For more than two years, we have been following the Russian war against Ukraine and its consequences for the country. Ukrainian educational institutions are facing major challenges of maintaining teaching and research during wartime while also preparing for the future. Universities have been bombed, many had to dislocate, and students and teachers were forced to leave or even killed.
On invitation of the OeAD and the Ukrainian National Erasmus+ Office, more than 40 rectors and senior leaders from Austrian and Ukrainian universities gathered in Uzhhorod, Ukraine, on April 16, 2024, to discuss recent developments and initiatives for enhanced collaboration. In addition, Arad Benkö, Austrian Ambassador to Kyiv, and Head of Section Elmar Pichl (Austrian Federal Ministry of Education, Science and Research) took part on the Austrian side, as did the Deputy Minister for Universities, Mykhailo Vynnytskyi, on the Ukrainian side.
The meeting signified a strong commitment from the Austrian higher education sector to continue supporting science and higher education in Ukraine. It aimed at developing perspectives for university cooperation during wartime and to planning opportunities for expanding collaboration between the Austrian and Ukrainian higher education sectors. It was impressive to see how Ukrainian educational institutions are coping with the enormous challenges posed by the ongoing war, and furthermore, how the ongoing reform efforts in the higher education sector are progressing as Ukraine aligns itself with the EU.
Since the Russian invasion in February 2022, the OeAD Cooperation Office has also been located in Uzhhorod (previously in Odesa).
