The war in Ukraine – our statement
The Dutch universities and the Leiden University Fund are shocked by the Russian invasion of Ukraine and empathise with all those affected by it. What is happening there is horrific, and we are deeply concerned about the ramifications for the Ukrainian universities and the academic community.
The Leiden University Fund only supports projects of researchers and scholars linked to Leiden University. We wish to express our solidarity with students and staff in Ukraine, and we embrace those in the academic communities in Russia who are speaking out against the invasion while courageously continuing to dedicate themselves to peace, dialogue and open cooperation. The LUF does not receive, either directly or indirectly, donations from Russia that are linked to specific political expectations. Nor do we support projects that justify or trivialise this war, or that go against the nature of the current sanctions.
The Dutch universities are committed to supporting students and staff who are directly or indirectly affected by the war. They see that there is uncertainty among Ukrainian and Russian staff and students in the Netherlands. That is why they are doing their utmost to help them as much as possible. In addition, the universities will look into the possibilities of offering assistance to academics in Ukraine. Together with Leiden University, we, as a university fund, are looking into ways in which we can help.
For students and staff, the university published the following message:
'We can imagine that you have questions, encounter problems or have concerns. Please feel free to contact your manager, study advisor or study coordinator. You can also call our emergency number +31 71 527 1132 (Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. till 5 p.m.) or send an email to crisis@leidenuniv.nl. We will do our best to help all our students and staff members.'