War in Ukraine

Together with all other Hessian universities of applied sciences and universities, we condemn the Russian military's invasion of Ukraine and offer support to Ukrainian students and teachers. We have sent this message in a joint press release. We stand by it in full.

We are in great concern for the people in the embattled areas in Ukraine. They are currently having to endure an unimaginable threat and burden. In particular, our thoughts are with the students and employees at the "Uzhgorod National University". This university in western Ukraine is a partner institution of the h_da.

Nobody knows how long the refugees from Ukraine will not be able to return to their home country. For the students and teachers from Ukraine who are seeking protection from the war in Germany, we want to help make it possible for them to continue their studies or academic work. In addition, we are also looking into short-term assistance to support them.

In Russia, our partners include the Russian Social University in Moscow and the Ulyanovsk Technical University. In the current situation, the further development of our partnership relations is naturally at a standstill. However, we are keeping the channels of communication open. Of course, for security reasons, we advise our university members against travelling to Ukraine and Russia.

Basically, we distinguish between the military aggression of the Russian government and its military on the one hand and the signals from Russian civil society, including above all from the Russian cultural and academic landscape on the other. The anti-war protests in Russia strengthen us in this stance.

The same applies all the more to the view of our students and other university members from Russia, Belarus or Chechnya. As a university, we are committed to liberality, democracy and freedom of expression. We therefore see every person as an individual, with their own capacity for knowledge and opinion, regardless of nationality.

We therefore expressly welcome the fact that a group of Russian, Belarusian and students of other nationalities have clearly spoken out against the invasion of Ukraine in an open letter.