Ukraine

Since the Russian invasion in February 2022, the Leopoldina has stood in solidarity with the Ukrainian scientific community and, together with numerous partners, has worked to safeguard the continuity of education, research and innovation. On 25 February 2022, the members of the Alliance of Science Organisations in Germany – including the Leopoldina – condemned Russia’s war against Ukraine and suspended institutional relations with Russia indefinitely.

The Leopoldina remains in continuous dialogue with its Ukrainian partners. Bilateral delegation visits at presidential and ministerial level deepen this cooperation. The Leopoldina also advises its Ukrainian partners on issues relating to reconstruction and modernisation, as well as on the integration of the Ukrainian science system into the European Research Area.

The Leopoldina is also committed to coordinating Ukraine-related activities within Germany: from 2023 to 2025, it chaired the Ukraine Coordination Group of the Alliance of Science Organisations in Germany. In 2025, this role was transferred to the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft. Since 2025, the Leopoldina has represented the Alliance of Science Organisations in Germany in the International Coalition for Science, Research, and Innovation in Ukraine.

The Leopoldina is also involved in the Ukraine Recovery Conferences (URC). On the occasion of URC2024 in Berlin, the Alliance, under the joint leadership of the Leopoldina and the Max Planck Society, published the Handlungskonzept Ukraine, the first roadmap for strengthening Ukraine’s education, research and innovation sector in the short, medium and long term. This marked the first time that the sector was formally included in the official reconstruction agenda.

From 2022 to 2025, the Leopoldina funded the special programme Leopoldina Ukraine Distinguished Fellowship from its own resources in order to support at-risk researchers. In 2024, acting as part of a consortium with six other German partner organisations, it hosted the first conference of the Ukrainian academic diaspora in Europe, with more than 300 participants. In addition, together with the US National Academy of Sciences and the Polish Academy of Sciences, the Leopoldina supports a funding programme for Ukrainian research groups conducting research both in Poland and in Ukraine.