Open letter: Uni should be refuge for academics fleeing the war

In an open letter, dozens of academics and support staff at the UG, some with a Russian background, call upon the university to set up emergency grants and an expedited grant programme.

We, scholars and university staff based at the University of Groningen, condemn Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The decision taken by the Russian government to use large-scale military aggression and sacrifice the lives of Ukrainian and Russian citizens for its imperial ambitions is a crime and a tragedy for people living in these countries, the wider region, and the rest of humanity.

We express our deep compassion for everyone who has been impacted by the recent events. We stand in solidarity with everyone in Ukraine and Russia who opposes military aggression and risks their lives in resisting colonial invasion and dictatorial violence.

Many academic institutions have offered emergency accommodation and fellowships

Hundreds of thousands of people are currently fleeing Ukraine, attempting to cross the borders to Poland, Hungary, Romania, Germany, and other countries. We are facing a humanitarian crisis of enormous proportions. Volunteers from all over Europe are joining forces to save lives and help those who had to leave their homes and who have left or lost their family members.

Many academic and cultural institutions across Europe have offered emergency accommodation and fellowships for students and scholars affected by the war. Our university is in a position to do this as well. 

We call on the University Board to provide emergency research/teaching fellowships for scholars and a fast-track scholarship programme for students, and to offer spaces of refuge and support for academics affected by the war. 

Ksenia Robbe (ELC, Faculty of Arts), Prof. dr. Pablo Valdivia (ELC, Faculty of Arts), Florian Lippert (ELC, Faculty of Arts), Vera Veldhuizen (ELC, Faculty of Arts), Alberto Godioli (ELC, Faculty of Arts), Vera Alexander (ELC, Faculty of Arts), Konstantin Mierau (ELC, Faculty of Arts), Margriet van der Waal (ELC, Faculty of Arts). Camilla Sutherland (ELC, Faculty of Arts), Gonzalo Albornoz (ELC, Faculty of Arts), Janet M. Fuller (ELC, Faculty of Arts), Kristin McGee (Co-chair Center for Gender Studies), Susanne Täuber (Co-chair Center for Gender Studies), Jeanette den Toonder (ELC, Faculty of Arts), Ester Jiresch (ELC, Faculty of Arts), Elisabetta Costa (Media Studies, Faculty of Arts), Mariet Hofstee (University College Groningen), Stella Linn (ELC, Faculty of Arts), Oksana Kavatsyuk (University College Groningen), Christine Vidon (ELC, Faculty of Arts), Charlotte Gooskens (ELC, Faculty of Arts), Héloïse Girard (ELC, Faculty of Arts), Hugh McDonnell (ELC, Faculty of Arts), Magdalena König (IRIO, Faculty of Arts), Sander Brouwer (ELC, Faculty of Arts, emeritus), Iryna Menke-Bazhutkina (ELC, Faculty of Arts), Lucy Avraamidou (Faculty of Science and Engineering), Vincenzo Tabacco (ELC, Faculty of Arts), Fabio Galati (ELC, Faculty of Arts) , Benjamin Leruth (ELC, Faculty of Arts), Léonie de Jonge (ELC, Faculty of Arts), Piero Tortola (ELC, Arts), Gilles Pittoors (ELC, Arts), Lukas Linsi (IRIO, Arts), Jan Willem Bolderdijk (FEB), Sonja Billerbeck (Faculty of Science and Engineering), Laura Bringmann (BSS), Lisa Herzog (Philosophy), Olga Rodríguez Retamero (ELC, Faculty of Arts), Yuliya Kazanova (ELC, Faculty of Arts), Wolfgang Kehrein (ELC, Faculty of Arts), Bob de Jonge (ELC, Faculty of Arts), Tim Kassenberg (English Language & Culture, Faculty of Arts), Marcos Guimaraes (Faculty of Science and Engineering), Stefan Couperus (ELC, Arts), Marilyn López (ELC, Faculty of Arts), Simon Tunderman (ELC, Arts), Aubrey G.J.C. Williams (English Language & Culture, Faculty of Arts), Penny Heisterkamp (ELC, Faculty of Arts), Alsu Buiting (ELC, Faculty of Arts), Danelle du Plessis (ELC, Faculty of Arts), Wim Gombert (ELC, Faculty of Arts), Esther Metting (Medical Faculty and Faculty of Economic and Business), Rasmus Steinkrauss (Applied Linguistics, Faculty of Arts), Sipke de Hoop (Contemporary History, Faculty of Arts), Marieke Reezigt (English Language & Culture, Faculty of Arts), Rachel Johnston-White (Contemporary History, Faculty of Arts), Annelot Vaatstra (English Language & Culture, Faculty of Arts), Iva Pesa (History, Faculty of Arts), Niklas Abel (ELC, Faculty of Arts), Stefan van der Poel (History, Faculty of Arts), Adrian Favero (ELC, Faculty of Arts), Clemens Six (History, Faculty of Arts), Marije Michel (ELC, Faculty of Arts), Senka Neuman Stanivukovic (IRIO, Faculty of Arts), Nasser Kalantar (ESRIG, Faculty of Science and Engineering), Myroslav Kavatsyuk (ESRIG, Faculty of Science and Engineering), Barbara Henkes (History, Faculty of Arts), Tom Slootweg (History, Faculty of Arts), Frank Harbers (Media Studies and Journalism, Faculty of Arts), Beatriz Cabrera Fernández (ELC, Faculty of Arts), Femke  Kramer (Nederlandse taal en cultuur, Faculty of Arts), Hannah Malone (History, Faculty of Arts), Simon Friederich (UCG), Ritumbra Manuvie (University College Groningen) , Dinie Bouwman (FBSS), Geramé Wouters (Language Centre, Faculty of Arts), Cristina Pascual Aibar (ELC, Faculty of Arts), David Ashford (English, Faculty of Arts), Gerdientje Oggel (ELC, Faculty of Arts) , Chantal van Verseveld (ELC, Faculty of Arts), Andra Buciu (Lijst Calimero, University Council), Tessa Klimp (SOG, University Council), Judith Paridaen (ERIBA, UMCG), Diana te Braake (UCG), Muhamed Amin (UCG), Karmen Vukasovic (UCG), Lia Verbaas (UCG), Jaclyn Connolly (UCG), Chris May (Psychology, University College Groningen), Adriana Mattos (UCG), Eleftheria Ioannidou (Faculty of Arts) , Coen Heijes (Faculty of Business & Economics), Bettina van Hoven (University College Groningen), Marline Lisette Wilders (UCG / Faculty of Arts), Anja van Mil (UCG), Ryan Mitchell Wittingslow (UCG), Hans Vedder (Faculty of Law), Neena Abou El Hessen (UCG) , Nynke Bosma (Faculty of Arts and UCG), Roland Chiu (UCG), Benjamin Bewersdorf (University College Groningen)

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