Competence Network Interdisciplinary Ukrainian Studies Frankfurt (Oder) – Berlin (KIU) • European University Viadrina

OPEN CALL | KIU Guest Lectureship 2026/27

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KIU Summer School 2026: Application portal is now open!

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Call for Applications: KIU Research Fellowships - Apply until 7 June 2026!

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KIU Launches: Certificate Programme in Interdisciplinary Ukrainian Studies for Master’s students

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About

The KIU Competence Network is a four-year DAAD-funded project to strengthen Ukraine-related research, teaching, networking and transfer activities. The Competence Network is initiated and managed by the European University Viadrina in Frankfurt (Oder), and includes the Centre for East European and International Studies (ZOiS), the Humboldt University of Berlin, the Free University of Berlin, the Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences and Humanities and the Wissenschaftskolleg Berlin, as well as partner institutions from Ukraine and other European countries.

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News

23. June 2026

‘Greeks of the Azov Region: Historical Perspectives and Contemporary Realities.’ — Svitlana Arabadzhy

Monday, 29.06.2026, 4–6 p.m. | Hybrid format | In this lecture, Dr Svitlana Arabadzhy examines the history of the Greek community in the Azov region from its resettlement from Crimea in the late eighteenth century to the mid-twentieth century. Focusing on Mariupol as the community’s economic and cultural centre, the lecture explores the internal dynamics and external forces that shaped its development and resilience, situating this history within the broader contexts of maritime trade, imperial colonisation, and Soviet social and political transformation. More details...

22. June 2026

Defeating the Enemy through Laughter: Humour as a Strategic Weapon in the Russo-Ukrainian War — Orest Semotiuk

Event language: German | THURSDAY, 25.06.2026, 1 - 2 p.m. | Hybrid format | In this lecture, Dr Orest Semotiuk examines humour as a strategic instrument in the Russo-Ukrainian War. Drawing on selected examples from visual culture and online memes, the lecture explores how humour functions not only as entertainment, but also as a means of identity formation, mobilisation, and political communication, highlighting the ways in which artistic, cultural, and literary motifs are used by both sides in the conflict. More details...

16. June 2026

KIU guest professor Oksana Mikhieieva discusses border politics and everyday life in Ukraine's occupied territories

Hours of waiting at checkpoints, constant checks on papers, fears for sick family members - sociologist Prof Dr Oksana Mikheieva has been researching the everyday lives of people in and from the occupied territories in Ukraine for many years. In the summer semester of 2026, she is teaching at Viadrina as a visiting professor at the KIU - Competence Network Interdisciplinary Ukrainian Studies on this topic and reaching students with her special teaching.

09. June 2026

OPEN CALL | KIU Guest Lectureship Competition 2026/27

Deadline: 5 July 2026 | Fellowship period: 01 October 2026 – 28 February 2027 | The Competence Network Interdisciplinary Ukrainian Studies invites applications for the KIU Guest Lectureship in Ukrainian Studies at the European University Viadrina Frankfurt (Oder). This year’s umbrella topic is: ʼTransitional Justice in Ukraine: Interdisciplinary Perspectives on Accountability, Memory, Democratic Renewal and Reconstructionʼ.

09. June 2026

OPEN CALL | KIU Research Fellowship Competition 2026/27

Deadline: 5 July 2026 | Fellowship period: 01.10. – 31.12.2026 | The Competence Network Interdisciplinary Ukrainian Studies invites applications for 9 on-site research fellowships at the European University Viadrina Frankfurt (Oder) for the winter term 2026/27. Applications are open to postdoctoral researchers and scholars at all career stages after the completion of their doctorate. More details...

09. June 2026

OPEN CALL | KIU Summer School 2026 — Nationalities, Minorities and Identity: (Re)Configuring Ukraine?

Deadline: 01 July 2026 | At this year’s summer school, participants will learn more about communities such as Crimean Tatars, Roma and Sinti, Hungarians, Romanians, Jews, North Azovian Greeks, Urums and Rumeans, and their role in shaping Ukraine’s multilingual and multicultural landscape — especially against the backdrop of Russia’s war of aggression. More details...

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