20 Ukrainian medical students will resume their training at the University of Cambridge, after their studies were halted by the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

The University of Cambridge is partnering with Kharkiv National Medical University to offer a seven-week practical course. There will be no cost to students, with travel and living expenses funded by a donation from a biotechnology company and accommodation funded by an anonymous donor, the university said.

Clinical Dean Paul Wilkinson said the programme was “about packing as much as possible into seven weeks.

“Ukrainian medical schools don’t want to lose students and doctors who will be essential to rebuilding health services in the country after the conflict”

The students’ practical medical training was disrupted when Kharkiv was attacked on the first day of the invasion.

One of the incoming medical students, Serhii Alkhimov, 21, was awarded a medal by President Zelensky for treating ill people sheltering in an underground railway station.

Alkhimov said: “I had military medical experience, so it wasn’t as hard for me as it might have been, but I didn’t get a lot of sleep.

“Most of the people I treated had chronic illnesses and couldn’t get help anywhere else. I was glad to help, and save two or three lives.”

Another student, Vira Lavryk, 22, who fled Kharkiv after it was attacked, said: “Cambridge is a higher level of education, so coming here even for a short-term placement is a dream for me.”

The Vice-chancellor, Stephen Toope, said the scheme “demonstrates the importance of international cooperation, and it shows Cambridge’s unwavering commitment to helping Ukraine’s higher education sector at this time of crisis.”

The clinical placements form part of the Cambridge University Help for Ukraine package of support announced in June. This follows other activities in support of Ukraine within the Cambridge community, including funding plans for Ukrainian students and academics.