Science and education are essential to the reconstruction of Ukraine
The Ukraine Recovery Conference 2024 was held in Berlin on 11th and 12th June 2024, with the aim of further mobilising international support for Ukraine’s reconstruction. The Alliance of Science Organisations in Germany was represented by Patrick Cramer, President of the Max Planck Society, who is currently serving as the Alliance’s spokesperson. The Alliance’s action plan, developed in the run-up to the conference, brings together examples of opportunities, goals, conditions and requirements for current and future activities in the fields of science and education.
“A robust education, research and development sector is of fundamental importance for Ukraine’s economic and security sovereignty, for its integration into the European Union and for its reconstruction after the end of the war,” said Patrick Cramer. For this to be successful, coherent and complementary support from the scientific community, politics and various donors is essential. Since the start of Russia’s illegal war of aggression against Ukraine, the Alliance has intensified its cooperation with R&D institutions and universities in Ukraine and developed instruments to provide substantial support to Ukrainian scientists and students.
The “Ukraine Action Plan” underlines the need for a partnership of equals within the European and transatlantic context. It outlines short, medium, and long-term measures and priorities for the reconstruction of Ukrainian science and higher education. The plan is deliberately flexible, and is being continuously updated in consultation with Ukrainian partners to meet changing needs.
The conference included a side event organised by the Alliance of Science Organisations in Germany and hosted by the Helmholtz Association, the Fraunhofer Society and the Leibniz Association. The event focused on how research and development can contribute to the sustainable development of energy supply and agriculture in Ukraine, including under current war conditions. In addition, the role of culture and education in the reconstruction was the subject of a panel discussion held with the President of the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, Robert Schlögl, at the Recovery Forum, a dialogue format for cooperation between Ukrainian, German and international actors.