including simulations, hackathons, and live mentoring, are an integral part of the curriculum. 

"Our goal is to build something like the Oxford alumni network, but for digital public leaders," says Pustova. That means graduates continue to support each other, exchange ideas, and co-develop solutions long after the programme ends. 

What began as a wartime initiative is now attracting international interest.  

The CDTO Campus has signed a memorandum with Germany’s GovTech Campus and is in discussions with other countries. Its model - practical, mission-driven, and scalable - is being studied as a possible export. 

"We didn’t have 30 years to build our digital state," says Pustova.  

"We had to move fast. But in doing so, we created something that other countries are now asking to learn from." 

CDTO Campus isn’t just training digital leaders for Ukraine. It’s testing a model of what public sector capacity building can look like in the 21st century. And as digital government becomes increasingly central to how states function - and survive - it may be Ukraine, not Silicon Valley, that sets the pace. 

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The author is Director of Communications at the East Europe Foundation