At the end of April, Masaryk University hosted 14 representatives of Ukrainian universities, research institutes, ministries and grant agencies. As part of the European project RIFF – Research Infrastructures for the Future of Ukraine, they visited research infrastructures in the Czech Republic and took part in discussions on the challenges currently facing Ukrainian research and higher education.
Ukraine has now been at war with Russia for the fifth year. Although fighting takes place daily in the eastern and southern parts of the country and drones and missiles strike most of Ukraine, making everyday life considerably more difficult, life must go on. Ukrainian universities and research institutions continue to fulfil their role as well; however, they face challenges that could be addressed in the future, among other things, by the RIFF project coordinated by Masaryk University.
Some of these issues were raised at the opening meeting of the delegation with the Rector of Masaryk University, Martin Bareš, who introduced the guests to the history and future of the university.
Brain drain
At present, Ukrainian universities are facing, among other things, a significant decline in the number of students and staff. According to Oleksandr Soshenskyi, Head of the Office for International Projects at the National University of Life and Environmental Sciences of Ukraine in Kyiv, this is a direct consequence of the war. The war requires enormous resources, including people who, instead of teaching or conducting research, are defending their country in the armed forces. Constant Russian attacks on basic infrastructure and civilian targets also force many people to seek safer places to live, both within Ukraine and abroad.
This Kyiv-based university has more than 16 faculties and institutes with over 27,000 students. According to Soshenskyi, however, the current number of students is lower than would correspond to demographic and other indicators. Given that university funding is largely based on student numbers, this significantly complicates the management’s efforts to further develop the institution. A similar situation can be observed in research, which is negatively affected both by researchers joining the army and by the fact that many researchers, for example from institutions close to the front line, can work practically only online.
“It is a way to continue research at least in some form and not lose it entirely, but in essence we cannot develop it. There are, of course, research areas that are currently strongly supported by the government because they are necessary for the country, and these can develop. In principle, however, these are areas related to the war,” Soshenskyi noted.
His words are echoed by Liliia Turovska, Vice-Rector for Research and International Relations at Vasyl Stefanyk Carpathian National University in Ivano-Frankivsk. This university, which has more than 17,000 students and is among the largest classical universities in western Ukraine, is also experiencing a decline in the number of students and staff.
“Even though we are far from the front line, the consequences of the war affect us as well. We have had to change our habits and adapt everything to the new reality, where the safety of students and staff is the top priority,” Turovska said.
She also sees the brain drain as one of the most serious current problems facing Ukrainian universities and research. “Many of our colleagues have left Ukraine; some have returned, and we are trying to keep them, just as we are trying to keep our students and to build an environment in which they decide to stay in Ukraine.” Turovska added that many students want to remain in their country, and those who have left want to stay in contact, which the university enables through distance learning.
Another major challenge for Ukrainian science is that some university buildings in frontline areas have been completely destroyed. For example, a partner university from the Kherson region has relocated to the campus in Ivano-Frankivsk, where it continues its activities. “In science, the most important thing for us is to restore our research equipment, strengthen it, and also align research management with European Union standards. The RIFF project can help us with this as well,” the Vice-Rector noted.
According to her, it is crucial not only to restore research equipment itself, but also to build contacts that will enable exchange stays and training for researchers, PhD candidates and students, allowing them to gain new experience and strengthen Ukrainian research. The restoration and strengthening of research infrastructure may also contribute to the return of researchers who, due to the Russian invasion, are currently unable to continue their research.
New labs
The European Union and other international organizations are already making a significant contribution to these efforts. Iryna Lutsyuk from Lviv Polytechnic National University noted that even under wartime conditions, their institute managed to open a new large joint laboratory at the Institute of Chemistry and Chemical Technologies, in particular thanks to NATO grant support.
Her colleague Marta Kuznetsova emphasized that the creation of new laboratories has become an important step in modernizing the research infrastructure of Lviv Polytechnic. At the same time, gaining insight into advanced research infrastructures during the visit to Brno is of particular importance. Participation in the RIFF project and visits to the laboratories of Masaryk University and other scientific institutions in the city made it possible to directly familiarize themselves with modern approaches to organizing research spaces, their technical equipment, and management.
“This experience is extremely valuable for us, as it not only demonstrates high standards of research infrastructure, but also outlines clear benchmarks for the further development of similar laboratories at Lviv Polytechnic. What we observed in Brno essentially shapes our vision for the future modernization and expansion of our own scientific capabilities,” she noted.
How to support research
The aim of the visit by representatives of Ukrainian research and higher education was to present the functioning of the research infrastructure ecosystem in Europe and in the Czech Republic and to demonstrate, through specific examples, the development of successful research infrastructures in the Czech Republic. Ukrainian visitors thus had the opportunity to visit more than a dozen laboratories and to speak with their heads about how they were established and how they operate.
The visit took place as part of the RIFF project, whose task is to create a plan that will serve as guidance for the financing of Ukrainian research infrastructures and as a framework for international donors. Over the course of three years, the so called roadmap is to map the needs and potential of higher education institutions and research organisations in Ukraine and to serve in the future as a basis for possible funding of these needs.
Representatives of Ukrainian institutions greatly appreciate the project and its importance, as well as the support for Ukraine in the ongoing Russian aggression.
“We would like to express our deep gratitude to the European Union for allowing us to participate in European calls under the Horizon Europe programme, which enables us to carry out and continue our research work. This is a key point that will allow us to reach a situation in which our staff and students can visit European countries, study at universities there, exchange experience, but at the same time think about returning to Ukraine and developing our country,” Oleksandr Soshenskyi said in conclusion.
Vice-Rector Liliia Turovska then emphasised: “We do not divide people into those who left and those who stayed. They are all still our students, employees and researchers; they are part of the Ukrainian community. And I hope that one day they will return home with new knowledge and experience, and that we will be able to learn from one another.”