Solidarity with our Ukrainian partner universities
The Berlin School of Economics and Law joins the statements of the German Rectors' Conference and the DAAD condemning the Russian attack on Ukraine.
"The HWR Berlin condemns the Russian attack on Ukraine. We stand by our Ukrainian partner universities in Kiev, Kharkiv and Odessa," says the president of the Hochschule für Wirtschaft und Recht Berlin (HWR Berlin) / Berlin School of Economics and Law, Professor Dr Andreas Zaby, on Thursday. He continues to say: "The HWR Berlin has been working closely with its Ukrainian partners in the field of modernising public administration and in technical degree programmes for many years. We will do our utmost to continue this trusting cooperation and even intensify the academic exchange."
The HWR Berlin joins the statements of the German Rectors' Conference (HRK) and the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), which sharply criticised the Russian attack on Ukraine in press releases published earlier on Thursday.
HRK President Professor Dr Peter-André Alt states: "Our solidarity goes out to the entire Ukrainian population and especially to our partners in higher education." Alt expresses great concern for the well-being of Ukrainian academics and students and assures them that German universities will stand by them to the best of their abilities.
In the statement of the German Academic Exchange Service, DAAD President Professor Dr Joybrato Mukherjee is quoted as saying: "As the DAAD, we stand for peaceful and free exchange in science and for a cross-border community of teachers, researchers and students all over the world."
It is foreseeable that the current developments will cause serious damage to German-Russian academic relations, Alt declared. The HRK and the DAAD, in cooperation with the science organisations and in consultation with the Federal German Government, will thoroughly examine the continuation and shaping of university and science relations with Ukraine and Russia.
According to the HRK, Ukraine is one of the most important countries of origin for international students in Germany. The HWR Berlin has partner universities in Kiev, Kharkiv and Odessa. The university also maintains an active exchange of students and academia with Russian universities in St. Petersburg and Yekaterinburg. HWR Berlin has enjoyed decades of friendly teaching and research cooperation with the Saint Petersburg State University of Economics and Finance (UNECON), the largest business university in Saint Petersburg and one of the largest of its kind in Russia.