UKRAINETT+ participants at the workshop in Truskavets.
UKRAINETT took part in the Carpathian Sea Democracy Week – Ukraine’s equivalent to Norway’s Arendalsuka – held in Truskavets from 28 April to 2 May 2025. Under the theme Academic Resilience During War, UKRAINETT hosted a session highlighting how academic institutions can cooperate and support one another in times of crisis.
The event offered a valuable opportunity to present ongoing activities and explore new avenues for strengthening academic collaboration between Norwegian and Ukrainian partners.
Olha Polotska, Director of the National Research Foundation of Ukraine, emphasised key needs for Ukrainian researchers, including access to research infrastructure, opportunities for international communication, and mobility options, especially when travel is restricted. Rune Vistad, Department Director at the Research Council of Norway, presented new funding opportunities for Ukrainian–Norwegian research collaboration, to be launched through calls in 2025.
Alim Aliev, Deputy Director of the Ukrainian institute, underscored the importance of decolonising the international image of Ukraine as a central task for his institution. Andrii Ostapenko, Head of the International Scientific Cooperation Department at the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine, provided an overview of Ukraine’s ongoing international collaboration at the policy level.
Leader of UKRAINETT, Aadne Aasland, presented concrete opportunities for collaboration between Ukrainian and Norwegian researchers through the UKRAINETT+ project.
In addition to the two open sub-panels, UKRAINETT participants from Norway and representatives of the UKRAINETT+ partner institutions in Ukraine held a full-day workshop. The workshop focused on new opportunities for cooperation and identifying urgent research needs in today’s Ukrainian context.