Press Releases
03.03.2022
University of Tübingen suspends partnerships with Russia
Cooperation at the institutional level frozen - Russian students still welcome
The University of Tübingen is suspending cooperation with Russian universities and research institutions until further notice in response to the war against Ukraine. "We are following the recommendation of the German Alliance of Science Organizations to freeze all cooperation with Russian partners immediately," said the Vice-President for International Affairs, Professor Monique Scheer, on Thursday. Joint research activities are to be stopped, she said, adding that there would be no joint academic conferences in the current situation. Professor Scheer also said that the University of Tübingen would not pursue any new research projects with Russian institutions at this time.
The University will not send any Tübingen students on exchange to Russia in the near future, Scheer said. Work travel to Russia would no longer be approved. "At the same time, the University of Tü-bingen explicitly recognizes that Russian academics and students are not responsible for the war of aggression in Ukraine," she stressed, "On the contrary, numerous researchers have courageously spoken out against this war." Therefore, the University of Tübingen does not seek to block a path to Germany for such people, the Vice-President said. However, Russia's attack on Ukraine demands a clear stance from academics in Germany, Scheer said, "The Ukrainian people are fighting for their freedom, and we must support them by imposing consistent sanctions against state institutions in Russia."
Despite difficult conditions, the University of Tübingen remained a place of exchange and openness, Professor Scheer added. She also clearly stated that "All Russian students, teachers and researchers who are currently already at the University of Tübingen are still welcome here and can of course stay." Russian students would also be accepted and enrolled in the coming summer semester, she said.
Researchers at the University of Tübingen cooperate on a variety of topics with researchers at uni-versities and research institutions in Russia. Among others, academics in the fields of astronomy, geosciences, history, law, mathematics, microbiology, physics and Slavic studies are involved. Fur-thermore, the University of Tübingen has exchange agreements with universities in Moscow and St. Petersburg.
Links:
Statement by the Alliance of Science Organizations in Germany:
https://www.dfg.de/download/pdf/dfg_im_profil/allianz/220225_statement_allianz_ukraine_en.pdf
German Research Foundation press release (in German):
https://www.dfg.de/service/presse/pressemitteilungen/2022/pressemitteilung_nr_01/index.html
Press contact:
University of Tübingen
Public Relations Department
Dr. Karl Guido Rijkhoek
Director
+ 49 7071 29-76788
karl.rijkhoek@uni-tuebingen.de
www.uni-tuebingen.de/aktuell