War in Ukraine: Sciences Po in Solidarity

Since the start of the war in Ukraine, Sciences Po, as a European institution of higher education, has taken a firm stand against the conflict. It has instigated and supported several initiatives in solidarity with victims.

President Mathias Vicherat and the Academic Councils of the IEP moved quickly to condemn the arbitrary violence and to reaffirm the humanitarian values of the institution.

Since the beginning of March, the research community at Sciences has sought to shed light on the situation in Ukraine through a steady stream of conferences, interviews and public statements. Its aim is to provide people with tools to apprehend the conflict and analyse it scientifically, with a view to advancing a better understanding of the major issues at stake in the region.

Sciences Po has also taken steps to provide personalised support to our Ukrainian students and to support the wide range of student solidarity initiatives launched on our different campuses. Numerous measures are currently being carried out to provide further support to our students and researchers in Ukraine and to help them continue their studies or professional activities as smoothly as possible.

Finally, Sciences Po has suspended all academic cooperation with its five partner universities in Russia.

Ukrainian students at Sciences Po: Our staff are working to help you.

The Student Services Centre offers personalised support and assistance that is adapted to each situation (emergency support, administrative procedures etc.). It can provide information and direct students to existing support systems.

Contact details and information:

• Make an appointment via the contact form (FR)
• More information about the support on offer

The Centre offers a food delivery service run in collaboration with Linkee. Deliveries will be available on 25 March, 8 April, 22 April, 6 May, 20 May, 3 June and 17 June 2022. To order a delivery, register via this form, specifying your chosen date and time.

Accessing medical and psychological support: the Sciences Po Health Centre operates on every campus, with a team of general practitioners, nurses, psychologists and psychiatrists. Make an appointment with the Health Centre on your campus.

Ukrainian students in France: find out about services provided by Campus France to help you find a programme of study in France.

Incoming students from Ukraine: Sciences Po can support you.

Sciences Po is working to organise an enhanced, expanded and priority support system for students from our partner university in Ukraine, NaUKMA, as part of our undergraduate and graduate programmes. Around 20 students from NaUKMA will now be continuing their studies on an exchange programme at Sciences Po, with credits transferred to their home institution.

A fundraising campaign is underway to finance their living costs and incoming students will be offered options for accommodation.

In addition, we plan to launch new exchange partnerships with other universities on the ground in Ukraine. These will consolidate our current host programmes and will ensure that students are able to continue their studies at the same level and with the same qualification requirements as previously.

Find out about measures put in place by the Mairie de Paris.

Teaching and research staff: Sciences Po is taking action via the programme PAUSE

Sciences Po has been working with the programme PAUSE since it was set up, with a view to facilitating the placement of exiled researchers and academics in institutions of higher education and/or research in France. The programme also assists researchers with administrative procedures and in seeking out professional opportunities.

Students in exile: The strength of our network of partner institutions

Sciences Po is a member of the MEnS (FR) (Migrants in Higher Education) network, which connects French higher education institutions involved in hosting and assisting students and researchers in exile. The network’s goals are to support and coordinate the institutions’ activities; to help provide exiled students and researchers with the best possible living conditions and the smoothest integration; and to align its strategy with the international context.

On-campus initiatives

Students on the Dijon campus, which specialises in Central and Eastern Europe Studies, reacted to the conflict immediately. On 24 February 2022, they contacted the senior management of the campus to request that its flags be lowered to half-mast and that Ukrainian flags be displayed in the building’s windows. 

In addition, students at Sciences Po and the University of Burgundy have set up a collective bringing together high school and university students from across the Burgundy-Franche Comté region. The collective’s initiatives have included:

• Setting up an on-campus collection point
• A fundraising campaign for the Red Cross
• A list of available accommodation
• A partnership with Secours Populaire (FR) to offer French language classes

Similarly, various fundraisers and collection points were organised on the Reims campus to assist the non-profit organisations Rotaract, Central & Eastern European Association, Amnesty International and Intéragir.

On 23 April, the Sciences Po Sports Association (FR) is organizing an inter-association cross-country race, in partnership with the Ukraine Support SciencesPo collective. A 5 kilometer race, with a participation fee of 3 euros, will take place at the Polygone playground in the Bois de Vincennes. Many other sporting and cultural activities will be offered throughout the day. The funds collected will go directly to the French Red Cross to finance its actions in Ukraine (FR) (setting up vital infrastructures to ensure water supply, providing basic necessities and medical equipment, first aid, psychosocial support etc.).

The SciencesPo organisation Ukraine Support, created at the end of February by a group of Sciences Po students, aims to mobilize all communities to advocate for peace, provide humanitarian support, and participate in the coordination of student initiatives in Paris. 

Students, faculty, and staff are invited to join the organisation to discuss current events, reflect on the action that can be taken, find out about the most recent projects in solidarity with Ukraine, or participate in actions to support Ukraine. 

• Schedule : Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday : 12:30 p.m. - 2:30 p.m.
• Location: Room 107 (56 rue Saints-Pères)
• Contact: Ukraine Support Group SciencesPo: scpo.collectif.ukr@gmail.com

https://www.facebook.com/UKRSupportGroupScPo

Alumni initiatives

The Sciences Po Alumni community (FR) has already identified approximately 20 rooms or properties that have been made available by its members free of charge to accommodate students in emergency situations. A clothes collection has also been organised. 

What can you do?

Sciences Po is contacting all alumni and donors to invite them to contribute to an emergency fund aimed at covering the living costs of Ukrainian and Russian students in exile. Our first three students have already arrived on the Dijon and Paris Campuses to begin pre-exchange programmes. We are expecting 17 more in the next few days. Donations can be made via an online form (FR).

The association Sciences Po Refugee Help is organising a clothes collection in support of Ukraine from 28 March to 01 April, in partnership with France Terre d'Asile.

Addresses for the collections can be found on the website service-public.fr.

To send your donations, visit the Ukrainian Embassy in France (FR) website.

To request further information, please use the dedicated email address: support.ukraine@sciencespo.fr