The Ukraine Crisis: Responses from the European Higher Education and Research Sectors

The UN Refugee Agency reports that 6.1 million Ukrainian refugees have fled the country following Russian invasion. A much larger number are internally displaced. Governments and humanitarian organizations have responded rapidly to meet the immediate humanitarian crisis, yet there is growing concern on how to broaden areas of protection and support with a longer-term perspective in mind.

Institutions in the Higher Education, Research and Development sectors (HERD) have mobilized to provide immediate support, but may also play a key role in helping keep Ukraine’s higher education and R&D sectors as operational as possible, and in preparing for the rebuilding of these sectors as soon as it is viable to do so.

ALLEA is partnering up with Science for Ukraine, Kristiania University College and the International Science Council (ISC) to jointly organise the online conference “The Ukraine crisis: responses from the European higher education and research sectors” on 15 June 2022 from 9:00 – 14:00 CEST.

The conference seeks to bring different stakeholders together to discuss best practices, to begin planning for medium to long-term actions to support and redevelop Ukraine’s higher education, research, and development sectors, and to strengthen relationships within Europe. Maintaining and extending in-country and international research collaborations, preserving existing collaborations, and rebuilding damaged education and research systems and infrastructure will ultimately serve to lay the groundwork for peace that collectively benefits societies and people across borders.

This conference will bring together key organizations and individuals working to support at-risk, displaced and refugee scholars and researchers with the aim of drafting recommendations for medium to long-term actions to support and redevelop Ukraine’s higher education and sectors, which can also be applicable to future crises.

The objectives of this conference are:

  1. To share and identify best practices for how the European higher education and research sectors can offer impactful support that addresses the actual needs of the Ukrainian scholars and researchers.
  2. To identify priorities for medium and long-term plans for the ongoing support enabling the continued participation of Ukrainian scholars and researchers in high quality research projects and international research collaborations, and the rebuilding of the scientific and academic systems of Ukraine.
  3. To maintain momentum for advocacy and support for the Ukrainian higher education and research sectors beyond the initial emergency response.

The conference is free to attend and open to all interested institutions within the higher education and research sectors, humanitarian actors, relevant government bodies, and donors. Deadline for registration is 13 June 2022.

EVENT DATE

TYPE OF EVENT

Online event

Open to the public; registration required

ORGANISERS