Brief profile of the region

Since the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine, the region of Eastern Europe has been facing profound political, social and scientific upheaval. This turning point is also having a lasting impact on international university and research cooperation. For the University Alliance Ruhr (UA Ruhr), this means continuing to develop academic cooperation in the region in a responsible manner, showing solidarity and at the same time providing new impetus for future-oriented cooperation.

A central focus of the work in Eastern Europe is to support endangered scientists and academic institutions, particularly in Ukraine. The UA Ruhr is committed to maintaining academic structures, promoting academic mobility and helping to continue research and teaching even under difficult conditions. In doing so, it works closely with international funding programs and partners.

Supporting Ukrainian universities is a separate priority. The aim is to stabilize existing partnerships, establish new collaborations and support the reconstruction of efficient university structures in the long term. The focus is on joint research projects, qualification formats and institutional exchange.

At the same time, the UA Ruhr is continuously expanding its research and university cooperation with the Baltic states and other Eastern European countries. These countries have dynamic science systems and are important partners in key research fields such as transformation, resilience, democracy, energy, digitalization and sustainability. Cooperation takes place on an equal footing and is aimed at long-term, institutionally anchored partnerships.

In a phase of geopolitical tensions, the UA Ruhr sees science as a unifying force. Through international cooperation, it contributes to European integration, to securing academic freedom and to strengthening an open, dialog-oriented scientific area.