University group launches measures to facilitate Ukrainian membership and provide platform for direct exchange
The European University Association has announced that it is setting up a task force to support Ukrainian universities, as the Russian invasion continues to target civilian lives and infrastructure in the country after more than two months of bombardment.
Announcing the move on 6 May, the EUA also revealed that its governing council had approved the launch of a set of measures to facilitate Ukrainian membership of the association “in order to help ensure that Ukrainian universities are fully integrated into European activities and have a platform for direct exchange with universities and university associations throughout Europe”.
The EUA said it was creating a dedicated task force for Ukraine as it “recognises the importance of engaging in reflection on the medium- to long-term post-war recovery of Ukraine and its university sector”.
The task force will be chaired by EUA board member Ivanka Popović from the University of Belgrade, who participated in reconstruction efforts following the Balkan wars in the 1990s.
Besides creating the task force, the EUA said it would waive membership fees for all existing and new Ukrainian members during 2022, and would encourage new membership applications from eligible Ukrainian institutions and organisations.
For non-member Ukrainian universities, the EUA said it would grant access to some of its services and events. It added that it was considering establishing a voluntary solidarity fund to support Ukrainian participation in EUA activities.
Meanwhile, the EU-funded Futures4Europe foresight study, which aims to explore future global changes to inform the EU’s research and innovation policy, announced that it would collect data on the war through an online survey dedicated to Ukraine.