Ukraine – Seite 2 – BAYHOST Kompetenzatlas

Akademische und berufliche Qualifikationen der Menschen, die vor der Invasion Russlands aus der Ukraine fliehen, sollen in der EU anerkannt werden. Die EU-Kommission will schnelle, faire und flexible Verfahren sicherstellen und hat deshalb eine Empfehlung für reglementierte Berufe mit Leitlinien und praktischen Ratschlägen für die EU-Mitgliedstaaten veröffentlicht.

Infolge des völkerrechtswidrigen Angriffs Russlands auf die Ukraine sind inzwischen mehr als vier Millionen Menschen in die EU geflohen. Für ihre Integration in den Aufnahmeländern ist unter anderem das Recht, den Beruf auszuüben, den sie erlernt haben, von großer Bedeutung. Die Europäische Kommission hat daher eine Empfehlung zur Anerkennung der akademischen und beruflichen Qualifikationen von Menschen, die vor der Invasion Russlands in der Ukraine fliehen, veröffentlicht. Die Empfehlung gibt den Behörden der Mitgliedstaaten Leitlinien und praktische Ratschläge für ein rasches, faires und flexibles Anerkennungsverfahren an die Hand.

Zur Unterstützung der Mitgliedstaaten bei der Anerkennung von Qualifikationen hat die Kommission eine Reihe von Maßnahmen ergriffen:

Auf Ersuchen der EU-Kommission hat die Europäische Stiftung für Berufsbildung den Bereich Education and work information for Ukrainians and EU countries eingerichtet, auf dem Informationen zu ukrainischen Qualifikationen ausgetauscht werden können. Die Bereitstellung umfassender Informationen zum Nutzen aller Mitgliedstaaten und die Transparenz zwischen den Mitgliedstaaten ist ausschlaggebend für ein funktionierendes beschleunigtes Verfahren.
Um die Überwindung der Sprachbarriere zu erleichtern, wurde die von der EU-Kommission entwickelte eTranslation-Anwendung angepasst, um den Bedarf an rascher und verlässlicher Übersetzung aus dem Ukrainischen zu decken. Eine Übersetzung aus dem Russischen ist ebenfalls möglich und kann nützlich sein, da viele Fachkräfte in der Ukraine ihre Diplome auf Russisch erworben haben.
Die geflohenen Menschen waren möglicherweise gezwungen, ihre Heimat ohne Urkunden über Qualifikationen zu verlassen. Daher bedarf es in einem solchen Fall eines flexiblen Ansatzes bei der Beurteilung von Anerkennungsanträgen, und es muss die Neuausstellung von Abschlusszeugnissen in digitalem Format in Betracht gezogen werden.

Academics appeal for long-term help to rebuild HE system

Academics fear that the Russian Federation’s war against Ukraine, which has destroyed many universities and research centres and caused thousands of students and academics to flee the country, will cause a long-lasting brain drain, a community webcast hosted by the European Association for International Education (EAIE) has heard.

With all research put on hold and many students and lecturers forced to hide in cellars and bomb shelters for hours on end, Ukrainian academics are counting on their European colleagues – and others around the world – to continue supporting them as the bloody conflict rages, and in the longer-term reconstruction of Ukraine’s universities and research facilities.

That was one of the key messages during the community webcast on 1 April by Ganna Tolstanova, vice-rector for research at Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, and Sophia Opatska, vice-rector for strategy implementation at the Ukrainian Catholic University in Lviv.

The webcast also touched on the need to be sensitive when talking about support for Ukrainian students and academics in the same breath as Russian and Belarusian scholars, and why only Ukrainian women can currently take up offers to study or work abroad while hostilities continue.

Tolstanova said at least 20% of her students and 10% of lecturers had already relocated their families abroad since the Russian armed forces invaded Ukraine on 24 February – and the number moving to other parts of the country was much higher.

Support when hostilities cease

She said initiatives like Science for Ukraine and support from individuals and higher education institutions helping students, lecturers and researchers abroad “make us strong”, but she emphasised that the new connections and networks created in the midst of war would be just as vital when hostilities cease.

“The big hope is that Ukrainians who have moved abroad will come back and bring their new experience and scientific connections [with them] for the reconstruction of Ukraine’s higher education system,” said Tolstanova.

Opatska told the EAIE webcast: “Ukraine is in a very devastating situation. On our own we cannot achieve what we want to achieve and protect democracy and the values of a democratic society.

“Every day we are losing lives and the university is doing its best to know where its students and faculty are. People don’t know the day of the week, but they know which day of the war it is.”

Despite her university being in the relatively safer western part of Ukraine, Opatska crossed into Poland for the safety of her family together with millions of others leaving the country.

She said her university had been transformed in a matter of weeks into a refugee centre for those escaping the worst fighting in eastern Ukraine and students were focused on humanitarian aid rather than lectures.

“Right now, our students are learning much more from life,” she said.

‘Parked abroad’

Opatska preferred to describe the 15% of students and faculty from her university who had joined her as being “parked abroad” and a key priority was keeping in touch and maintaining a sense of community despite people being scattered around Europe.

Tolstanova told the webcast that many universities were resuming teaching online, but many lecturers and professors were “evacuated without laptops” and “just had to save their lives”.

She appealed for more help in the provision of space, equipment and internet connections from universities outside Ukraine so that teaching could continue and thanked colleagues from Europe and the United States for providing mental health support, housing and other support.

“Our students have only one life and they have to finish their studies.

“So, we also need your help for the integration of Ukrainian universities into existing alliances, such as the European university alliances and other networks, and to provide us with the status of associate members. We hope to continue research through visiting professorships and actual short visits by scientists with the condition of their return to Ukraine [when it is safe].”

She accepted that many currently abroad would not want to return and appealed for universities in Europe and beyond to create joint or even triple diplomas and joint courses, which should include the history and culture of Ukraine so that its position in the world is better understood.

“We ask you to be [our] ambassadors at your university,” Tolstanova said, appealing to EAIE members.

Opatska said fear of a brain drain was very real and admitted it was understandable that a lot of people would be worried about coming back to Ukraine.

“Many don’t have a place to come back to. They don’t have a home to come back to and it could take two years just to de-mine those places where active war is taking place right now.

“Rebuilding the country will take time and it will need a lot of work from education institutions.”

Mind your language

Opatska used the webcast to appeal to colleagues in the international higher education community to be “very careful” about what they say and write about supporting Ukrainian scholars in the same breath as they talk about support for scholars from Russia and Belarus.

“I think at this moment, when the war is going on, this is a toxic conversation for Ukrainians. It is really difficult when you look at announcements of fellowships for Ukrainians and help for Russian and Belarus people.

“We understand that we will have to come to the same table, but this is not the moment right now.

“So, my message to the international community is to be very careful what is said and written down and remember that for us this is a very difficult situation and use a lot of care with language.”

Only women can leave the country

On the question of offers for Ukrainian faculty and students to go on exchanges for a semester or even a year or two, Opatska made it clear that this could help Ukrainian institutions at the moment, but she emphasised that “only women can leave the country” while the war continues.

She faced several queries from academic colleagues in the West on the issue, with one asking whether male Ukrainian students would be able to take up offers to study at European universities in September, or if they are already enrolled as students outside the country.

Opatska replied: “No, there is a very strict law at the moment because it is a war situation. Only a man who has many children may be able to leave, for example, but men aged between 18 and 60 are not allowed to leave.

“As to what happens in September, it is a difficult situation because we don’t know what will happen in the country in September. For male students we are trying to get more online education.”

Pressed further about whether male students could leave if they had an offer of admission from a foreign university, Tolstanova said: “As vice-rector for research, I get a lot of letters from male PhD students who want to continue their research in a European university, but, unfortunately, as Sophia Opatska has mentioned, we have in Ukraine since the war [started] the announcement of total mobilisation [of the population].

“This is a very strict rule and male students, PhD students and lecturers from the universities are not allowed to go abroad.”

Source: University World News

Germany to host 100,000 Ukrainian academics and students

Joybrato Mukherjee, president of the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), has visited Poland to discuss how Germany’s eastern neighbour is supporting refugees from Ukraine in preparation for the considerable number – at least 100,000 – of Ukrainian students and academics that are expected to come to German universities in the near future.

According to Mukherjee, Germany can learn from the experience Poland has gathered. The country already had a large Ukrainian student community before the present war, with more than half of its international students coming from Ukraine. And Ukrainians have long accounted for a considerable share of Poland’s population from abroad.

As early as 15 March, a total of €5 million (US$5.5 million) was approved for scholarships and other support measures for Ukrainian students and academics. This money is now being allocated to institutions on the basis of competitive bids and is being provided for the period up to 30 September. Mukherjee says that institutions are already heavily involved in counselling and other support programmes for refugees.

‘Continuity’ is key principle

“The key principle applied is continuity,” explains Mukherjee, who spoke with representatives of Poland’s academic exchange organisation NAWA, the Polish Academy of Sciences, the Polish higher education rectors’ conference and two of the funding organisations, the National Science Centre and the Foundation for Polish Science.

“It is important that students and academics can carry on with their studies and scientific research in a manner that they can return home at any time. This option, or prospect, to return is vital – even if we don’t know at this point how long the war is going to last.”

Mukherjee says that German higher education can learn from the experience gathered by Polish universities in maintaining academic relationships with Ukrainian institutions. But he also notes that German plans for digital programmes to cope with the crisis met with considerable interest among DAAD’s Polish partners.

100,000+ students, academics expected

DAAD reckons that at least 100,000 Ukrainian students and academics will be coming to Germany in the near future, including many who are staying in Poland at the moment. Estimates which the organisation has made are based on the European Commission’s current assessment of what will be around seven million refugees in all, coupled with comparisons with the student and academic share of refugees in other crises such as the Syrian war.

DAAD has been preparing a website providing Ukrainian students and academics with information on legal issues, admission to higher education and links to all higher education institutions.

“One thing we have to bear in mind is that, unlike with the 2016 refugee crisis, Ukrainians have freedom of movement throughout the European Union, including in Germany,” Mukherjee stresses. “So it is important for all universities throughout the country to be well prepared, which is why we are holding weekly meetings with them.”

Funding is another vital aspect. DAAD has demanded that the government provide around €80 million for higher education to cope with the impacts of the crisis. At the moment, universities are doing what they can with their own means. “The government has certainly demonstrated goodwill,” Mukherjee states. “But we have to be clear about the fact that there is no Plan B. Funding must be available by May.”

EU visa rules waived

EU member states agreed on 3 March to waive visa rules for Ukrainians fleeing the Russian invasion of their country, giving them the right to stay in the EU for one year without a visa, with the possibility of that period being extended if needed.

Under the activation of the EU’s Temporary Protection Directive, Ukrainians can stay within the EU or Schengen zone for 12 months without having either to apply for a visa or make a claim for asylum and during that time will have access to education and jobs.

Non-Ukrainians living in Ukraine and fleeing the invasion will also be covered by the directive but only if they are unable to return to their home country or region of origin.

President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, said at the time: “Europe stands by those in need of protection. All those fleeing Putin’s bombs are welcome in Europe. We will provide protection to those seeking shelter and we will help those looking for a safe way home.”

Source: University World News

Europäische Zusammenarbeit in Wissenschaft und Technologie: Ukraine und Georgien werden COST-Mitglieder

Die Mitgliedstaaten der Initiative zur europäischen Zusammenarbeit im Bereich der wissenschaftlichen und technischen Forschung COST haben einstimmig die Aufnahme beider Länder als Vollmitglieder beschlossen.

Die Abstimmung fand während der COST-Generalversammlung am 30. und 31. März unter Schirmherrschaft des französischen EU-Ratsvorsitzes in Paris statt. Nach dem einstimmigen Beschluss treten sowohl Georgien als auch die Ukraine als Vollmittglieder Nummer 39 und 40 COST (European Cooperation in Science and Technology) bei.

Die COST-Mitgliedschaft ermöglicht es Forschenden sowie Innovatorinnen und Innovatoren aus beiden Ländern, die Vernetzungsmöglichkeiten von COST in vollem Umfang zu nutzen und auch als Hauptantragstellende für COST-Aktionen aufzutreten. Darüber hinaus werden Georgien und die Ukraine auf Leitungsebene der Initiative an der strategischen Ausrichtung von COST mitwirken.

Aktuell sind bereits 66 ukrainische Forschende und 28 georgische Forschende an 28 bzw. 21 COST-Aktionen beteiligt.

Hilfsmaßnahmen für aus der Ukraine geflohene Studierende, Forschende und Lehrende gestartet: DAAD fordert Unterstützung für deutsche Hochschulen

Nach dem russischen Angriff auf die Ukraine bringen Hochschulen, Forschungseinrichtungen und Förderorganisationen aus Deutschland und weltweit eigeninitiativ erste Hilfsangebote auf den Weg. Der Deutsche Akademische Austauschdienst (DAAD) mahnt derweil ein Unterstützungsprogramm auf Bundesebene für die deutschen Hochschulen zur Integration von Studierenden, Forschenden und Lehrenden aus der Ukraine an.

Der DAAD hatte sich am 1. März mit seinen Mitgliedshochschulen zu den aktuellen Entwicklungen in der Ukraine und zu den anstehenden Herausforderungen ausgetauscht. DAAD-Präsident Prof. Dr. Joybrato Mukherjee sagte:

„Ich möchte mich im Namen des DAAD bei unseren Mitgliedshochschulen, ihren Beschäftigten und Studierenden sehr herzlich für ihre Solidarität mit der Ukraine und ihre Eigeninitiativen der letzten Tage bedanken. Sie arbeiten intensiv daran, Ukrainerinnen und Ukrainer an ihren Hochschulen zu unterstützen. Zudem setzen sie entsprechend unserer Empfehlungen ihre Zusammenarbeit mit russischen Institutionen aus, um auf diese Weise die Maßnahmen der Bundesregierung und der Europäischen Union zur Sanktionierung und Isolierung Russlands zu unterstützen.“

Nach den Gesprächen mit den Mitgliedshochschulen zeige sich laut DAAD, dass die Hochschulen im Land zeitnah in die Lage versetzt werden müssten, sich intensiv um geflüchtete Studierende und Forschende aus der Ukraine zu kümmern. Dazu führte Mukherjee weiter aus:

„Wenn wir uns einen längeren Krieg in der Ukraine oder ein umfassendes russisches Besatzungsregime im Land vorstellen, müssen wir mit einer sehr großen Zahl an Ukrainerinnen und Ukrainern rechnen, die zu uns kommen werden und um die wir uns kümmern werden. Wir brauchen daher rasch ein von der Bundesregierung finanziertes großes Unterstützungsprogramm für die Hochschulen, damit diese den ukrainischen Studierenden, Wissenschaftlerinnen und Wissenschaftlern eine Perspektive bieten können.“

Dabei müssten auch die zusätzlichen Bedarfe der deutschen Studierendenwerke berücksichtigt werden. Aus DAAD-Sicht sollte ein Unterstützungsprogramm mehrere Säulen umfassen, die sich bereits in anderen Konflikten bewährt haben:

Stipendien für ukrainische Studierende, Promovierende und Wissenschaftlerinnen und Wissenschaftler, die in den kommenden Wochen und Monaten zu uns kommen, sowie die unbürokratische Verlängerung der Förderung für diejenigen, die bereits bei uns sind,
Unterstützung der deutschen Hochschulen bei der Betreuung und Begleitung der Ukrainerinnen und Ukrainer während der Förderung und darüber hinaus;
Unterstützung der deutschen Hochschulen bei der fachlichen und sprachlichen Weiterqualifikation von akademisch vorqualifizierten Fachkräften mit Blick auf den deutschen Arbeitsmarkt;
Unterstützung der deutschen Hochschulen bei der Entwicklung und Bereitstellung von digitalen Angeboten für ihre ukrainischen Partnerhochschulen, solange diese ihren Betrieb aufrechterhalten können;
Leadership-Programme für zukünftige Führungskräfte, die nach einer späteren Stabilisierung der Lage Führungsaufgaben in der Ukraine übernehmen werden.

Der DAAD ist zu den Programmelementen bereits mit der Bundesregierung im Gespräch.

In den vergangenen Tagen hatten verschiedene Hochschulen und Forschungseinrichtungen – etwa die TU Berlin, die TU München oder das Leibniz-Institut für Festkörper- und Werkstoffforschung in Dresden – sowie Förderorganisationen eigene Hilfsangebote gestartet. Die Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) bietet Unterstützung im Rahmen ihrer Initiative für geflüchtete Wissenschaftlerinnen und Wissenschaftler an. Diese ermöglichen Geflüchteten eine kurzfristige Integration in das deutsche Wissenschaftssystem und die Fortführung ihrer wissenschaftlichen Tätigkeit.

Die Alexander von Humboldt-Stiftung (AvH) hatte bereits Ende Februar bekannt gegeben, Stipendien- und Alumniaufenthalte von Geförderten aus der Ukraine in Deutschland flexibel zu verlängern. Aktuell hat die Stiftung die Bewerbungsfrist im Rahmen der Philipp Schwartz-Initiative für gefährdete und geflüchtete Forschende aus der Ukraine bis zum 18. März verlängert und das Nominierungsverfahren vereinfacht. Zudem wurde Ende März mit privaten Zustiftungen im Rahmen der Initiative ein Notfonds eingerichtet. Weitere Maßnahmen sind in Vorbereitung.

Die VolkswagenStiftung teilte am 4. März mit, dass Wissenschaftlerinnen und Wissenschaftler, die durch die Invasion russischer Truppen gezwungen sind, die Ukraine zu verlassen, Fördermittel erhalten können, um ihre Tätigkeit an einer Universität oder einem Forschungsinstitut in Deutschland fortzusetzen. Ab sofort können Anträge für einen Förderzeitraum von 6 bis 12 Monaten bei der VolkswagenStiftung eingereicht werden.

Die Gerda Henkel Stiftung stellt für ukrainische Wissenschaftlerinnen und Wissenschaftler Fördermittel in Höhe von 2 Millionen Euro zur Verfügung. Die Zuwendungen bestehen aus drei Schwerpunkten: Bis zu eine Million Euro gehen an die Philipp Schwartz-Initiative der AvH (s.o.). Bis zu 500.000 Euro fließen an den Verein MitOst e.V., der in der Ukraine und ihren Nachbarländern humanitäre Hilfsmaßnahmen koordiniert. Ebenfalls 500.000 Euro stehen für ein eigenes Stipendienprogramm bereit, mit dem die Gerda Henkel Stiftung sich zunächst an ehemals und aktuell Geförderte wendet und ihnen den Aufenthalt an Forschungseinrichtungen und Universitäten in Deutschland und Europa ermöglichen möchte.

Weitere Hilfsangebote und Unterstützungsmaßnahmen aus der weltweiten Forschungslandschaft laufen derzeit an. Unter #ScienceForUkraine werden diese auf Twitter sowie auf der gleichnamigen Internetseite gesammelt. Am 7. März.2022 wurden dort bereits mehr als 400 Angebote aus mehr als 35 Ländern geführt – darunter über 80 aus Deutschland. Die AvH listet Angebote zur Unterstützung für gefährdete Forschende sowie Informationen und Maßnahmen zum Krieg in der Ukraine auf eigenen Informationsseiten.

Student recruitment: futures unknown for Ukraine, Russia

One of the surprising facts after the Russian invasion of Ukraine was the presence of large numbers of international students trapped there by the war who had difficulties escaping. These students occasionally faced discrimination by the Ukrainian border and transport police.

In studies about international student recruitment and mobility, the emphasis is primarily on South-North mobility to the Anglophone world: the United States of America, the United Kingdom, Australia and Canada and to a few other non-Anglophone countries, such as France and Germany.

But the reality is more diverse, with increasing student mobility to non-Anglophone countries, as the substantive presence of international students in Ukraine as well as in Russia makes clear.

International students in Ukraine

In 2019, Ukraine received over 80,000 international students (a 50% increase since 2011). Twenty-three per cent of the international students come from India (18,429), followed by 10% from Morocco (8,233 students). Around 21.5% of international students are from post-Soviet countries, mostly from Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan, and around 1,200 are from the Russian Federation.

Fifty-one per cent are on masters programmes and 36% on bachelor degree programmes. Others are in preparatory (8.5%) and postgraduate programmes (3.5%).

Medicine is the most popular field of study (32%), followed by medical practice, dentistry, management and pharmacy. This explains why Kharkiv National Medical University is the institution with the most international students and why the Kharkiv region is the most international in the country.

International students in Russia

The international student population in Ukraine is more diverse and globally spread than in Russia. In 2019 Russia had approximately 310,000 international students – almost four times as many as Ukraine – but around 70% are from neighbouring and predominantly Russian-speaking post-Soviet countries.

Kazakhstan is the main sender and China, the only major sending non-post-Soviet country, is the second highest sender. Asia, with 15% of the international students, is the second sending region after the former Soviet Union nations. Ukraine, with 22,000 students in Russia, is an important sending country as well, which is not surprising given the large Russian-speaking population in the country.

By far, most international students in Russia study at the bachelor degree level. Only 10% study at the masters level, which is the opposite of what happens in Ukraine. Healthcare (20%), economics and management (13.5%) and humanities (11.5%) are the three most popular fields of study in Russia, which is a more diverse mix than in Ukraine.

More than 40% of Russia’s international students study in Moscow and St Petersburg. Also in Russia there have been cases of discrimination and xenophobia against international students over the years, in particular those from Africa, as has been and continues unfortunately to be the case elsewhere in Anglophone and non-Anglophone countries.

In their recent journal article, Ekaterina Minaeva and Ivan Prostakov observe in their study on international student recruitment in Russia that “while in terms of enrolment numbers Russia is the sixth largest recipient of international students, the majority come from post-Soviet countries, which can be explained by the absence of language barriers, a common cultural legacy, family ties in Russia and better perspectives on the Russian job market compared to other CIS [Commonwealth of Independent States] countries”.

They observe that this over-reliance on post-Soviet countries presents several strategic threats. They note that the Russian-speaking population is decreasing, which creates a risk of significantly reduced international enrolments from CIS countries.

Second, students from these countries may not see studying in Russia as giving them a competitive advantage. Students may prefer a more challenging but more promising study environment, as it could create more opportunities for their future employment in the global job market. And attracting international Russian-speaking students is not exactly considered to be internationalisation, as these students belong to the same language group and similar cultures.

Non-Anglophone countries

The cases of Ukraine and Russia shed light on the challenges and opportunities of international student recruitment and mobility in non-Anglophone countries.

In a recent book on international student recruitment and mobility in non-Anglophone countries (which includes the case of Russia but not Ukraine), experts from these countries looked at this rising phenomenon in Europe, Asia and other parts of the world.

In order to carve out a place in the market for themselves, these non-Anglophone countries must devise mechanisms to overcome multiple challenges, including language barriers, lack of internationalisation in the study environment, less competitive job markets, etc. International student recruitment models in high-income Anglophone as well as high-income non-Anglophone countries are only partially applicable to other players.

Governments and institutions should look at the potential of niche markets, such as prospective immigrants, refugees, specific (ethnic) groups with whom they relate or the diaspora. And governments and institutions must complement their traditional student mobility activities with innovations in programme offerings and delivery methods, including transnational education, institutional partnerships and online learning.

The focus of Ukraine on the medical field, similar to, for instance, Romania, is a good example of a niche market. The dependence of Russia on post-Soviet countries is an example of a risk, while its focus over the past decades on developing international branch campuses is an example of a soft power rationale.

Ethical consequences

An international student recruitment policy needs to address its severe ethical and social consequences. Such ethical considerations are even more relevant in the current context of Russia and Ukraine. The book project referred to above, embarked upon before and during the initial stage of the COVID-19 pandemic, could not consider the implications of the invasion into Ukraine.

But in light of the current geopolitical developments and tensions, non-Anglophone countries are likely to encounter new challenges – some generic but others specific to their contexts. As for Russian higher education, the prospect of expanding and diversifying its international student presence is very bleak as a consequence of the war and the isolation policy of the regime.

Sadly, military invasion, life-threatening bombings, massive brain drain of talented refugees and higher education sector destruction have become major problems for Ukraine and the country will need a lot of support to rebuild its higher education and its international presence.

Source: University World News

Integration in den Europäischen Forschungsraum: Ukraine strebt Reform des nationalen Forschungssystems an

On 10. Februar 2022

Wie das Online-Magazin Science|Business berichtet, arbeitet die ukrainische Regierung an Reformen, um die Integration in den neu gestalteten Europäischen Forschungsraum (EFR) zu beschleunigen. Zudem hofft das Land, noch in diesem Jahr dem COST-Programm für wissenschaftliche und technologische Zusammenarbeit beitreten zu können.

Bereits seit Oktober 2021 ist die Ukraine voll assoziiertes Mitglied des europäischen Rahmenprogramms für Forschung und Entwicklung Horizont Europa und des EURATOM-Programms für Forschung und Ausbildung. Für 2022 plant die ukrainische Regierung sich weiter an die europäische Forschungs- und Innovationsgemeinschaft anzunähern und die Ausweitung der Teilnahme an internationalen Wissenschaftsprogrammen der EU.

Dazu wurde im vergangenen Jahr die nationale Roadmap für die Integration in den Europäischen Forschungsraum aktualisiert und eine Expertengruppe ins Leben gerufen, die sich an den Arbeitsgruppen des Ausschusses für den Europäischen Raum für Forschung und Innovation (ERAC) beteiligen soll. Geplant ist zudem die weitere Reform des Forschungs- und Entwicklungssystems, um dieses stärker an den Prioritäten und Zielsetzung der EU auszurichten. Angedacht ist unter anderem die Einführung von Open Science-Ansätzen sowie die Schaffung eines Rechtsrahmens, der es den Forschungsinfrastrukturen des Landes ermöglicht, sich europäischen Konsortien anzuschließen. Zudem habe das Land bereits ein wettbewerbsorientiertes System für die Vergabe von Fördermitteln eingeführt und plane jährliche Erhöhungen des Budgets des Nationalen Forschungsfonds, so ein Vertreter des ukrainischen Ministeriums für Bildung und Wissenschaft.

Bis Ende des Jahres soll nach Wunsch der Regierung auch die Teilnahme am COST-Programm ausgehandelt werden, um ukrainischen Forschenden die Zusammenarbeit mit Wissenschaftlerinnen und Wissenschaftlern in der EU zu erleichtern.

Report: Large-scale study of IT industry in Lviv & Ivano-Frankivsk

On 10. Februar 2022

IT Research is a research network with a unique methodology, thanks to which a large-scale study of the Lviv IT market has been conducted in the city since 2015 on the initiative of the Lviv IT Cluster. In 2021, Ivano-Frankivsk IT Cluster joined IT Research to conduct a deeper and broader study of the IT industry in these two western Ukrainian cities.

Key fundings:

LVIV: ROBUST GROWTH OF THE NUMBERS OF IT COMPANIES AND IT SPECIALISTS. Despite the pandemic, the number of IT companies’ growth dynamics is 6% (511 in 2021, compared to 492 in 2020) and the number of IT specialists has grown to 30-31 ooo, compared to 26-26.5 000 in 2020.
IVANO-FRANKIVSK: 70 IT companies employ 2,600 people, with 50% of them working for companies that have an office in Lviv.
PROFILE OF AN IT SPECIALIST: The median age of IT specialists in Lviv in 2021 is 29±1. Although the majority of IT specialists are male (62%), the share of females in tech is 38%.
ECONOMIC PERFORMANCE: The total economic effect of the IT sector in Lviv in 2020 amounted to $1,412 billion (an increase from $1,295 billion in 2019), out of which the direct economic effect reached $865 million, with additional indirect effect (the effect of IT on related sectors of the economy) equaling $557 million.

Background: The first analysis was carried out in 2015 and aimed to provide an overview of the IT industry and characterize the Lviv IT market. The following annual surveys (2017 – 2019), focussed in addition on measuring the economic effect of the IT industry in Lviv. The 5th report (2020) evaluated the impact of the pandemic on the activity and development of the tech industry in Lviv. In 2021, the research was performed in cooperation with Ivano-Frankivsk IT Cluster thus expanding the geography of the study of the IT industry both in Lviv and Ivano-Frankivsk. Apart from analyzing the economic effect of the IT industry, IT Research 6.0 studies human capital, the impact of higher education, COVID-19 effect on the IT industry and more.

Source: The UKRAINE Network

Cooperation Highlight: DAAD-funded German-Ukrainian research and development project VRscan3D

On 23. November 2021

The objective of this project (2019-2023) is to develop a software tool for creating simulated mass data of objects that are recorded by a terrestrial laser scanner. These instruments create 3D point clouds from different stations which further have to be registered (geo-referenced) and processed to higher level information such as 3D models, architectural drawings, orthophotos or maps.

This project is led by Prof. Dr.-Ing. habil. Dr. h.c. Thomas Luhmann, member of the German-Ukrainian Academic Society.

Project is financed under DAAD program Support for the internationalisation of Ukrainian higher education institutions – shaping the digital future together. The project is funded with approx. EUR 100,000 per year. The project has recently been extended until 2023. Here you can also see other projects funded within this funding line by the DAAD.

Ukrainian universities teaching courses related to digitization in engineering practice (e.g. geoinformation sciences, cadastral mapping, geodesy) should educate their students according to modern needs and demands from the professional market. However, there is a lack of knowledge among many teachers, out of-date equipment (hardware and software), insufficient IT infrastructure and insufficient finances for necessary investments. University curricula in Ukraine need to be updated to accommodate these new technologies. For this purpose, appropriate tools and data have to be provided, otherwise neither teachers nor students have realistic chances to adapt to new methods in due time, and they will not be able to contribute to further developments by themselves.

The main goals of this project is to cover engineering digitization by two major project parts:

Development of a virtual environment for creation and processing of digital 3D scan data
Digital teaching and e-learning material with interactive tools and practical experiences

Digital teaching and e-learning material with interactive tools and practical experiences

Project partners:

Jade University of Applied Sciences, The Institute for Applied Photogrammetry and Geoinformatics (IAPG), Oldenburg, Germany
Kyiv National University for Construction and Architecture (KNUCA), Faculty for Geodesy and Land Management, Ukraine
Dnipro University of Technology, Ukraine
University of Bamberg, Institute of Archaeology, Heritage Sciences and Art History, Germany.

This collaborative project further advances the existing fruitful cooperation between the Jade University of Applied Sciences and the KNUCA. Since 2015 Jade University of Applied Sciences supports the annual student-exchange Oldenburg-Kyiv on topic “Photogrammetry and laser scanning for the acquisition and 3D modelling of complex objects”.

Source: The UKRAINE Network

Ukraine joins Horizon Europe and Euratom Research and Training Programme

On 23. November 2021