At the Aurora 2022 Spring Biannual in Innsbruck, Aurora President Jón Atli Benediktsson and Rector of the University of Innsbruck, Tilmann Märk, presented a cheque of €51,000 to Rector Tetyana Kaganovska of the National V.N. Karazin University Kharkiv, an Aurora Alliance associate member, in support of her university during these difficult times, to help fund the purchase of equipment that will allow university staff to continue teaching remotely, as means to show resistance during this war. Rector Tetyana Kaganovska gave a moving speech on how her university and city are navigating this new reality and focused on what is needed to continue education remotely in Ukraine.
The University of Kharkiv is an Associate Partner of the Aurora European University as part of the Aurora Capacity Development Support Programme, which drives cooperation between the Aurora members and Central and Eastern European universities. From the start of the war in Ukraine, Aurora universities have been offering its assistance, both directly to staff and students, as well as through financial support.
Many university buildings of Karazin Kharkiv University have been bombed and destroyed by the Russian military. Ukrainian professors and students are continuing their education in basements and bunkers under dire circumstances. In her statement, Rector Kaganovska shared:
“At the moment, we are living through the most difficult moments since Ukrainian independence. I come as a witness to the war, the killings and the displacement of my co-workers and students. In moments like these, I feel especially honoured to be able to personally represent our Kharkiv Karazin University community from eastern Ukraine.”
The workaround for the acute aid for Karazin Kharkiv University is led by Palacký University Olomouc and supported by the Aurora Central Office in Amsterdam. People from Kharkiv who have fled Ukraine are now able to work in Olomouc.
In her press statement, Rector Kaganovska shared that.
“Our University is a consolidated team of 28,000 employees and students, proud of their educational institution’s 217-year history. According to the QS rating, we are the best Ukrainian university, the country’s powerhouse of educational and scientific resources. The University is the heart of Kharkiv, and it remains in Kharkiv, despite the city’s being shelled and numerous attempts of siege lasting for 77 days. We were able to shelter the University’s staff and students as best we could and launched the educational process remotely on the 33rd day of the war.”
If you are interested in supporting Karazin Kharkiv University, please check out the links below:
- Donating funds to Karazin Kharkiv University is still possible and can be done here.
- Support Programme and Aurora’s actions to aid Karazin Kharkiv National University.
- Read the full press statement by Tetyana Kaganovska, President of V.N Karazin Kharkiv University, on the occasion of her participation in the Aurora Biannual Spring Meeting 2022 Innsbruck.
