As an international community, with staff and students from across the world, we condemn the invasion and war in Ukraine. We stand with Ukraine and its people and offer our unqualified support and solidarity.
Anyone affected is encouraged to make use of our student support and staff support services listed below. Support is also available for those experiencing issues with access to money, concerns about travel and the impact that sanctions on Russia may have on them.
We are looking at how we can offer practical support to individuals that we have begun to identify through our networks who would benefit from the support that the University is able to offer. We have initiated the process of registering the University under the Homes for Ukraine Scheme and are also exploring the Scottish Government’s refugee sponsorship scheme.
Guidance for family members of British nationals, UK settled persons and others to come to, or stay in, the UK under the Ukraine Family Scheme can be found below and further support is available from the Barnardo's free support helpline.
We will continue to review what steps we can take as a community, and with our colleagues across the higher education sector, to demonstrate our condemnation of this war.
Updates to staff
- Fundraiser for students and scholars affected by war in Ukraine - 16 May 2022
- Ukraine: Bilateral agreements, Collaborations with Russian colleagues and Support for Staff - 22 April 2022
- Putin's War against Ukraine - 1 March 2022
Ukraine Family Scheme information
Offer support
- Package of support for students impacted by Ukraine war
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A wide range of additional support including tuition fee waivers, free accommodation and bursaries has been announced for current students and prospective students from Ukraine by the University of Aberdeen on the 27th of April 2022.
The package also includes support for students from Belarus or Russia who have been awarded refugee or asylum seeker status, or who cannot return home safely.
The paper introduces support for:
- students who were resident in Ukraine prior to the conflict;
- Ukrainian nationals;
- students who were resident in Belarus or Russia and have been awarded refugee or asylum-seeker status; and
- current University of Aberdeen students due to graduate in 2022 who are ordinarily resident in Ukraine, Belarus and Russia and cannot safely return home.
This definition ensures that the support outlined below will be available to those escaping the conflict or directly affected by it, as well as our current students from relevant states who cannot safely return home (e.g. because they have spoken out against their government at their own risk).
In outline, the paper provides:
- Fee waivers up to a value of £250,000 for new and returning students from 2022/23 (with some exclusions)
- Free accommodation over the summer and for 2022/23 for degree-seeking students
- Provision of laptops and other technical equipment for new students (by application)
- £50,000 to support £1,000 cash bursaries for new students (automatic for new Ukrainian nationals/residents, and Belarusian and Russian refugees/asylum seekers), and hardship funds for all relevant students (by application)
- RPL for students transferring from universities in the region
- A good faith approach for new students who cannot evidence their qualifications, using a wider range of evidence than would normally be allowed (with some exclusions)
- Adoption of the UNESCO Qualifications Passport for all displaced persons globally (with some exclusions)
Find out more information about the package of support here.
- Support for scholars displaced by war in Ukraine
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Message to staff: 29 March 2022
A small University group has come together to discuss the possibility of providing sponsorship of scholars and their families, displaced by the Russian invasion of Ukraine, with priority given to Ukrainian passport holders.
Earlier this month we expressed our solidarity with Ukraine and now we are looking at how we can offer practical support to individuals that we have begun to identify through our networks who would benefit from the support that the University is able to offer. We have initiated the process of registering the University under the Homes for Ukraine Scheme and are also exploring the Scottish Government’s refugee sponsorship scheme.
The guidance for family members of British nationals, UK settled persons and others to come to or stay in the UK under the Ukraine Family Scheme can be found here.
We are also looking at our own accommodation options to see what might be available for refugees.
Currently our stock of vacant housing is limited and consequently, we are keen to hear from anyone in our community who may be willing to host refugees. Anyone who does want to offer a room in their home should register themselves at this link.
We will offer honorary status to scholars and are investigating whether guest scholarships or fellowships could be an option we can offer. We are also planning to take forward applications to external fellowship and scholarship schemes.
We would like to hear from anyone who is aware of displaced Ukrainian refugees who might benefit from our support. If you can help, please get in touch with Heather Crabb on h.crabb@abdn.ac.uk. If anyone already has direct experience with the Homes for Ukraine scheme we would also encourage you to share your experience.
You may also be getting queries from students who would like to transfer their studies to our University and these queries should be directed to study@abdn.ac.uk.
In addition, we are liaising with Aberdeen City Council over our proposals and have offered our support and that of our students to their own integration plans for the potential arrival of Ukrainians to the area, and may be able to advise individuals that we are not able to accommodate ourselves to enable them to access accommodation from the City Council.
We will keep you updated on our plans as they progress and if you have any other suggestions for what we can do to help please do get in touch.
Best wishes
Karl
- Other ways to help
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- For staff and students who wish to help, there are dedicated appeals from charities including:
- Polish charity OHN Woman is being supported by local charity AberNecessities and more information about donating items, collections points and volunteering can be found here.
- The Lord Provost’s Charitable Trust have launched an appeal for people to help with the Ukraine crisis. Monetary donations are being sought and the money will be used to distribute to local charities which are assisting in humanitarian aid to Ukrainian residents and refugees. People can donate through the JustGiving page.
Support for staff and students
We would like to hear from anyone who is aware of displaced Ukrainian refugees who might benefit from our support. If you can help, please get in touch with Heather Crabb on h.crabb@abdn.ac.uk.
If you have received queries from students who would like to transfer their studies to our University, please direct these to study@abdn.ac.uk.