Almost a month has passed since Russia's major invasion of Ukraine. The suffering among the Ukrainian population is great, as is the material destruction.
The aggression of the Russian regime has also had consequences in academia. On the same day as the invasion, the university alliance Civis, which includes Stockholm University, adopted a statement on the war. Stockholm University President Astrid Söderbergh Widding was also quick to write in her blog that the university must stand up for academic freedom and freedom of expression, and that we have to be prepared to assist colleagues and students on the run.
On March 1, the University President decided to introduce a moratorium on central exchange agreements with Russia. The moratorium applies until further notice and includes the two Russian universities, Lomonosov State University in Moscow and Saint Petersburg State University, with which Stockholm University has a central exchange agreement.
Frozen cooperation with Russia
Photo: Sören Andersson
The Swedish government has decided to stop all research collaborations with Russian and Belarusian institutions. The Swedish Research Council (Vetenskapsrådet) has broken with its Russian counterpart and does not allow funds to be transferred to these two countries. Many universities and research funders have also terminated or frozen collaborations with institutions in Russia or Belarus. The EU has suspended funding for research involving Russian universities.
“On the other hand, ongoing collaborations can be completed provided that the participation is financed from Russia or Belarus, with own funds or in-kind grants. However, there is nothing to prevent individual researchers from continuing their collaborations, of course taking into account security policy aspects. The same applies to Stockholm University's collaborations,” says Astrid Söderbergh Widding.
Scholarships for Ukrainian researchers
'The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences (KVA) has announced scholarships for Ukrainian researchers to work in Sweden. The Foundation for Strategic Research (SSF) and the Wallenberg Foundations have done the same. There are also a number of individual initiatives to support Ukrainian researchers and students, for example by receiving Ukrainian researchers in their laboratory (see Chemistry labs offer space for researchers from Ukraine).
“We are all deeply affected by the terrible situation in Ukraine. As a university, we must welcome researchers on the run and meet their needs as far as possible. What we have the opportunity to do, however, is limited to some extent by the fact that we are a state authority. Hence, we welcome the fact that a number of research funders, both state and private, are investing resources to assist Ukrainian researchers,” says University President Astrid Söderbergh Widding.
Preparedness to receive researchers
Stockholm University has applied for funding for several researchers within the framework of SSF's call. The university has also declared itself ready to receive Ukrainian researchers within the framework of Scholars at Risk (SAR), which takes place through mediation from SAR, as the university can co-finance.
“There is a fantastic commitment and great creativity among many to help and provide support to war victims from Ukraine - and much is best done at the individual or departmental level rather than by Stockholm University centrally. In addition to assisting individual researchers and students on the run, it is also important that we as a university contribute in various ways to conveying all our research-based knowledge that is relevant in the uncertain situation in which we find ourselves,” says Astrid Söderbergh Widding.
To get an overview of the collaborations of institutions and researchers/research groups with Russia, a list has been drawn up. So far, about thirty collaborations at Stockholm University have been added to the list. Johanna Wiklund at the Student Services coordinates the university's work with the international network Scholars at Risk. She receives questions about the reception of Ukrainian researchers at the university due to the outbreak of war. She says that there have been some questions about employment opportunities and funding of at-risk guest researchers through scholarships. But questions have also arisen as to whether it is possible to make the university's premises available for reception of refugees.
Capture concerns among staff and students
We have also asked a couple of institutions about how they are affected. The Department of Slavic and Baltic Studies, Finnish, Dutch and German has had research collaborations, which include student exchanges, with the Higher School of Economics in Moscow and the state universities of Novgorod and Petrozavodsk. These collaborations have now been suspended.
Photo: Ingmarie Andersson
The department currently has no guest researchers in Russia or Ukraine. However, there are doctoral supervisors from Russia and several of the employees have a Russian or Ukrainian background.
“We have to capture concerns on the human level, as several employees are concretely affected. But it is also a disaster when it comes to cooperation with Ukraine and Russia. Our colleagues in Ukraine are victims of the Russian invasion and colleagues in Russia who do not sympathize with the war also have a vulnerable situation,” says the department's head Charlotta Seiler Brylla.
At the moment, the department has no exchange students from Russia or Ukraine, but students originating in these countries.
“The most important thing is that they feel safe. But also that the interest and joy of studying Slavic languages is not destroyed by the war,” says Charlotta Seiler Brylla.
Investigates opportunities to receive researchers
Researchers from both Ukraine and Russia have contacted the department. Various alternatives for receiving researchers from Ukraine are now being investigated.
“It is our hope that Stockholm University can set aside central funds to increase the opportunities to receive researchers and students. The department also has plans to include Ukrainian researchers in an ongoing project,” says Charlotta Seiler Brylla.
The department plans several events to inform about and shed light on the war and Ukraine's situation in different ways. There are also private initiatives where employees collect, among other things, clothes for refugees from Ukraine.
Collaboration in large constellations
The Department of Physics formally has no direct collaborations with Russian state universities. On the other hand, some researchers collaborate indirectly in larger constellations and international infrastructures such as the particle accelerator Cern in Switzerland. To map any more informal collaborations, a survey has now been carried out at the department.
Head of Department Jan Conrad says that the informal collaborations and exchanges will be assessed on a case-by-case basis. He also has regular contact with the Ukrainian staff at the department. However, the department does not have any students from Ukraine or Russia.
“I have offered Russian researchers to contact me if there are questions about how the current situation can affect their work. It is important to monitor any negative effects on the working environment due to the war in Ukraine,” says Jan Conrad.
The Department of Physics is also investigating opportunities to receive researchers from Ukraine. The department's committee for research strategy has given its support to freeing up resources to receive researchers from Ukraine. The department board will take a decision on the issue.
More reading:
Information from SU regarding the invasion of Ukraine
Funding opportunities for Ukrainian researchers
The blog of President Astrid Söderbergh Widding
Arctic climate research on hold due to Ukraine conflict