Image: European Union
German rectors’ conference warns of “serious damage” to scientific ties with Russia due to invasion
Universities across Europe have expressed solidarity with the country, people and institutions of Ukraine, following its invasion by Russia this week.
Their statements came as Russian armed forces attacked the country on multiple fronts, reportedly killing more than 100 Ukrainian citizens so far and resulting in the closure of institutions, including universities, across the country.
Damaged ties to Russian academia
The German Rectors’ Conference said on 24 February that it “condemns Russia’s attack” and stood in “solidarity with Ukraine and Ukrainian universities”.
Conference president Peter André Alt said the group was “deeply concerned for the life and wellbeing of Ukrainian scientists and students”, and that German universities “will support them as far as they can”.
He also warned: “It is also foreseeable that these developments will cause serious damage to German-Russian scientific relations. We will have to examine the corresponding consequences in detail.”
The Conference said it would explore possibilities for shaping university and scientific relations with Ukraine and Russia in coordination with the German government. It said there were more than 8,200 Ukrainian students in Germany in 2021, and that 113 German universities were in partnerships with 89 universities in Ukraine.
Statements of solidarity
France’s equivalent organisation, France Universités, also affirmed its solidarity with universities in Ukraine. It said the French presidency of the Council of the EU, which is coordinating the EU-related activities of the bloc’s member states from January to June, “must also be an opportunity to mobilise all energies for the safety of students and, more broadly, for peace”.
“It is the responsibility of the universities of Europe to work so that reason and intelligence prevail,” France Universités said.
The European University Association tweeted that it “stands in solidarity with our 26 members in Ukraine”, adding that it was in contact with the universities and would provide any support it could. “EUA is fully committed to peace and cooperation, and hopes for reflection, restraint and a swift end to this crisis,” it said.
Scholars at Risk, a non-profit that campaigns for academic freedom, told Research Professional News: “We are certain SAR’s network members around the world share deep concern for our Ukrainian colleagues. As requests for support come in, we will be reaching out to our network for opportunities and additional resources as needed to support colleagues affected in the region.”
Neighbouring nations bolstering security
Toomas Asser, the rector of the University of Tartu in Estonia, said that his institution “strongly condemns the aggressor’s behaviour in starting the war and stands firm in defence of the values of a free society”.
He said his university was primarily focusing on offering help to its 146 Ukrainian staff and students, while also “investing in our free country’s preparedness to respond to possible cyberattacks, provocations and incitement campaigns”.
“We will discuss concrete steps the university can take on its part. I am setting up a working group to ensure that Ukrainian members of the university community receive all the support they need, including psychological support and legal advice,” Asser said.
His remarks echoed a call from Ukrainian university Lviv Polytechnic, which warned staff and students in the country that “the aggressor attacks not only with weapons but also by spreading false information in order to sow panic among the population”.
Limited effect of sanctions lamented
Universities’ statements came as the EU announced a fresh wave of sanctions against Russia. European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen said on 25 February that these would include “limiting Russia’s access to crucial technology…it needs to build a prosperous future, such as semiconductors”.
EU political headquarters, including that of the Commission (pictured), were illuminated in the colours of the Ukrainian flag as part of the EU’s expression of solidarity with the invaded country.
But on the same day, Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky complained that his country was “defending our state alone”.
He said: “The world’s most powerful forces are watching from afar. Did yesterday’s sanctions convince Russia? We hear in our sky and see on our earth that this was not enough.”
Broader condemnation and calls for action
Condemnation of Russia’s invasion also came from other sectors, with the World Health Organization’s Europe office saying on 24 February that “any further escalation could result in a humanitarian catastrophe in Europe, including a significant toll in terms of casualties, as well as further damage to already fragile health systems”.
Over 100 people, including MEP Raphaël Glucksmann, vice-chair of the European Parliament subcommittee on human rights, signed an article published in the French newspaper Le Monde calling for the EU to officially recognise Ukraine as an EU candidate state, paving the way for negotiations on the country joining the bloc.