On 17 December, the Embassy of Ukraine in Sweden hosted the ceremony marking the awarding of the third scholarship of the Edward Selander Memorial Fund.

This year, the scholarship was awarded to Bernard Christensen
(https://www.facebook.com/bernard.christensen), co-founder of the Swedish humanitarian organization Operation Change
(https://www.facebook.com/OperationChangeSweden), which actively supports Ukraine both on the ground and from Sweden.

The scholarship of the Memorial Fund bears the name of Edward Selander Patrignani — a Swedish officer and lieutenant in the Swedish Armed Forces who, following the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022, made a personal and conscious decision to stand up for freedom and democracy in Ukraine. Edward resigned from his service in Sweden and travelled to Ukraine as an international volunteer. At the age of 28, he was killed in action during a combat mission on the front line in the summer of 2022, becoming the first Swedish citizen to lose his life in the war for Ukraine.

The Edward Selander Memorial Fund, established on 14 February 2023 in Uppsala, aims to support selfless initiatives dedicated to the defence of freedom and democracy and provides financial assistance to individuals whose practical activities reflect these values.

By decision of the Fund’s Board, Bernard Christensen was selected as this year’s scholarship recipient in recognition of his dedication to volunteer work for Ukraine since the very beginning of the full-scale invasion. As a co-founder of Operation Change, he has made a significant contribution to building an effective humanitarian and logistical network, ensuring that aid reaches those who need it most. According to the Chairman of the Fund, Mr Marco Selander Patrignani, the Board is confident that the laureate will use the scholarship in a manner that Edward himself would have appreciated.

Operation Change is an independent non-profit initiative operating in Sweden and Ukraine. Thanks to its continuous presence in Ukraine and close cooperation with local partners, the organization implements needs-based humanitarian projects, particularly in the fields of medical support, heating assistance, and aid to civilian populations in frontline regions.

For the Embassy of Ukraine in Sweden, it was a great honour to be present at the third consecutive award ceremony of the Edward Selander Memorial Fund scholarship.

In 2023, the Fund’s first scholarship was awarded to Serhii Shomashenko in support of humanitarian demining training in Ukraine, and in 2024, the Edward Selander Memorial Fund scholarship was awarded to Tilde Addenbrooke for her work in organizing Swedish-Ukrainian combat medical training, aimed at saving lives near the front line.