Russia’s war against Ukraine led to massive displacement of Ukrainian students. Some of them continue studying online or in a hybrid mode at the government-controlled territories of Ukraine. Many continued their studies at universities abroad, including Norway. Others remained at occupied territories, though the occupants threaten students, who wish to resume their education at Ukrainian universities. Launched by the Central European University (CEU) , the non-degree programme “Invisible University for Ukraine” (IUFU) brings together junior and senior undergraduate (B.A) and graduate (M.A and Ph.D) students from Ukraine, whose studies were affected by the war. The programme does not duplicate or replace existing educational programmes at Ukrainian universities, yet seeks to fulfill students’ zeal for a deeper understanding of current events and phenomena related to the war and the future of the European security architecture.
The Department of Political Science and Management at the UiA joined the second edition of the IUFU, offering teaching support to the initiative’s module “Ukraine and/in Europe” and the possibility of individual tutorship/mentorship to Ukrainian students. In particular, Stefan Gänzle and Maryna Rabinovych will teach on Ukraine’s differentiated European integration amid the war; Anne Pintsch will co-lead the session on Central and Eastern European countries’ enlargement experience and its applicability to the Ukrainian case, and Romulo Pinheiro will speak about the European higher education space and the prospects for Ukraine to join it. Maryna Rabinovych will co-lead the academic aspects of the module together with Marta Mochulska, Assistant Professor at the Law Faculty of the Ivan Franco National University, Lviv, Ukraine.
With more than 250 student applications for five exciting modules, the autumn edition of the IUFU promises to be a success. We thank IUFU Programme Director Ostap Sereda (Ukrainian Catholic University, Lviv /Recurring Visiting Professor, CEU Department of History) for the opportunity to contribute to this insightful programme and help Ukrainian students in the country and in exile.