In 2026, the International Business Association (IBA) announced the expansion of its educational activities through a partnership with the Kyiv National University of Technologies and Design (KNUTD). The partnership is aimed at integrating the practical experience of the business community into the educational process and training a new generation of professionals in the fields of fashion, design, entrepreneurship and technology.

KNUTD is a unique educational environment that combines the fashion industry, art, engineering and economics, which creates a basis for interdisciplinary interaction with market representatives. The cooperation includes the launch of educational initiatives, in particular, a series of guest lectures “Fashion & Business Leadership”, online courses and webinars, during which IBA experts will share practical experience in creating brands, scaling production, entering international markets and attracting investment.

A separate direction will be a mentoring program for senior students, which will allow participants to work on their own business ideas under the guidance of experts in the fields of marketing, finance, supply chain management and international trade. It is also planned to create practical laboratories where students will be able to solve real business problems – from production optimization to analyzing the profitability of fashion collections and market research.

The cooperation also involves the development of leadership competencies, including strategic planning, risk management and brand building. The initiative meets the current challenges associated with the entry of Ukrainian companies into international markets and demonstrates a new format of interaction between business associations and universities, focused on practicality, innovation and training of competitive specialists.