A significant number of teachers, researchers, and students were compelled to seek refuge from the devastated universities and research facilities in Ukraine. The war has had a devastating impact on higher education and research.
According to data reported by Frontex, the European Border and Coast Guard Agency, as of 6 June 2022, “5.3 million Ukrainian citizens have fled to the EU since the beginning of the war in February. The total number of displaced people who have entered the EU, including non-Ukrainian nationals, is 7 million” (Frontex News Release). Among them are 22,000 researchers — mainly women with children.
Numerous universities worldwide have demonstrated solidarity with Ukrainian refugees. In an effort to develop effective support strategies, a survey was conducted to identify the specifics of migration from Ukraine caused by the war. The questionnaire was developed to conduct a survey among 26 Ukrainian faculties recently employed at the University of Information Technology and Management in Rzeszów (Poland). Respondents expressed a high level of satisfaction with the integration strategies that had been implemented at this university. These strategies were based on perfect intra-university collaboration and a comprehensive individual approach.
The study identified four groups of challenges that can be influenced by an intervention at nation-wide, local, and institutional levels were identified and then addressed in terms of empirical considerations, firsthand experience, and survey findings.
Read the full article by Dr. Małgorzata Rataj and Dr. Iryna Berezovska, “Addressing Challenges with Ukrainian Refugees Through Sustainable Integration: Response of the Educational Community in Poland,” published in the Journal of Further and Higher Education by Taylor & Francis here:
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/0309877X.2023.2241386
