Today (27 Oct), The University of Warwick will host a ​unique networking event bringing together visiting Ukrainian academics, students, and their families who are, being hosted by University staff, local families, and local Homes for Ukraine Hosts.

Yullia Lysanets, one of the visiting academics, said: “My husband and my parents are still in Ukraine, but I have come to Warwick to continue my work as an academic. It’s important that we don’t let the Russian invasion affect higher education. Warwick is amazing, everything looks so high-tech and so nice. The colleagues are so supportive, and I really appreciate the entire procedure of the Fellowship I was given here, letting me and Ukraine know we are not alone in our struggle”.

Warwick has welcomed 10 Ukrainian visiting academics and their families. This was organised by the Institute of Advanced Study (IAS) with mentoring and academic support from academic departments including Law, Physics, WMG, Engineering, WMS, and History. The Ukrainian visitors are supported by a generous donor from Warwick alumnus, Rui Fernandes, as well as the University itself.

Professor Mike Shipman (Pro-Vice-Chancellor, International) said: " We are pleased to welcome and support fellow academics and their families to the University of Warwick and the wider Coventry and Warwickshire community. Apart from welcoming these Ukrainian Fellows, Warwick has other ongoing initiatives across the University to support the people of Ukraine. For example, it recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Kharkiv National University of Radio Electronics (NURE), as part of an international twinning program that is supporting Ukrainian universities and their students, now during the war and in the years of reconstruction ahead.”

The Ukranian academics will be at Warwick until the end of the year, with the option of Warwick continuing their funding for Ukrainian Fellows into 2023 if Fellows wish to remain. The University of Warwick is a designated University of Sanctuary, which means it is committed to providing a welcoming and enabling environment to people fleeing violence, and persecution and seeking sanctuary.

These new colleagues are continuing their research and scholarship at Warwick and building collaborations across campus and beyond. During the event, there will be speeches from Professors Mike Shipman (Pro Vice Chancellor – International), Peter Scott (Department of Chemistry) and Mohan Balasubramanian (Director, Institute of Advanced Studies).

The University has also welcomed Ukrainian students to its summer school through a partnership with the Ukrainian Leadership Academy (ULA). The students benefitted from scholarships and were a real asset to the cohort as they had a very positive influence on the classroom discussions and the social programme.

ENDS

Notes to editors

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