Lviv, March 2nd, 2022

UCU – A UNIVERSITY OF FREEDOM AND DIGNITY: “There are universities that know how to turn anxiety into the energy of development, and then students can grow to twenty years in two days” (Maksym Kolyada, lecturer of UCU).

Call for the establishment of the Network of Solidarity and Strategic Partnership with Ukrainian Catholic University (2022-2026)

 Dear Partners of UCU and Ukraine!

UCU community thanks to all educators, scientists, researchers, all colleagues, and Partners throughout the civilized world for their expressions of solidarity with us and the Ukrainian people in this tragic time of war. The international isolation of the Russian Federation is increasing, with representatives of different industries and professions. The world refuses to cooperate with an aggressor-state that violates all the basic norms of a civilized community in all areas. The higher education and research sectors cannot stand aside. Putin’s war crimes, and Russia’s crimes against humanity, will be punished but only when the Russian people realize their complicity. For this to occur, the Russian educational sector must realize its failure to fulfill its primary function and its mission: to develop a humanist worldview. If tyranny and aggression win, we will all feel the consequences. As this destructive war continues, we call upon you not to stand aside, and we ask our international Partners and Friends to support what is True and Right. We demand action.

1. The last few days have proved to the world that Ukraine is a resilient and mature nation able to secure its statehood even in the time of war. Ukrainians are proving their centuries-long claims of independence undermining any intentions of the Kremlin to build the new Russian empire. Ukrainians are ready to give their lives for their families, their country, for human dignity and values of the civilized world! Ukraine’s victory is inevitable as the truth is on our side! However, nowadays we are paying the highest price to reach peace. Looking now at a step forward, the main question that remains open is how long it will take to rebuild our country. How many resources and talents will we need to repair all the damage we have suffered? The Ukrainian Catholic University is ready to act and continue to realize its mission – To build a new generation for a new Ukraine. We clearly understand that after the victory, Ukraine will face difficult times that will require considerable resources for reconstruction. However, we believe that our main resource will be our People and especially Ukrainian youth – our future leaders who will take the responsibility to restore every sphere of Ukrainian society.

2. We see how our Partners and Friends have been inspired and dared to do something: whether to make a donation, to accept refugees, or to help fight on the Internet. We continue to receive suggestions for assistance and sincerely appreciate it. However, we believe that the time has come to think critically about the future consequences of the devastating blow of war for Ukraine and to propose a sustainable cooperation plan that will help us fulfill our university mission to contribute to restoring the country and avoid brain drain of Ukrainian talents that will be strongly needed.

As of now, all our students are actively involved in various types of activities aimed at winning the war against the Russian aggressor. More than 70 students are currently staying abroad (mainly in Poland, Czech Republic, Germany, Italy, Austria, the Netherlands) and most of them want to return home immediately or in the coming weeks. Yet, UCU recommends that such students stay on the ground (at least until the end of active hostilities) to help other Ukrainian refugees or perform other volunteering activities. UCU will make additional requests to its Partners to prolong or grant such persons the exchange student status and to provide them with an access to university resources, including accommodation (if possible).

We are also aware that starting next academic year, UCU will also face many difficult challenges. Among them, it is obvious that many students and their families will not be able to pay for the tuition fees in full. We also expect that even more Ukrainians from the Eastern regions will want to study and live in Lviv. UCU will make every effort to help and provide support to such families. In addition, our University already has a working group that develops a plan for the university’s operational work after the war has ended. Some operational changes will be needed, but UCU’s strategy 2025 of a University that serves will remain more relevant than ever. 

3. Many of you have asked how you can help Ukraine and UCU at this time? Please help us plan a successful reconstruction of Ukraine, which will be fulfilled by talented and patriotic Ukrainian youth! We encourage you to become a member of the Network of Solidarity and Strategic Partnership with the Ukrainian Catholic University aimed to help Ukrainian students and faculty with guaranteed and secured funding for study / internship / teaching / research programs abroad to be implemented during the next four academic years (Fall 2022 – Spring 2026). We encourage you to join any type of funding for any of the package proposals listed in the table below. We are also ready to discuss all the details of strategic cooperation programs for the reconstruction of Ukraine. The main contact persons in this regard will be:

• Dr. Sophia Opatska, Vice Rector of UCU for strategic development,
• Dr. Halyna Protsyk, Director of UCU International Academic Relations Office,  

We are in the hopeful anticipation that our Partners in Europe, North America and worldwide will support that initiative and make Ukraine, UCU and other Ukrainian Universities a priority in their internationalization plans and scholarship support. We also sincerely believe that after successful obtaining of a new status of Ukraine as a Candidate Country to the European Member State we’ll have much more opportunities to cooperate. We will also be grateful to our European Partners for your active position and lobbying on National Agencies and the European Commission to increase funding for cooperation programs with Ukrainian universities under the Erasmus + program. This will be a powerful tool for rebuilding Ukrainian universities in the postwar period.

We trust in global academic solidarity!

The Network of Solidarity and Strategic Partnership with Ukrainian Catholic University
(2022-2026)

 Aufruf auf der Website der UCU