Dutch Universities Offer Support to Ukrainian, Russian & Belarusian Students, Staff

Universities in the Netherlands are committed to supporting Ukrainian, Russian and Belarusian students affected by the Russia-Ukraine war, according to a statement by Universities of the Netherlands (UNL).

Universities said they are in contact with the affected students and staff members from the three countries and will offer support where needed, Erudera.com reports.

In its statement, Universities of the Netherlands (UNL), says that there are 495 Ukrainian, 1146 Russian, and a few Belarusian students enrolled at the Dutch research universities. At the same time, 134 Ukrainian and 413 Russian staff members are working in the Netherlands.

“They are living in tremendous uncertainty due to the consequences of the war in regard to their family and their personal situation, for example with their finances and residential status,” the statement reads.

Research universities in the Netherlands have announced that they are making funds available to students and staff from Ukraine and Russia who are experiencing financial hardship due to the war, for example, inability to access their bank accounts, while they are also providing psychological help to those who need it.

Dutch universities offering support to students and staff affected by war include:

• Universiteit Leiden
• TU Delft
• Rijksuniversiteit Groningen (RUG)
• Vrije Universiteit (VU)
• Maastricht University (MU)
• Radboud Universiteit
• Universiteit Tilburg (TU)
• University of Twente (UT)
• Erasmus University Rotterdam
• Utrecht University
• Technische Universiteit Eindhoven (TU/e)

Many Ukrainian students were already studying abroad when the Russian invasion of Ukraine began on February 24. Students spoke out about war recently and how it is affecting them.

Oleksandra Tymchyshyna, 19, a Ukrainian student in the United States, told Erudera that when she heard about the invasion, “everything stopped and didn’t matter anymore.”

In the beginning, she even fell behind on her medical studies, but the finals were approaching, and as she says, she had to pull herself back together.

“The war in Ukraine almost cost me my dream, but I wouldn’t be Ukrainian if I didn’t get back on track and finished the quarter strong.”

In addition to Dutch universities, other universities worldwide are offering support to Ukrainian students and staff members, including universities in the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, and more.

As part of the education sector efforts to help the Ukrainian people, the University of Helsinki donated €50,000 to UNICEF to help victims of the war in Ukraine. The University Pharmacy also allocated an amount of €20,000 to support those affected due to the war while began reducing its pharmacy chain in Russia, planning to end its operation in the Russian market.