The German Academic Exchange Service (Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst – DAAD) used its Berlin conference ‘Education in times of war’ to mark the significance of academic partnerships in stabilising and deepening Ukraine’s European integration. Programmes relating to higher education cooperation therefore require secured, long-term financing, according to DAAD President Mukherjee.

‘There has been a fierce battle for eighteen months in Ukraine, which has resulted in thousands of civilian casualties to be mourned. Ukraine has simultaneously campaigned against a collapse of the higher education system and is working hard – despite rocket attacks and exploding shells – to train the next generation of academic professionals and managers. President Zelenskyy’s virtual meeting with students from universities in Berlin, Frankfurt (Oder) and Cologne clearly demonstrated that even in Ukraine’s own view its westward leaning and route into the EU is also and in particular via academia’, said DAAD President Professor Joybrato Mukherjee in advance of the DAAD’s Ukraine Conference in Berlin on 27 and 28 September. 

‘German higher education institutions want to support this journey in the short-, medium- and long-term. The reconstruction of Ukraine’s higher education institutions and academic sector needs to start now. Mere continuation of the previous emergency measures does not do justice to the historical challenges. The DAAD has therefore submitted plans to the federal government with corresponding structural activity that should be effective in the long-term’, the DAAD President went on to say.

Successful emergency aid

DThe DAAD and its member institutions quickly and successfully set up emergency academic aid programmes after the Russian invasion of Ukraine: financial support from the Federal Foreign Office, the Federal Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Development enabled the DAAD to mobilise around 21 million euros for projects relating to Ukraine. The focal point of these programmes was maintaining the continuance of higher education within Ukraine, alongside assistance and scholarships for refugee Ukrainian students, academics and researchers in Germany. This DAAD support and the Erasmus programme have until now helped more than 10,000 Ukrainian students, higher education staff, academics and researchers. The DAAD member institutions moreover began the digitisation of existing higher education cooperation immediately after the outbreak of war, and additionally established new partnerships to stabilise teaching and research operations in Ukraine.

Strengthening of networks involving Ukrainian higher education institutions

After the immediate emergency aid, the DAAD believes it is now essential to strengthen the further rapprochement of Ukraine with Germany and the European Union. This should be achieved in the field of higher education and academia by intensifying existing and newly established cooperation activities. The DAAD has therefore proposed to the federal government that the academic exchange relations between Ukraine and Germany be expanded to establish a ‘German-Ukrainian HEI Network’. This should establish powerful links between both countries’ higher education institutions, train experts for the reconstruction of Ukraine and accelerate rapprochement with the EU in an innovation and research-oriented manner.

Reconstruction of the higher education and science system

In the long term, the DAAD is advocating that Ukraine's European integration should continue to be promoted even after the end of the war, especially by means of networking between the German and Ukrainian higher education and science systems. The federal government’s reconstruction plans should accordingly include a weighted component for the expansion of academic cooperation and exchange programmes. ‘We need staying power in Germany to achieve this, for example in the form of an action plan up to 2030. After all, a close and lasting link between Ukrainian higher education institutions and research institutions with partners in Germany and the EU ultimately increases our security within Europe’, stated the DAAD President.