Assistance compass: Support and assistance for students and scientists affected by the war in Ukraine

Donating

Although funding programs have been set up at short notice (see below under "Academic funding programs"), demand will be very high and they will need time to take effect. We have set up an account for donations to bridge funding gaps for refugee students and academics from Ukraine and Russia:

IBAN: DE42 7005 0000 0001 2792 76
BIC: BYLADEMMXXX
Reference: 0002.0177.4240, Spende Überbrückungsstip. Ukraine-Krieg

Every euro counts and will be greatly appreciated!

You can get a receipt for any donation of € 300 or more. If you would like a receipt, please email annette.hecht@ur.de, including your name and address.

Housing

We are urgently searching for free or cheap accommodation for refugee students and academics. If you are able to help, even if only temporarily, please contact the university's Welcome Center (email: accommodation.welcome-center@ur.de telephone +49 941 943 5862 or 5970)

Assisting refugee colleagues to work here

Many members of our university have been asked for help in enabling refugee academics to come to UR for research or work at UR.

If someone has contacted you, please put them in touch with  colleagues in the respective departments who have matching research interests and who can give them information about programs that might support them. You can find contact information below, under "Academic funding programs". The contacts listed there will be happy to support you and give advice on applications.

Job opportunities for researchers from Ukraine

If you would like to offer a job to researchers from Ukraine, you may publish your job vacancy at https://www.euraxess.de/ukraine free of charge.

EURAXESS – Researchers in Motion is an initiative of the European Commission which is currently comprised of 40 European countries. It aims at facilitating the scientific mobility of researchers in Europe.

EURAXESS Germany – the National Coordination Point at the DLR Project Management Agency is funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research. It provides information and assistance to internationally mobile researchers moving to Germany or to other countries to work in research.

Job opportunities for student and research assistants

You can also use personnel funds to employ students from Ukraine or Russia as assistants (studentische Hilfskraft or wissenschaftliche Hilfskräft).

Students at UR

If you are interested in studying at UR, the International Office is your point of contact. The International Office is working with the German as a Foreign Language department of the Center of Language and Communication (ZSK) to prepare language courses for the upcoming summer semester.

We will be happy to speak to you in person, online or on the telephone and discuss the options you have for studying at UR.

⇒ detailed information from the IO on the current situation

Research at UR

The Welcome Center team will be glad to support you if you want to come to UR as a researcher . We can offer to help you find accommodation, deal with issues concerning immigration law and the formalities of life in Regensburg, find German language courses, and help you settle in. We can discuss your individual situation and let you know about possible sources of aid and support.

Contact: info.welcome-center@ur.de
⇒ detailed information from the IO on the current situation

Information on residency rules in Germany

The EU Commission and its member states have passed new rules on residency for refugees. The "Temporary Protection Directive" has been activated for a year and will be automatically extended for a further six months unless it is purposely annulled.

The directive applies for Ukrainians who have fled since February 24, 2020, due to the Russian assault and for persons with other nationalities or stateless persons who were living legally in Ukraine and are not able to return to their country of origin. It also applies to entry of family members of the first two groups.

This directive ensures that people from Ukraine do not need a visa to enter a country in the European Union, only a biometric passport. They have permission to reside in Germany in accordance with § 24 of the law on residence (Aufenthaltsgesetz).

The Federal Ministry of the Interior and Community has announced that this permission is also valid for studying in Germany.

The ministry has issued an ordinance which temporarily exempts persons displaced from Ukraine and staying in Germany from the requirement to hold a residence permit.

MSCA4Ukraine -new European Union scheme to support researchers from Ukraine

MSCA4Ukraine is a new European Union scheme that offers dedicated fellowships to support researchers from Ukraine. The fellowships will enable them to continue their work at academic and non-academic organisations in EU member states and Horizon Europe associated countries, while maintaining their connections to research and innovation communities in Ukraine.

A call for fellowship applications with more detailed information on application requirements such as eligibility, evaluation and selection criteria will be published in the second half of September 2022. Applications must be submitted by prospective host organisations, together with a researcher from Ukraine.

• Information for applicants, including eligibility criteria for host organisations and researchers is available on the MSCA4Ukraine website.
• A list of frequently asked questions (FAQs) is available on the MSCA4Ukraine website. If you do not find a response to your query in either the preliminary information for applicants or in the regularly updated FAQ section of our website, we invite you to submit your query here, and a member of our team will respond as soon as possible.
• To stay informed, please sign up to the MSCA4Ukraine mailing list here.

Contact at UR: Referat Forschungsförderung und Drittmittelprojekte: stefanie.rumm@ur.de, eva.birner@ur.de (Tel. 943-5535/5509

DAAD

The German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) is making their existing programs more flexible for students and academics from Ukraine, for example by lengthening the term of scholarships, and enabling former scholarship holders to be re-invited to Germany.

In addition, funds from projects supported by the DAAD, such as Eastern Partnerships can be used flexibly to support students and academics from Ukraine.

The programs Integra and Welcome, which support refugee students who, have also been made available again.

The International Office is working with the German as a Foreign Language department to prepare a range of language courses for the upcoming summer semester.
They are also setting up a program to mentor and guide students who have been displaced from Ukraine.

The DAAD is restricting its academic exchange activities with Russia, but is maintaining access channels to Germany. The following activities are currently suspended:

The realization of DAAD-funded stays by German students, lecturers and researchers at Russian higher education institutions;
Joint events between German and Russian institutes of higher education;
Joint activities with and direct funding of Russian academic institutions by the DAAD.

The DAAD scholarship programs for students and researchers from Russia, however, is being continued. Russian DAAD scholarship holders who are already in Germany will also keep their scholarships and can continue their stay as agreed.

You can find more information on the DAAD website: https://www.daad.de/en/the-daad/ukraine/
The email addresses ukraine@daad.de and russland@daad.de have been set up to answer questions.

DFG

The Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, German Research Foundation) is offering support to researchers from Ukraine and Russia as part of their initiative for refugee researchers. The aim is to enable them to maintain continuity in their academic work by integrating them swiftly in the German research system. This enables you to incorporate refugee researchers into your projects without difficulty.

⇒ further information on the DFG program

Contact: Admin. Division IV/5: oswald.scheid@ur.de, patrick1.karl@ur.de, stefanie.rumm@ur.de (Tel. +49 943 5533/5534/5535)

Hilde Domin Program

The DAAD's Hilde Domin Program supports students and doctoral candidates from across the globe who are at risk. In cooperation with universities and academic organizations, it aims to support their advocacy for freedom, democracy and human rights.

⇒ further information on the Hilde Domin Program
Contact: Dr. Andreas Friedel (email stabsstelle.internationalisierung@ur.de or telephone +49 941 943 7410)

Alexander von Humboldt Foundation

The Philipp Schwartz Initiative enables universities and research institutions in Germany to host researchers at risk on the basis of a full fellowship.

Applications for the 12th call (Application forms) of the Philipp Schwartz Initiative can be submitted until 21 October 2022.

In the case of Ukrainian nominees, a self-report on their at-risk status is sufficient.

https://www.humboldt-foundation.de/en/apply/sponsorship-programmes/philipp-schwartz-initiative

The International Office and Admin. Division IV/5 (Research Grants, EU Grants and Third Party Funding) will support you in making your application. The framework concept required has already been set up.

Contact: International Office: marianne.sedlmeier@ur.de (tel. +49 941 943 2373) and Admin. Div. IV/5: oswald.scheid@ur.de, patrick1.karl@ur.de, stefanie.rumm@ur.de (tel. +49 941 943-5533/5534/5535)

EURAXESS – Researchers in Motion

EURAXESS – Researchers in Motion is an initiative of the European Commission which is currently comprised of 40 European countries. It aims at facilitating the scientificmobility of researchers in Europe. 

On March 22, EURAXESS has launched a special website which provides an overview of all existing actions at European and national level to support researchers from Ukraine who had to leave their country: https://euraxess.ec.europa.eu/ukraine.

EURAXESS Germany – the National Coordination Point provides information on specific support in Germany:  https://www.euraxess.de/ukraine

City of Regensburg

Whether you will be traveling through Regensburg or staying here, you can find information on the city's website.

Support from the Free State of Bavaria

The government of Bavaria has also set up a website with information and aid.

CAMPUSAsly

The network CAMPUSAsyl is active in many projects for refugees (e.g. university groups, language tandems, support for women, support for school children, culture, sports and recreational activities).

Refugee Law Clinic

The project Refugee Law Clinic supports you in legal matters and when communicating with public authorities. If you want legal advice on your situation, then speak to the International Office. The team there will put you in touch with the contact persons in the Law Clinic.

Social counseling service

The student services for Lower Bavaria and Upper Palatinate (Studentenwerk Niederbayern/Oberpfalz, StWNO) are an important point of contact for students who have been affected by the war, whether that is materially or psychologically. They offer a social and psychological counseling service.

Social counseling service

Campus Life

Under "Campus Life" you can find information and links helping you to find your way around on the UR campus (e.g. WiFi access, eating and drinking, computer services and university groups).

Campus Life

BAYHOST

Under the Taras-Shevchenko-Program BAYHOST, the Bavarian Academic Center for Central, Eastern and Southeastern Europe, organizes a coordination office for Ukraine, which bundles support and assistance offers for Ukrainian students and scientists and is available to them as a contact point.

BAYHOST website

Europaeum

The Europaeum is the university's east-west center. It encourages and supports interdisciplinary dialog between eastern and western Europe in research and teaching.

Europaeum website

Free public transport

Ukrainians who are fleeing their home country because of the war can use public transport in Germany free of charge.

This applies to all local trains (S-Bahn, Regionalbahn, Regionalexpress, etc.) as well as to all subways, streetcars, light rail systems and buses. The ticket can be either what is known as a "0-Euro-Ticket", such as those issued by Deutsche Bahn for long-distance travel, or a valid identification document.

Regensburg public transport authority (RVV) website

Download the press release of the Association of German Transport Companies (PDF)

Donations in kind acceptance point at Bücher Pustet at the UR

The aid organization Space-Eye e.V. is collecting donations in cash and in kind for people in Ukraine who have fallen on hard times due to poverty, flight and war as part of its Ukraine emergency aid campaign. 

A new collection point for donations in kind is the Bücher Pustet branch at the Universität Regensburg. Donations in kind can be dropped off here Monday through Friday from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Above all, everyday items are urgently needed.

Further information on the Ukraine emergency aid campaign can be found at https://space-eye.org/ukraine.

Website of Bücher Pustet at the UR