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The Russian invasion of Ukraine has triggered international condemnation and what risks to be the worst humanitarian crisis on the European continent in 20 years. The European Students’ Union, together with the Global Student Forum and the Ukrainian Association of Students issued a joint statement condemning the invasion, and many ESU member unions published their statements against the war. The response of the European civil society has been a big mobilisation across the frontiers to provide help and support to people fleeing Ukraine and to those remaining in the country.

This tab serves as a collection of various initiatives and methods of assistance developed for the purpose of assisting Ukrainian students throughout Europe in order to ensure their safety. It can be used by both students studying in Ukraine and those interested in providing assistance from anywhere in the world.

If you have any initiatives that you would like to propose or that you have recently discovered, please contact us at ukraine@esu-online.org.

Our goal is to compile a comprehensive list of potential sources of assistance for our fellows

FYI: Because we’ve been gathering initiatives from all over Europe since the war began, some of the links below may be out of date.

HELP FOR UKRAINE

DO YOU NEED OR OFFER HELP? CONTACT OUR HELPDESK!

FOR THE STUDENTS IN UKRAINE ENROLLED IN UNIVERSITIES ABROAD:

We are aware of the situation at the border and are working with the Ukrainian Association of Students and our unions in the rest of Europe to raise the issue at the international level and find a solution as soon as possible.

Is there anything we can do to assist you? Please let us know if there is anything we can do for you. Please contact us if you have any questions or concerns, and please be as detailed as possible. We recently opened a special helpdesk connecting students studying in Ukraine with the European Students’ Union and its member organisations from 40 countries across the continent, so please keep us updated and do not hesitate to contact us.

ukraine@esu-online.org

ARE YOU A STUDENT IN UKRAINE OR DO YOU WISH TO HELP STUDENTS IN THIS COUNTRY?

Are you a student in Ukraine?

  • The European Union has created a hotline (in the 24 EU languages, Ukrainian and Russian) on the aid to Ukraine (more info here). The EU has also compiled a comprehensive information page for people fleeing the war in Ukraine, in the 24 EU languages, Ukrainian and Russian (more info here). 
  • The Ukrainian Association of Students (contact: official@uas.ngo) and our member unions, in the neighbouring countries and beyond, are fully committed in supporting people studying in Ukraine that are still in the country or have crossed the border. Check our members’ list and find which unions can help you! 
  • ESU members and partners are compiling a file with information of help for people fleeing Ukraine, divided per country. The file contains two sheets: ‘Help/Support’ and ‘Transportation’, which includes information on border crossing and once crossed the border. The document is constantly updated: check it regularly!
  • The European Youth Forum has gathered three documents to help students in Ukraine: a document with some  useful links for the population still in Ukraine, which also includes transport links, at the border and outside Ukraine; a list of safety/security tips; a guide for refugees from Ukraine, in Russian, English and Ukrainian.
  • Are you an international student in Ukraine? The Ukrainian government announced the creation of  an emergency hotline for African, Asian and other students wishing to leave Ukraine because of Russia’s invasion. The number is: +380934185684. Furthermore, here you can find a series of contacts for people trying to cross the border, asylum and legal advice in Germany, hosts in Germany and Finland, means of transport, psychological support (document not managed by ESU). The Global Student Forum (GSF) is made of continental student organisations, including from Africa and Latin America. Should you need assistance from the student organisations, look if the union of your country is member of GSF. You can contact GSF at steering.committee@globalstudentforum.org.

Would you like to support Ukrainian students?

  • Look for associations organising donations, giving voluntary help, sending humanitarian aid to Ukraine. In particular, for the organisation of humanitarian help and convoys, get in touch with the Red Cross of your country (here the contacts of the EU Member States’ and Nordic Red Cross offices).
  • Donate: the Ukrainian Association of Students have started a bank account to support the Ukrainian efforts of these moments. UAS is committed to use your funds in accordance with your wish (for instance, donations with the subject ‘Humanitarian aid’ will be used only for humanitarian purposes), based on their best conscience and knowledge of the situation. UAS is ready to provide details of future funds movement to ensure full transparency. More details on how to donate to UAS here. Furthermore, the Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum gathered a series of organisations open for funds, specifying the different aims of these associations: more info here.
  • Join a demonstration: you can see here the demonstrations near you, or you can organise one and register it.
  • Demand that your Ministries and Higher Education Institutions do their part in welcoming and supporting students and academics leaving from Ukraine (and Ukrainian students already abroad) in pursuing their academic life: you can take inspiration from the joint statement by ESU and several European and international youth and Higher Education organisations. Ask ESU and, especially in cases of international students leaving Ukraine, the Global Student Forum to cosign your demands and support you in addressing your institutions/ministries.
  • The Ukrainian Association of Students published an appeal to the Ministries of Higher Education of the European Higher Education Area and to the European organisations in Higher Education. If you share those demands, you can send them to your Ministry. ESU supports the suspension of Russia and Belarus from the European Higher Education Area and demands to cease contact and cooperation with any central government agency of Russia or any other country that actively supports the Russian invasion of Ukraine and to ensure that they only engage in cooperation with organisations and institutions from Russia where these are clearly based on shared European values.
  • The European Union has created a system to provide in-kind donations to Ukraine, Moldova and the neighbouring EU Member States, to help cater for the needs of internally displaced and refugees. The EU will organise and financially cover the delivery of items to its logistical hubs in either Poland, Romania or Slovakia. More info here.
  • The Coimbra Group, which is an association of long-established European universities, has published on its website a page with all initiatives taken from specific institutions in order to help and support Ukrainian students. Check them all here.

We recognize the courage shown by those members of Russian civil society who are engaging in protest against the Russian invasion of Ukraine, in spite of great personal risk and ask all members and consultative members of the EHEA to offer support and protection to members of the Russian higher education community taking a public stance against the invasion. Furthermore, we need to recognise that many Belarusian students are de facto living in exile from their country, and with the rapidly deteriorating situation of civil liberties in Russia, this is going to be the case for Russian students in Europe. We ask the Member States and Higher Education institutions to consider the possibility of extending their visas and study periods in Europe. 

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