#StandWithUkraine - Support Offers for Persons Affected by the War in Ukraine

TU Berlin condemns Russia's military attack on Ukraine. It is counter to international law and has already caused immense suffering. We have close ties with the country through our scientific cooperations and our thoughts are with our colleagues there as well as the people of Ukraine.

Offers for refugee prospective students

Advising and In(2)TU Berlin program for guest students

Academic Advising is the first port of call at TU Berlin for refugee students and prospective students from Ukraine. The Academic Advising team offers a comprehensive service tailored to the individual situations of those seeking assistance. It also coordinates and provides information about the In(2)TU Berlin guest student program for anyone forced to flee their country of residence looking to start a degree program or resume their studies here.

Find out more about Academic Advising's offers for students.
Find out more about In(2)TU Berlin.

In(2)TU Berlin

in2@tu-berlin.de

Organization name Academic Advising Service

Language courses

The Center for Modern Languages offers German and English courses free of charge as part of the INTEGRA ("Integration of Refugees in Higher Education") program funded by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD).

Career Service - (M)INT2WORK

Seminars, workshops, and advising offers are also provided by the TU Berlin Career Service  as part of the (M)INT2WORK project. These offers are designed to help international and refugee students make a successful start to their working lives and plan their future careers.

Find out more about (M)INT2WORK.

Bridge IT / Bridge Academia

Bridging offers are available to researchers who have had to flee a crisis region and are looking to enter the job market or start a doctoral program.

The Bridge IT program is targeted towards graduates of computer science master’s programs or neighboring disciplines, while Bridge Academia supports researchers in all subject areas. These programs are open to all researchers who have fled Ukraine, regardless of their nationality.

You can receive expert guidance about preparing and conducting your doctoral research, attend information sessions, and learn about available German courses. There are also special advising and coaching offers for entering the job market in Germany.

Bridge IT / Bridge Academia

tnb.international@tu-berlin.de

Organization name Transnational Education and International Knowledge Transfer

Offers for students at TU Berlin

Advising

Students from Ukraine, Russia, and Belarus at TU Berlin who have been affected by the war can contact the following advising services:

Financial support

TU Berlin can provide smaller sums to assist with urgent needs directly related to studies (e.g. semester contributions for enrollment and re-registration as well as expenses for excursions and teaching material) for students previously studying in Ukraine who can demonstrate that they are experiencing financial difficulties as a result of the war there. To apply for funds, please send an email to fred.mengering(at)tu-berlin.de together with your certificate of enrollment, a copy of your passport (third country nationals should also include a copy of their Ukrainian residence permit) as well as copies of your bank statements for the last three months.

Prospective students from Ukraine who are applying to a TU Berlin degree program can request reimbursement of expenses related to their application (e.g. Uni-Assist fees or required language tests). To apply for funds, please send an email to in2(at)tu-berlin.de together with all relevant receipts, a copy of your passport (third country nationals should also include a copy of their Ukrainian residence permit) as well as copies of your bank statements for the last three months.

Students at TU Berlin’s Preparatory School are also eligible to receive funds. Please submit an email to klausa(at)tu-berlin.de with the documents listed above.

Offers for researchers

TU Berlin is offering unpaid places as visiting scholars for researchers who have fled to Berlin from Ukraine. Please note that visiting scholars need to find an academic chair or research group at TU Berlin who will accept them. International Scientific Cooperation can assist with this and also offers a match-making service for doctoral candidates to help them apply for doctoral positions at TU Berlin.

The Cluster of Excellence Science of Intelligence (SCIoI) has also launched a fellowship program and supports Ukrainian scientists in continuing their scientific work in Germany. 

Department of International Affairs

ukraine@tu-berlin.de

Finding and posting accommodation

TU Berlin operates its own apartment search service where Ukrainian refugees can post their housing requests and TU members can offer accommodation for students and researchers from Ukraine.

Post a housing request - Ukrainian refugee students and researchers

Post a housing offer - TU Berlin members

"Berlin-Ukraine" aid fund

TU Berlin has set up a "Berlin-Ukraine" aid fund to provide direct financial support for Ukrainian researchers and students. We kindly ask you to donate to this fund.

With the aid fund, TU Berlin wants to create the possibility to provide direct assistance for researchers and students. We cannot abandon our fellow researchers and students at universities and institutions in Ukraine. They need our help in the form of bridge money and other payments to provide support.

Thank you for your commitment

Donations total around 90,000 euros to date. Contributions have been received from members of the University, other private individuals, businesses, and foundations. We would like to sincerely thank the donors for their commitment

Transfer your donations to

  • Technische Universität Berlin
     
  • IBAN: DE69 1009 0000 8841 0150 03
     
  • BIC: BEVODEBB
     
  • Name of bank: Berliner Volksbank
     
  • As reference please enter: PSP-Element 1-9201106 Spende

If you would like a certificate of donation, please include the following details when making your transfer: First name, last name, postal address or email address. Donation receipts (donation certificates) are not issued for cash donations of up to 200 euros. A cash deposit receipt or a booking confirmation from the bank is sufficient for submission to the tax office.

Where does my donation go?

Donations will be transferred directly to an account set up by the University from which payments will be made to provide bridge money and scholarships for Ukrainian researchers and students. Students and applicants can also request reimbursement for urgent needs directly related to studies.

If you have any questions, please contact staff at TU Berlin's Department of International Affairs at ukraine(at)tu-berlin.de.

Serious sources of information and fact check

The TU Berlin University Library team has put together serious and independent sources of information on the situation in Ukraine and would like to use this overview to counter misinformation and disinformation as well as provide you with reliable sources of information.

TU Berlin University Library information website

Further information

12.04.2022 - Regulation regarding research cooperation with Russia

TU Berlin has suspended all research cooperation with Russia in response to Russia's attack on Ukraine in violation of international law (statement 27.2.2022). In response to requests for clarification, the Executive Board has decided on the following regulations: Researchers currently employed at Russian universities or research institutions may not be invited as visiting scholars to TU Berlin. The Executive Board will decide on any exceptions by application. Any publications with Russian partners already in preparation may be published. The Executive Board requests you to refrain from any new publications

27.02.2022 - Information letter from the Executive Board: TU Berlin suspends its cooperations with Russia and sets up a Berlin-Ukraine aid fund

To

  • All staff
  • All students
     

Subject:
TU Berlin suspends all cooperations with Russia / TU Berlin-Ukraine aid fund / Call for solidarity

Dear TU Berlin Members,

We are writing to you today in response to an extraordinary situation.

We have all witnessed the events of the past days in Ukraine with horror. Russia's military attack on Ukraine is counter to international law and has already caused immense suffering. It also threatens to place a strain on the peaceful order of Europe for a long time to come. Our sympathy goes out to the people in Ukraine and everyone affected by the war and its impacts, and in particular staff and students at the country’s universities.

Against the background of the war, we as the Executive Board took the decision in an extraordinary session on 25 February 2022 to suspend our many long-standing and intensive cooperations with Russia. All activities with Russia – including at institutional and strategic level – are suspended until further notice. No new projects will be initiated.

Specifically affected are our strategic partnership with the Peter the Great St Petersburg Polytechnic University as well as the joint PhD and double degree programs with Russian universities.

TU Berlin is also suspending all research cooperation with Russian partners until further notice. This includes suspending all financial transfers with Russian research institutions as well as the transfer of usage rights and other rights to research findings arising from the now suspended cooperations.

In taking these measures, the University is following the recommendations of the German Academic Exchange Service and the Alliance of Science Organisations in Germany. Other institutions including Freie Universität Berlin have also taken these steps.

Help and advising for TU Berlin

We will provide assistance for researchers and students from Ukraine. This applies to researchers and teachers at TU Berlin requiring assistance as well as those in Ukraine who need support. To achieve this, the University will develop its existing programs for refugees and is also currently setting up a Berlin-Ukraine aid fund.

Students and doctoral candidates enrolled in joint PhD and double degree programs can continue to study for a qualification awarded by TU Berlin.

Students who are in Russia at this time can complete their courses as planned, as far as the security situation permits. TU Berlin will also support students wishing to break off their stay.

The Department of International Affairs provides advice for TU Berlin students currently in Russia or Ukraine or enrolled in affected programs at the University.

We ask all colleagues to pay close attention to the context in which their individual research activities take place and how research findings and data can be used. The Department of International Affairs and Department V - Research and Technology Transfer can provide advice.

Members of TU Berlin with active cooperations with Russia supported by third-party funding should contact the relevant funding organization. The DAAD has already decided on a comprehensive suspension of cooperations and it is likely that other German funding agencies will follow suit.

We further strongly advise against making official trips to Russia, as it is not possible to guarantee safety.

The DAAD has issued a recommendation to leave Russia and anyone receiving funding from the DAAD can apply for a refund of all related costs. This is something TU Berlin also offers its members.

If you have any questions or require advice, please contact the Department of International Affairs: Dr. Ulrike Hillemann-Delaney, email: hillemann-delaney(at)tu-berlin.de

Call for solidarity

We condemn all acts of war and are deeply moved by the suffering of those affected. Now is above all the time to demonstrate the solidarity and humanity on which Europe and our system of values are based. The Executive Board at TU Berlin calls on all the University's members to become actively involved, and provide help and demonstrate solidarity with those affected by events. There are no winners in war, only losers. The people suffering in both countries deserve our compassion.  

Other activities

We are planning further activities in the coming days and are in discussions with our partner universities in Berlin, the Einstein Foundation, and the State of Berlin.

We are also in contact with third-party funding organizations and addressing the public.

Sincerely,

Professor Dr. Christian Thomsen, President
Professor Dr.-Ing. Christine Ahrend, Vice President
Professor Dr. Hans-Ulrich Heiß, Vice President
Prof. Dr. Ulf Schrader Vice President
Lars Oeverdieck, Vice President for Administration

27.02.2022 - Press release "TU Berlin Suspends All Cooperations with Russia and Establishes Aid Fund"

At an extraordinary meeting on 25 February 2022, the Executive Board of Technische Universität Berlin decided to suspend its many longstanding and intensive cooperations with Russia with immediate effect. All activities with Russia – including at institutional and strategic level – are suspended until further notice. No new projects will be initiated.

Specifically affected are our strategic partnership with the Peter the Great St Petersburg Polytechnic University as well as joint PhD and double degree programs with Russian universities.

TU Berlin is also suspending all research cooperation with Russian partners until further notice. This means that no money will be paid by the University to Russian research institutions. Furthermore, TU Berlin will not transfer any rights to use research findings.

In taking these measures, the University is following the recommendations of the German Academic Exchange Service and the Alliance of Science Organisations in Germany.

Full version of the press release

24.02.2022 - Statement from the former President of Technische Universität Berlin Following Russia's Military Attack on Ukraine

Professor Christian Thomsen's statement in full

"We condemn Russia's military attack on Ukraine. We have close ties with the country through our scientific cooperations and our thoughts are with our colleagues there as well as the people of Ukraine on this terrible day. We believe in dialogue, peaceful debate, and the competition for the best ideas - these are the values we base our actions on as a university. International scientific cooperation is essential to find solutions to the issues facing science and society, to enable the best minds to work together, and to promote cultural exchange. This is something we want to preserve. War threatens all of this, and can never be the solution."