The SSU Academy: review of activities

The National Academy of the Security Service of Ukraine is the only higher military educational institution in Ukraine specializing in counterintelligence. It trains counterintelligence officers, philologists-translators, and information security experts for the Ukrainian intelligence service.

The Academy was established on January 27, 1992, by a resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine.

On August 2, 1999, by Decree of the President of Ukraine, the SSU Academy was granted the status of National.

Many graduates of the Academy today head units of the Service or other law enforcement agencies.

Subject Areas and Educational Programs

Subject areas for cadets:

• K1 ‘State Security’

• K3 ‘National Security’

• B11 ‘Philology’

Subject areas for students:

K3 National Security (Ensuring State Security in the Field of Information)

At the first (bachelor’s) level:

- Cyber Protection of Information Resources (full-time only);

- Organization of Restricted Information Protection.

At the second (master’s) level:

- Cyber Protection in Information Technologies and Cyberspace;

- Organization of Restricted Information Protection.

D8 Law

At the first (bachelor’s) level:

- Information Security Law

At the second (master’s) level:

- Information Law

All information about higher education licenses and accreditation certificates for the SSU Academy’s subject areas is available on the website of the Unified State Electronic Education Database.

The Statute of the SSU Academy

Cooperation:

The National Academy of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) is expanding its cooperation with educational institutions and research organizations in Ukraine. Building partnerships enables the SSU Academy to open new opportunities for the development of education and science, exchange experiences, and initiate joint projects.

Within the framework of signed Cooperation Agreements, the SSU Academy maintains close ties with:

• National Defense University of Ukraine;
• Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv;
• Kyiv National Linguistic University;
• Institute of Pedagogy and Adult Education of the National Academy of Educational Sciences of Ukraine;
• Yuriy Fedkovych Chernivtsi National University;
• Institute of the Ukrainian Language of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine;
• Yevhen Berezniak Military-Diplomatic Academy;
• Lviv State University of Internal Affairs;
• Bohdan Khmelnytskyi National Academy of the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine;
• National University of Ostroh Academy;
• Hennadii Udovenko Diplomatic Academy of Ukraine under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs;
• O. O. Potebnia Institute of Linguistics of the NAS of Ukraine;
• Department of Military Education, Science, Social and Humanitarian Policy of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine;
• National Academy of Legal Sciences of Ukraine;
• V. I. Vernadsky National Library of Ukraine;
• National Academy of Internal Affairs;
• National Commission on the Standards of the State Language.

Implementation of International Experience

The Security Service of Ukraine is promoting cooperation with law enforcement agencies and intelligence services of foreign countries, as well as leading international organizations.

Within this framework, the National Academy of the SSU also actively participates in projects of the SSU’s international partners. The main goal is to study and implement the experience of European countries and NATO member states in training security sector personnel in the following areas:

• Counterintelligence;
• Counterterrorism;
• Cybersecurity and OSINT;
• Applied linguistics and translation;
• Gender policy;
• Strategic communications and leadership;
• Communication with the media and the public.

Lecturers and researchers of the Academy undergo training and internships at partner intelligence agencies and foreign higher education institutions, and also participate in trainings and seminars involving specialists from the EU Advisory Mission (EUAM), the NATO Representation in Ukraine, and the OSCE.

The SSU Academy’s international cooperation with the intelligence services of EU and NATO countries has already yielded tangible results:

• an annual seminar is conducted for the professional development of specialists working with NATO classified information within the framework of Ukraine-NATO cooperation;
• since 2014, medical and tactical training for staff and cadets has been successfully implemented according to NATO standards;
• since 2016, strategic communications courses have been conducted for the SSU personnel;
• new academic disciplines have been introduced into the educational process, including ‘Strategic Communications for SSU Experts’, specialized courses on corruption prevention and counteraction for security and defense sector employees, and courses on gender-related topics.

Since 2022, about 20 meetings have been held with prominent foreign experts in military, educational, and diplomatic fields. Notable participants include Ben Hodges, retired U.S. Army Lieutenant General and former commander of the U.S. Army Europe (2014–2017); Ian Brzezinski, American foreign policy and military expert; Mark Voyger, U.S. military analyst and former special advisor to the U.S. Army Europe commanding general; Peter Pomerantsev, professor at London School of Economics, Institute of Global Affairs; Jade McGlynn, Research Fellow in War Studies at King’s College London, among others.

In April 2025, the SSU Academy participated for the first time in the annual NATO DEEP Program Conference in Lublin, Poland, presenting the results of implementing NATO policies in its educational and scientific processes.

An interagency educational platform, ‘Cooperation for Victory’, was launched, offering partner training through 15 certificate programs on current national security issues under martial law conditions.

Contacts:

National Academy of the Security Service of Ukraine

22 Mykhaila Maksymovycha street,  Kyiv, 03066, Ukraine

E-mail: [email protected]