The Guild calls on Europe’s governments, and the EU, to enable our universities to support Ukrainian students and staff on our campuses, and through the provision of distance education where needed.
In recent years, we have seen a growing recognition of universities underpinning European societies and free political institutions, as places where the universal values of human rights – as articulated by the United Nations, adopted by the European Union, and expressed by Europe’s national constitutions and political systems – can be learnt, articulated, and defended. Now, in this dark day of European history, Europe – and our values of democracy and freedom – are under attack.
In response, the Presidents of The Guild’s member universities call on Europe’s universities, European governments, and the European Union, to commit to four immediate actions:
We are called to solidarity that brings all democratic states in Europe together. We are committed to support Ukrainian students and staff to the best of our abilities as individual universities, but also collectively, sharing our knowledge, ideas, and creativity across borders. We also honour and recognise the academic communities in Russia that are speaking out against this violence. As universities in Europe, we stand for democracy, for human rights, and for the right to critical enquiry and the pursuit of knowledge. We urge our political leaders to support us in doing whatever we can to extend this right to Ukrainian faculty and staff.
The Guild rectors have expressed support and deep concern about the conflict in Ukraine - read their responses.