Next Academy Hospice General

On 24 February 2022, when war broke out in Ukraine, Vitalii Varbanets was in Geneva. The Ukrainian national—who was in the city for professional reasons—decided not to return to his home country.

The War in Ukraine

Since 2018, the thirty-something had been responsible for all French-speaking branches of Next Academy, a Ukrainian company offering children courses in robotics and artificial intelligence across several European countries.

At first, he tried to keep the Swiss branches (Geneva, Montreux, Lausanne, Basel, and Zurich) afloat. However, as the conflict escalated, the company’s funding—primarily from Ukraine—was gradually cut off. Heartbroken, Vitalii was eventually forced to liquidate the company.

At the same time, he sought support from the Hospice général and was given a place in a collective accommodation centre in Geneva.

Next Academy: From a Company to a Non-Profit Association

“After a while, I thought it would be a good idea to turn the company into an association.”

Step by step, he reconnected with former partners and even formed new collaborations:

“We work with public and private schools, All Special Kids (ASK), the Bureau for Integration and Citizenship (BIC), and the Hospice général. It’s working well.”

So well, in fact, that after nearly two years of volunteering, Vitalii is now able to pay himself a salary again. Any remaining funds, after covering operational costs, are dedicated to rebuilding schools in Ukraine.

Robotics and Coding Courses for Children

Passionate about new technologies and modern pedagogy, the young entrepreneur is convinced that artificial intelligence is the future of education.

“The possibilities AI offers seem limitless. With Next Academy, my colleagues and I want to make education more flexible and personalised.”

They have designed programmes tailored to each child’s knowledge and interests. Currently, 25 young people attend the association’s workshops on Wednesdays and Saturdays, including:

  • Neva (9)
  • Her younger brother Eyan (5)
  • Luca (13)
  • Yonathan (8)

Seated behind their computers, the children receive personalised guidance from Usama, a computer science teacher and vice president of Next Academy. He adapts his lessons to their levels and interests, checking in with each child to answer questions and support their projects.

A Personalised Learning Programme

Luca is a regular. Encouraged by his father and driven by personal interest, he attends every Wednesday afternoon to study scripting and coding. He envisions a future career as an architect or engineer, much like Neva and Eyan.

Neva, the only girl in the session, is exploring 3D modelling while also helping her younger brother when he struggles. Before long, Eyan is more interested in playing with a robot he built with his instructor.

Usama explains that the machine functions like a catapult but uses small, harmless plastic balls.

Meanwhile, Jonathan is designing an airport tarmac, which will serve as the setting for a video game.

Camps for Refugee and Asylum-Seeking Children and Teenagers

During all school holidays, Next Academy organises robotics camps that are also open to refugee and asylum-seeking children, fostering social and cultural integration. These camps are more structured than the weekly workshops, running for at least a week and introducing participants to disciplines such as:

  • 3D modelling
  • Video game creation
  • Coding
  • 3D printing

At the 2024 summer camp, around thirty young people from the Modulis, Lancy, and Rigot centres took part in Next Academy’s courses.

Conclusion

From exile to innovation, the journey no longer seems so far.