TU Berlin Establishes Fund to Offer Support to Ukrainian Students & Researchers

Technische Universität Berlin has established a “Berlin-Ukraine” fund to offer direct financial support to Ukrainian researchers and students.

The university has called on its community members to donate to the fund, pointing out that donations will be transferred directly to the university’s account to offer money and scholarships for Ukrainian researchers and students, Erudera.com reports.

“It is also planned to use donations to reimburse fees for German courses. A basic level of funding will be provided by the University,” TU Berlin notes.

President of TU Berlin, Professor Christian Thomsen, said that with the aid fund, the university wants to create the possibility to offer direct support to researchers and students as now is the time to show solidarity.

In addition to members of the university, Thomsen appealed to all members of the public who would like to help Ukrainian researchers and students to contribute to the fund and help the affected persons who need support.

“We cannot abandon our fellow researchers and students at universities and institutions in Ukraine. They need our help in the form of bridge money and other payments to provide support,” TU President stressed.

Other universities around the world have also stated that they will support Ukrainian students affected by the Russian invasion, including universities in the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, and Australia.

Universities UK, the voice of 140 universities across the UK, issued a statement saying it will work to identify the support needed for the affected students and staff, including the financial and welfare support.

Leading universities in Australia have also offered assistance to international students affected by the Rusian-Ukraine conflict, including counseling.

“Our universities are offering access to peer support advisors, counselling services for domestic students, and establishing ‘chat’ channels for international students currently studying offshore. We will monitor the situation closely and offer additional support as the situation evolves,” Go8 Chief Executive Vicki Thomson said.

The German Rectors’ Conference (HRK), the association of public and government-recognized universities in Germany condemned the Russian aggression, pointing out that German universities will assist Ukrainian academics and students “within the scope of their capabilities.”

Most recently, the European University Association (EUA) has decided to suspend the membership of 12 Russian universities after declaring support for the Russian invasion of Ukraine, while the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in Cambridge ended collaboration with Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology in Moscow which it helped to establish more than a decade ago, due to the latest developments on the Russia-Ukraine war.