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 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.

KIU – Competence Network Interdisciplinary Ukrainian Studies

Frankfurt (Oder)-Berlin

News

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‘The German Minority in Ukraine: History, Identity and Challenges in Times of War’ — Volodymyr Leysle

Monday, 06.07.2026, 4–6 p.m. | Hybrid format | In this lecture, Volodymyr Leysle traces the history of the German minority in Ukraine from the eighteenth century to the present day. The lecture explores the community’s economic, cultural, and social contributions, as well as experiences of repression, deportation, forced labour, and displacement. Drawing on historical memory, cultural heritage, language preservation, and contemporary community life, it also examines the impact of Russia’s full-scale invasion on ethnic Germans in Ukraine and Germany. The lecture will further present findings from the first nationwide sociological survey of the German minority in independent Ukraine, offering insights into identity, language, cultural affiliation, and self-perception. More details...

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From Deadlock to Dialogue: A New Phase in Hungarian–Ukrainian Relations?

After years of tensions over the rights of the Hungarian minority in the southwestern Ukrainian region of Transcarpathia, Budapest and Kyiv reached an agreement in early June. Shortly afterwards, the European Union opened the first accession negotiation cluster with Ukraine. In this interview, KIU Fellow Katalin Kovály explains the background to the long-running dispute, what exactly was agreed, and what it could mean for bilateral relations between the two countries.

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‘Is there a Jewish Narrative of the Russian Invasion of Ukraine, 2022-2026?’ — Anna Shternshis

Wednesday, 01.07.2026, 4–6 p.m. | GD 305 | Hybrid format | Based on in-depth interviews with Ukrainian Jews both within and outside Ukraine, the presentation examines whether being Jewish affected how people experienced the invasion. Anna Shternshis is the J. Richard and Dorothy Shiff Chair in Jewish Studies and director of the Anne Tanenbaum Centre for Jewish Studies at the University of Toronto. More details...

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OPEN CALL | KIU Guest Lectureship Competition 2026/27

Deadline Extended: 12 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.

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OPEN CALL | KIU Research Fellowship Competition 2026/27

Deadline Extended: 12 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...

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

Deadline Extended: 07 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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Fellowships and Study

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Research

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