As here in the city of Irpin, many university buildings were destroyed in the war.
Photo: Imago/Zuma Wire
As Georg Schütte, the Secretary General of the Volkswagen Foundation, the University of Mariupol visited the University of Mariupol in her alternative district in the Ukrainian capital Kiev, he was one of his words “Sadly presented”: more than 250 students of the university are missing today, 18 professors are Dead. “A total of 400,000 students and students fled the country, a large number of researchers with them,” reports Schütte. And yet “the will of defense in Ukraine is unbroken”. For example, students program drones on air defense and develop sensors and control electronics for the military. “In the absence of supplies from abroad, the Ukrainian research sector has opened the innovation pipeline to the military and radically shortened processes,” says Schütte. The war as the father of all things? In fact, the need in Ukraine is apparently particularly inventive.
Everywhere in the country attacked by Russia three years ago, science was also hit hard. After a survey by the United Nations’ Organization, Science and Culture, UNESCO, over 2500 educational institutions have been destroyed or badly damaged in Ukraine since 2022. Likewise, the scientific infrastructure, where over 1400 buildings in more than 177 universities and research institutions are affected by destruction. According to the report, about a third of the Ukrainian scientists are forced to work.
Many universities had to be moved to safer regions because they were in occupied areas, as in the case of Mariupol in the south of the country.
According to a study by the “Science at Risk Emergency Office”, which is borne by the German “Academic Network of Eastern Europe”, 18.5 percent of the Ukrainian academics left the country, many of them. In addition, around 1,500 scientists are in use at the front.
Billions of damage to buildings and research infrastructure
The material damage is great. UNESCO estimates the costs of reconstruction of the scientific infrastructure to over $ 1.26 billion. This also includes the renewal of scientific equipment and the restoration of research institutions.
The scope of research also had to be reduced. The budget of the National Academy of Sciences has been shortened by almost half since the beginning of the war. The scientists concerned suffered salary losses of around 40 percent. The difficult circumstances have also affected scientific productivity. According to UN statistics, seven percent fewer scientific articles were written than in peace.
Abroad strives to support science in Ukraine as much as possible. The German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) is particularly committed from the German side, which organized the Ukraine conference “Education in War” in Berlin in September 2023. In addition to an interim balance of the previous funding programs, new ideas were also discussed in order to advance the reconstruction of the country and the renewal of the Ukrainian science and research institutions.
“The reconstruction of Ukraine must now begin, with science playing a crucial role,” said Dr. Klaus Birk, head of the DAAD projects. The most important thing is to strengthen university education in many subjects, from engineering to European law. Personnel recovery is crucial for the future of Ukraine. “In order to treat physical and psychological injuries, rebuild destroyed buildings and infrastructure and to develop laws that bring the country closer to the EU, highly qualified specialists are used,” Birk explained the focus.
Support for refugee students and university teachers
German support is accepted thanks. »Immediately after the invasion, the German universities and the DAAD put themselves on our side. This solidarity is very important to us, «said German-based professor Alla Paslawska from the Iwan Franko University LWIW at the Berlin conference. Your university in LWIW is understaffed because many teachers, especially mothers with children, have fled abroad. Many students also lived abroad. “We are happy when you get grants there, but we are also concerned that you could no longer return,” said Paslawska.
A further deepening of German-Ukrainian science relationships marked the journey of Federal Minister of Education Bettina Stark-Watzinger to Ukraine in October 2024, her last trip abroad in this function. There she signed the bilateral agreement on scientific and technological cooperation (WTZ) with the Ukrainian Minister of Education and Science, Oksen Lisovyi.
“We in the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) are firmly at the side of Ukraine and support the country in times of war and in reconstruction,” emphasized the minister. Immediately after the Russian attack in February 2022, the focus was on measures to cushion the dramatic consequences of war. In this context, more than 200,000 pupils and over 1,000 researchers from Ukraine have been recorded at schools and universities in Germany since February 2022.
Long -term brainrain should be prevented
“In the medium and long-term, however, instruments are becoming more important that counteract the brainrain from the country sustainably, preserve and expand the scientific potential and support Ukraine in reconstruction of the science system,” said Stark-Watzinger. The new BMBF initiative “Reconstruction Ukraine” was launched for this, and the 51.2 million euros are to be made available by 2029.
The funds flow primarily to four German-Ukrainian “excellence nuclei” of research in the cities of Lwiw, Kiev and Charkiw. They deal with basic research in medicine, quantum technology, material research and history and are each financed with up to 2.5 million euros by 2028.
In addition, the DAAD program »Ukraine Digital: Successful Studies in Crisis« to maintain the apprenticeship at Ukrainian universities was extended by June 2025 and increased by 3.2 million to a total of 22.6 million euros. Overall, the BMBF supports Ukraine with several programs by 2029 with around 100 million euros.
“The reconstruction of the war -destroyed science landscape will be a feat,” says the BMBF. However, this also offers the opportunity to further promote reform and restructuring processes and “to renew the Ukrainian science system in harmony with common European values”. The German Ministry plans to make appropriate measures to help “to improve research and innovation in Ukraine, to build up research capacities and infrastructures and to offer the young scientists good stay and return prospects”.
German-Ukrainian university network
Among other things, the structure of a German-Ukrainian university network is funded with 24 million euros, which will start in July 2025. The network has the task of supporting the reconstruction of the academic sector in Ukraine and deepening the cooperation between universities of both countries. For example, you can offer digital courses or joint courses.
Individual science institutions also start cooperation with Ukraine, such as the Max Weber Foundation of the German Humanities Institute abroad. In January, the foundation announced that it was led by a research center in LWIW, which is led by the Munich historian INNA Klymenko. “The research center will deal with the transnational history of the region, which is marked by the political limits of today’s Ukraine,” said the foundation. The focus is on the “communication processes, through which the region has been intertwined with Western and Central European actors and institutions since the early modern period”. It is planned to stabilize the research center after the end of the project period 2028 and to expand if possible.
In December, the “Ecosystem Connectors: Berlin Kiev” project funded by the Senate started in December, with which the economic and technological cooperation with Ukraine is to be deepened. Berlin companies are specifically networked with start-up players in the twin city of Kiev. “Kiev has established itself as an emerging tech hub in Eastern Europe in recent years”, Berlin’s Senator for Economic Affairs Franziska Giffey committed the cooperation. “Here you will find an exciting combination of highly qualified IT specialists and creative talents in an innovative ecosystem.” At the same time, people’s resilience is “impressive” in the country, which was shaken by the war. The collaboration strengthens both sides and opens up new markets and opportunities – “despite the war, but especially for the time after the war”.
“A total of 400,000 students and students fled the country.”
Georg SchütteVolkswagen Foundation
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