Competence Network Interdisciplinary Ukrainian Studies Frankfurt (Oder) – Berlin (KIU)

About

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The KIU competence network is a four-year DAAD-funded project to strengthen Ukraine-related research, teaching, networking and transfer activities. The competence network, initiated and led by the European University Viadrina, includes the ZOiS, the Humboldt Universität zu Berlin, the Freie Universität Berlin, the Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences and Humanities and the Wissenschaftskolleg Berlin.

KIU – Competence Network for Interdisciplinary Ukraine Studies Frankfurt (Oder)-Berlin and the “Denkraum Ukraine” Regensburg, led by the European University Viadrina, are the two Ukraine Centers in Germany funded by the DAAD (German Academic Exchange Service). Together, they are working on building Ukraine-related academic research and teaching, disseminating Ukraine expertise in politics, academia, media, and civil society, as well as promoting a Europe-wide dialogue with Ukraine.

 

KIU – Competence Network Interdisciplinary Ukraine Studies

Frankfurt (Oder)-Berlin

News

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New publication: ‘Why the bias within Ukraine towards forced emigrants in the EU is debatable and risky’ - Taras Romashchenko

The Russian aggression forced millions of Ukrainians to flee their homes in search of safety outside Ukraine. Europe took most of the refugees – 6.3 million out of almost 7 million recorded globally. In this context, the return of millions of refugees to Ukraine will largely determine its socio-economic recovery in the post-war era. However, re-emigration en masse may be challenged due to the growing tension within Ukrainian society with those in Ukraine making intolerant remarks about compatriots abroad. Hence, the article points to media examples of bias towards Ukrainian forced migrants on the part of the general public and authorities. It is argued that such attitudes are often groundless and may also have adverse implications for the future return of Ukrainian refugees and upcoming reconstruction of the war-torn country. It is emphasised that the government should mitigate such tension between Ukrainians in and outside Ukraine by all available means. Otherwise, millions of Ukrainians may remain in exile even after the end of hostilities.

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ZOiS Spotlight: ‘The Impact of Wartime Trauma on Political Attitudes in Ukraine’ - Maksym Obrizan

Survey data reveal that Ukrainians who have suffered personal losses and severe hardship in the war with Russia are more likely to support military solutions, while those who have experienced less intense disruptions are more open to diplomatic pathways to returning Ukraine’s occupied territories.

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Eurasianism and Ukrainian Emigré Scholarship (1920s-30s) - Alexander Dmitriev

6 p.m. - 8 p.m., Institut für Slawistik und Hungarologie, Dorotheenstraße 65, Raum 5.57 // On Wednesday, June 11, KIU research fellow Alexander Dmitriev talks about his research topics at our KIU network partner university Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin. This study is devoted to the history of Ukrainian émigré scholarship and to the history of discussions about the specifics and independent development of Ukrainian science and culture, as well as a contribution to the history of interwar Russian Eurasianism (in four articles from 1927–1932). The main figures in this controversy were the Russian linguist Nikolai Trubetzkoy (1890–1938), the founder of Eurasianism, and the Ukrainian historian Dmytro Doroshenko (1882–1951). Dmitiriev tries to outline the historical context of the controversy, its main ideas and roots, and its key protagonists. The final part of the lecture illustrates the second life of the polemic and highlights its continued relevance today.

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KIU Lunch Lectures Return: ‘Erasing Voices: Language Suppression and Identity Politics in Russian-Occupied Ukraine’ - Liudmyla Pidkuimukha

1 p.m. – 2 p.m. GD 206 // This study examines the systematic erasure of language and identity in the occupied territories of Ukraine as a tool of colonial domination. Using qualitative content analysis, the research draws on official reports, media sources, and testimonies documenting Russian policies targeting the Ukrainian linguistic and cultural landscape. The data include cases of forced Russification in education, media, and public spaces, the destruction of Ukrainian books and libraries, and the removal of Ukrainian-language signage and memorials. The findings reveal a systematic effort to eradicate Ukrainian identity through linguistic suppression, aligning with historical patterns of imperial domination. Cultural erasure is further reinforced through the promotion of Russian historical narratives and the suppression of Ukrainian heritage. This research situates these practices within the broader framework of coloniality and linguicide, highlighting the role of language as both a site of resistance and a target of oppression. // Save the dates: our next Lunch Lectures will take place on 25 June and 9 July at the same location.

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Official Opening of the KIU Graduate Program in Ukrainian Studies – You’re Invited!

Entitled ‘Resilience, restoration and transformation: Ukraine in a world of turmoil’, this structured three-year PhD programme will host twelve doctoral students conducting research on Ukraine-related topics in the fields of linguistics, history, economics, digital and communication studies, cultural studies, social sciences, and law.With this broad range of research activities it aims to make an important contribution to establishing Ukrainian Studies in Germany. We warmly invite you to the official opening of the KIU graduate programme and would be delighted if you could join us in welcoming our twelve doctoral students. The event will take place on 16 June 2025 at 6:00 p.m. in the Logensaal of the European University Viadrina. We kindly ask you to register by 13 June 2025 by sending an email to kiu@europa-uni.de.

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New KIUrious interview online: Kakhovka - two years on

Two years ago, on 6 June 2023, the Kakhovka Dam in southern Ukraine was destroyed. Two years on, the consequences of the disaster along the Dnipro River are still being felt. Environmental philosopher and KIU alumna Dr Tetiana Gardashuk discusses the challenges of reconstruction, the use of water as a weapon of war, and approaches to shaping a sustainable future for the region. Interview conducted in German.

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Call for Applications: KIU Research Fellowships on Interdisciplinary Ukrainian Studies

The KIU Research Fellowship supports outstanding, interdisciplinary research related to 🇺🇦 Ukraine. Scholars from fields such as history, the social sciences, science andtechnology studies, economics, media and legal studies, cultural and conflict studies, and related areas are invited to deepen their projects, expand academic networks, andcontribute to a dynamic Ukraine-focused research environment. For the winter term 2025 we are offering on-site fellowships for committed scientists from all the above-mentioned disciplines. Research topics should be related to our umbrella topic: ‘Infrastructural Fragmentation, Infrastructural Resilience: InterdisciplinaryPerspectives on Techno-Politics and Crisis’. Applications are accepted until 25 June 2025. // Photo: Aftermath of Russian drone attack in Odesa on 08.03.2025.

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KIU welcomes nine international researchers as our fellows

In May, researchers from Estonia, Lithuania, the United States, France, and Ukraine arrived in Frankfurt (Oder); they form the second cohort of the KIU Fellowship Programme. Within the framework of this semester’s theme, ‘Ukraine in Europe’, they are conducting research from legal, historical, political science, and philosophical perspectives, among others. Click on this news item to find an overview of the researchers and their work.

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Fellowships and Programmes

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Fellowships

The KIU Research Fellowship in Interdisciplinary Ukrainian Studies supports innovative and significant research on topics related to Ukraine.

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Programmes

The KIU Competence Network Interdisciplinary Ukrainian Studies Frankfurt (Oder) – Berlin offers various programmes. Among them is its first Summer School on "War in Ukraine: Destruction of heritage – mastering legacy".

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Partners

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