Image: Bartosz Brzezinski [CC BY 2.0], via Flickr
Invasion of Ukraine results in freezing of all formal cooperation with Russian organisations and businesses
German research institutions and organisations are stopping all high-level research collaboration with Russian partners—including universities and businesses—as a result of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The Alliance of Science Organisations in Germany announced on 25 February that it would “immediately” freeze formal cooperation after what it described as “an attack on the fundamental values of freedom, democracy and self-determination, on which academic freedom and opportunities for academic cooperation are based”.
As a result of Russia’s invasion on 24 February, German research funds should no longer benefit the country and no joint scientific and research policy events should take place, the alliance said. It also said that no new cooperative projects would be initiated for now.
The alliance members include Germany’s biggest public funder the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, the German Academic Exchange Service, the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft, the Helmholtz Association, the German Rectors’ Conference, the Leibniz Association, the Max Planck Society, the National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina and the German Science and Humanities Council.
The partners said they would discuss further steps as the situation develops. However, they would leave the final decision about what to do with direct cooperation projects to the individual institutions.
“The alliance is aware of the consequences of these measures and deeply regrets the impact on science,” it said.
The alliance members said that the various problems facing humanity—such as climate change and infectious diseases—could only be overcome through collaboration. “Therefore, our solidarity also goes out to our long-standing Russian cooperation partners—scientists who are themselves horrified by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine,” the alliance added.
‘There can be no normal relations’
Several member institutions responded to the alliance statement by issuing their own confirmations that they would be halting or restricting their collaboration with Russia. “Russia’s attack on Ukraine was and is a massive violation of international law,” said German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) president Joybrato Mukherjee in a statement. “There can be no normal relations with a state that is waging a war of aggression against its neighbouring country in the middle of Europe, not even in foreign science policy.”
The DAAD said it is currently not processing any applications for Russian-based scholarships. German scholarship holders who have already been selected will not, at present, receive financial support for a planned stay in Russia, the organisation added.
The DAAD expects German universities to suspend all DAAD-funded project activities with partner institutions in Russia and Belarus, it said.
“We are aware that many of our Russian friends and our Russian partner institutions reject the campaign against Ukraine from the bottom of their hearts,” Mukherjee said. However, in view of the war, it would be imperative to review relations with Russia, he added.
TU Berlin suspends activities
The Technical University of Berlin said it would follow the recommendations of the alliance and the DAAD, adding that it had suspended its “longstanding, diverse and intensive cooperation” with Russia. This includes stopping financial contributions and the granting of rights to Russian-based scientists to use research results, the university said.
Humboldt Foundation president Hans-Christian Pape said the invasion of Ukraine marked a shift-change in relations with Russia. He said: “We regret that the behaviour of the Russian government forces us to react in a way that also affects members of our research network in Russia who stand for the values of the foundation, such as freedom, dialogue and peaceful exchange—values that the government of Russia tramples on through its actions.”
The German Rectors’ Conference (HRK) took a less decisive approach, saying that it would “explore the possibilities for continuing and shaping university and academic relations with Ukraine and Russia”.
“Our solidarity goes out to the people of Ukraine and especially to our academic partners,” said HRK president Peter-André Alt. He added that it was “foreseeable” that the war would cause serious damage to German-Russian academic relations, which would have to be examined in detail.