The Czech Academy of Sciences categorically condemns the acts of aggression by the Russian Federation against the territorial integrity and political order of Ukraine, which culminated during the early hours of 24 February 2022 in the invasion of the country. The Academy has decided to offer support in the form of fellowships, employment, and accommodation to university students, postdoctoral researchers, and scientists from Ukraine. The following text is an overview of some of these acts of support, linking to our web portal Help for Ukraine.
“Scientists and scholars cannot remain silent in the face of a war conflict on the territory of Europe. We stand on the side of respect for human rights, freedoms, and democracy. We express our full support and are ready to lend a helping hand to our colleagues in Ukraine,” said Eva Zažímalová, President of the Czech Academy of Sciences, on 25 February 2022 in reaction to the invasion of Ukraine.
“We are therefore addressing academics and university students from Ukraine and other countries threatened by the war conflict through a new programme of international cooperation that is currently being finalised. Similar programmes are also being prepared by the individual institutes of the Czech Academy of Sciences,” said David Honys, member of the Academic Council of the CAS, who coordinates the international cooperation of the Czech Academy of Sciences.
The Czech Academy of Sciences is currently cooperating with the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine (NASU), established in 1918, on six projects, including a study on the virus resistance of potato transgenic plants (with the Institute of Experimental Botany of the CAS), research on organic matter in the coastal soils of Antarctica (Biology Centre of the CAS) or polymer composites for welding and 3D printing (the Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry of the CAS).
Read the statement in Ukrainian here: Академія наук Чехії підтримує науковців в Україні