Masaryk University joined the appeal on Friday, 6 February and helped spread the campaign among students and staff. Support from the academic community played a key role in raising the required funds in record time. The target amount of CZK 554,793 was collected in just one week – and the fundraiser is still continuing.
The request for help came from the rector of Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, Volodymyr Bugrov, who contacted partner universities directly. In his letter, he pointed out that at the beginning of 2026, students and staff are facing prolonged power and heating outages caused by systematic attacks on civilian and energy infrastructure. In extreme winter conditions, this seriously threatens safety, basic living needs and the university’s ability to function. The generator funded by the campaign will help ensure the university’s basic operations in Kyiv despite frequent power cuts.
“I see this as a success not only for the Olomouc university community, but for the entire academic community in the Czech Republic that joined the appeal. I would like to thank everyone who contributed. We have sent a clear signal that solidarity between universities is not just symbolic – we can provide tangible help with real impact,” said Palacký University rector Michael Kohajda in a press release.
The generator was delivered to Kyiv over the past weekend. Memory of Nations used an existing humanitarian logistics route to Ukraine to ensure fast delivery directly to the site. It is expected to be put into operation in the coming days.
In a statement, the leadership of Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv said the new generator “is not just a piece of technical equipment, but light in dark times, warmth and the ability to keep working and helping people even during power outages”. The Ukrainian side also thanked Palacký University and other Czech partners for their support, stressing that solidarity and interest from abroad are especially valuable in this difficult period.
The fundraiser will continue until 24 February. The funds raised will be used by Memory of Nations to purchase additional equipment to help Ukrainian institutions cope with the challenging situation.
“The leadership of Masaryk University would like to thank all students, staff and partners who took part in the fundraiser. Academic solidarity and a sense of shared responsibility turned into concrete help for the Kyiv university – sending light and power to places where they are currently a matter of survival,” says Jana Fialová, Vice-Rector for Student Affairs at Masaryk University.
Masaryk University has been supporting Ukraine in the face of Russian aggression over the long term. When the war broke out, the university responded immediately. From the very first days, it provided support for Ukrainian students, staff and their families through the MUNI HELPS Volunteer Centre. To make information easier to access, a dedicated webpage, Masaryk Helps Ukraine, was created in Czech, English and Ukrainian. The university also launched financial support for educational and humanitarian purposes. In the following academic year, it admitted almost 500 students from Ukraine through a special admissions process.
In April 2024, Masaryk University welcomed a delegation of nearly 40 academic and non-academic staff from ten Ukrainian universities, who came to Brno for training in hybrid teaching. The visit took place as part of the newly established Digital University – Open Ukrainian Initiative, known as DigiUni, which is supported by the European Union through a four-year grant of 4.9 million euros.
Last autumn, Masaryk University also organised a conference within the RIFF project (Research Infrastructures for the Future of Ukraine), focusing on Ukraine’s recovery in research and higher education.