28 February 2022

The Dutch universities are shocked by the Russian invasion of Ukraine and empathise with all those affected by this act of aggression. Leiden University also calls for solidarity with and support for all those affected by the war.

In a joint statement, the Universities of the Netherlands express their horror at the war: 

'We are deeply concerned about the ramifications for the Ukrainian universities and the academic community. We wish to express our solidarity with students and staff in Ukraine, and we embrace those in the academic communities in Russia who are speaking out against the invasion while courageously continuing to dedicate themselves to peace, dialogue and open cooperation.'

Leiden University is also committed to supporting students and staff who are directly or indirectly affected by this situation. We recognise that Ukrainian and Russian staff and students in the Netherlands are experiencing uncertainty, and we intend to do everything we can to assist them as effectively as possible. We will do our best to help those affected and encourage anyone who is in need of support to contact a student adviser, study coordinator or supervisor.

The Dutch universities will also explore possibilities for offering help to academics in Ukraine: 'As universities, we have a responsibility to use our research and education programmes to contribute to a better world and to dedicate ourselves to the goals of peace, respect and liberty, as well as academic freedom.'