British firm of Kivalov’s grandson and 194 millions of hryvnias in revenue: how the former lawmaker’s private university circumvented the law

British firm of Kivalov’s grandson and 194 millions of hryvnias in revenue: how the former lawmaker’s private university circumvented the law

The private university of former MP Kivalov is registered to a British company owned by his grandson.

London Education Services Limited, registered in the United Kingdom, owns 90% of the Kyiv University of Intellectual Property and Law, EP reports. According to the UK register, the ultimate beneficiary of the company is Serhiy Kos’yanenko — the grandson of Serhiy Kivalov.

It was through the structure associated with Kos’yanenko that the Kivalov family gained control of the private higher education institution in 2020 year, which emerged in parallel with the liquidation of the state Institute of Intellectual Property and Law.

The remaining 10% of the university belongs to Rector Vasyl Felyk. In 2025 year KUIVP recorded revenue of 194,2 million UAH, and during the 2026 admissions campaign it collected 26,8 thousand applications — the most among all private universities in Ukraine.

The Ministry of Education does not have documents explaining how the state Kyiv Institute of Intellectual Property and Law was liquidated or reorganized, after which a private university appeared in its place.

After a legal requirement to liquidate or reorganize Kyiv branches of universities, a private institution of the same name was created in January 2020. In 2021 the new higher education institution received a license. At the same time, the Ministry of Education lacks documents that reveal the legal mechanism of the transition from the state institute to the private entity. In 2025 the university earned 194,2 million UAH, and during the 2026 admissions campaign it collected 26,8 thousand applications — the most among private higher education institutions.

Over more than six years of KUIVP’s existence, it appears that neither the Ministry of Education nor other authorities paid attention to the scheme for circumventing higher education legislation. Perhaps enforcement tools are lacking, or perhaps the figure of Kivalov himself plays a role.

Although he has long ceased to be called the overseer of the judicial system, as he was during Yanukovych’s time, he likely still maintains connections with high-level politics.