CHINA BOOTCAMP KSE: Ukrainian executives learned to rewrite the rules of the game
"Ukraine can do with Europe what China did with the world" – this statement by Tymofiy Mylovanov became the leitmotif of three days of intensive work.
Kyiv, August 28, 2026 — The capital has hosted the three-day practical bootcamp CHINA BOOTCAMP, organized by the Kyiv School of Economics (KSE). From August 26 to 28, over fifty Ukrainian top managers, business owners, procurement directors, exporters, and lawyers immersed themselves in the mechanics of China's economic phenomenon to extract practical tools for working with Chinese partners.
Why China and why now
The key message that resonated throughout all three days was that the Chinese experience is not exoticism for Ukraine but a roadmap. "Chinese companies over twenty years have done what no one believed possible: they entered the economies of the US and Europe and rewrote the rules there. And this is not an abstraction: we have more in common with them than it seems. Few resources, the need to survive, the need to be fast and resourceful," emphasized Tymofiy Mylovanov, President of KSE, at the opening.
This very thesis — about a shared DNA of survival and ingenuity — permeated the entire program. The bootcamp was built not as a lecture marathon but as an intensive focused on results: participants came with their own business challenges and completed the training with ready-made solutions.
A stellar line-up of experts
The program brought together world-class experts on the Chinese business environment. The first day was opened by Lola Woetzel — Director of the McKinsey Global Institute, who has lived and worked in Shanghai for over 35 years, built McKinsey's China practice, and is a member of the KSE Board of Directors. She guided participants through "China 101" — the economy, society, infrastructure, and technologies that define the face of modern China.
The second block, with Jeffrey Towson, one of Asia's most influential business analysts (over 2.9 million LinkedIn followers), was devoted to digital trends and disruptive competition. His experience working with Alibaba, Tencent, Huawei, and Ant Financial allowed participants to see from within the logic of the giants that have reshaped the global market.
The third day was led by Yuriy Boyko, an expert in venture capital and high-tech, who focused the audience on the political, cultural, and social contexts of doing business in China. A separate module was dedicated to trade, finance, and recruitment — how and whom to hire for working with the Chinese market.
The highlight: analysis of own cases
The culmination of the bootcamp was the Business Problem-Solving Workshop — a practical workshop where each participant, in an individual session with experts, analyzed their own business challenge. According to participant feedback, this format proved most valuable: instead of abstract knowledge, they received concrete roadmaps for their companies.
What participants take away
Over three days, Ukrainian executives:
A look into the future
"Ukraine can do with Europe what China did with the world" — this slogan of the bootcamp sounded as both a challenge and an opportunity. And judging by the full halls and lively discussions, Ukrainian business is ready to accept this challenge. KSE, in turn, solidifies its position as a platform shaping a new generation of leaders capable of operating at a global level.
The bootcamp has ended, but as the organizers noted, the topic remains open — follow-up programs are already in the plans, as interest in the Chinese direction among Ukrainian business is only growing.
Why China and why now
The key message that resonated throughout all three days was that the Chinese experience is not exoticism for Ukraine but a roadmap. "Chinese companies over twenty years have done what no one believed possible: they entered the economies of the US and Europe and rewrote the rules there. And this is not an abstraction: we have more in common with them than it seems. Few resources, the need to survive, the need to be fast and resourceful," emphasized Tymofiy Mylovanov, President of KSE, at the opening.
This very thesis — about a shared DNA of survival and ingenuity — permeated the entire program. The bootcamp was built not as a lecture marathon but as an intensive focused on results: participants came with their own business challenges and completed the training with ready-made solutions.
A stellar line-up of experts
The program brought together world-class experts on the Chinese business environment. The first day was opened by Lola Woetzel — Director of the McKinsey Global Institute, who has lived and worked in Shanghai for over 35 years, built McKinsey's China practice, and is a member of the KSE Board of Directors. She guided participants through "China 101" — the economy, society, infrastructure, and technologies that define the face of modern China.
The second block, with Jeffrey Towson, one of Asia's most influential business analysts (over 2.9 million LinkedIn followers), was devoted to digital trends and disruptive competition. His experience working with Alibaba, Tencent, Huawei, and Ant Financial allowed participants to see from within the logic of the giants that have reshaped the global market.
The third day was led by Yuriy Boyko, an expert in venture capital and high-tech, who focused the audience on the political, cultural, and social contexts of doing business in China. A separate module was dedicated to trade, finance, and recruitment — how and whom to hire for working with the Chinese market.
The highlight: analysis of own cases
The culmination of the bootcamp was the Business Problem-Solving Workshop — a practical workshop where each participant, in an individual session with experts, analyzed their own business challenge. According to participant feedback, this format proved most valuable: instead of abstract knowledge, they received concrete roadmaps for their companies.
What participants take away
Over three days, Ukrainian executives:
- understood how the Chinese economy is structured and what technological trends are shaping its future;
- mastered the rules of engagement with Chinese regulators and partners;
- learned what breaks deals at the negotiating table and what guarantees success;
- gained strategies for building a team in China.
A look into the future
"Ukraine can do with Europe what China did with the world" — this slogan of the bootcamp sounded as both a challenge and an opportunity. And judging by the full halls and lively discussions, Ukrainian business is ready to accept this challenge. KSE, in turn, solidifies its position as a platform shaping a new generation of leaders capable of operating at a global level.
The bootcamp has ended, but as the organizers noted, the topic remains open — follow-up programs are already in the plans, as interest in the Chinese direction among Ukrainian business is only growing.