We condemn the war of aggression on the Ukraine and the associated breach of international law on the part of the Russian and Belarusian governments. We fully support the sanctions imposed by the German government and its international partners. Many of our employees and we ourselves are affected, sometimes directly because families or friends live in combat zones; others have work or personal ties to Ukraine or Russia. People from around 60 nations, including Ukraine and Russia, have been working together excellently and collegially at the GFZ for many years. Our research and joint projects aim to solve urgent challenges for humanity: safety from natural hazards, adaptation to climate change, resources for a sustainable future - this is work that advances peace and stability.

Research depends on international exchange and peaceful cooperation. The Russian government has ordered the invasion of a neighbouring country and engulfed Ukraine in war. People have to flee because of this, people are dying. Free exchange is no longer possible. We therefore cannot continue to work on joint projects with partners from Russia as before. We have immediately stopped all cooperation with Russian state agencies and cancelled dialogue formats. Our hope is that it will be possible to cooperate with our colleagues in Russia again in the future.

We are in solidarity with the people in Ukraine and call for solidarity and support for the Ukrainian people.

On these pages we provide links and documents that might be useful for (geo)scientists from Ukraine and those who support them. Many of the links are also useful for refugees from other war-affected countries and politically persecuted researchers.

Are you a geoscientist and need further help or advice on professional matters? Please contact Dr. Ludwig Stroink.
 

Selected links and statements (will be updated regularly)

• Help homepage for refugees on the part of the Federal Government, which offers a lot of information in German, Ukrainian, Russian and English (germany4ukraine.de)
• BMBF homepage with information for refugees from Ukraine - BMBF in German, Ukrainian, Russian and English on school, training, study, work and recognition of foreign vocational qualifications in Germany
• Statement of the Federal Ministry of Education and Research of 17 March 2022 (German only)
• Very useful information on all programmes available in Europe on the topic of "Researchers at Risk" (PDF 4,3 MB)
• Support offers of the Helmholtz Association
• For scholars at risk from Ukraine the DAAD (German Academic Exchange Service) provides following funding information at https://www.daad-ukraine.org/de/
• Support options from various players in the science system: e.g. Volkswagen Foundation and Alexander von Humboldt Foundation
• Information on oncological care and support services for refugee cancer patients (multilingual information service of the DKFZ)
• Letter from the BMBF regarding BAföG in the context of the war in Ukraine (PDF 174 KB │German only)
• Federal Ministry of the Interior and Home Affairs (BMI): Questions and answers on entering Ukraine
• Transitional Ordinance of the BMI: Ordinance on the Temporary Exemption from the Requirement of a Residence Permit for Persons Entering Ukraine on the Occasion of the War in Ukraine (German only)
• FAQ pages of the MSGIV (Ministry of Social Affairs, Health, Integration and Consumer Protection) and the MIK (Ministry of the Interior and for Local Affairs Brandenburg)
• Unbureaucratic assistance for refugees (Kultusministerkonferenz)
• Important information on the effects of Russia's attack on Ukraine (DAAD)
• Donation Guide of the German Central Institute for Social Issues (DZI) (PDF 137 KB │ German only)