The University of Leicester is poised to formally link up with a second Ukrainian university as it ramps up its support for those affected by the year-long war in the Eastern European country.
Since the invasion of Ukraine last February 24, students and staff in Leicester have pulled out the stops to help their Ukrainian counterparts.
Staff and students leapt into action to fundraise or help, perhaps none more so than Chris Trafford, who travelled to the Ukrainian border to deliver supplies and support to fleeing refugees.
Other University colleagues stepped forward to host refugees in their homes.
Meanwhile, the University itself has also launched a raft of practical help – and more is to come.
Two British Academy-funded Researchers-at-Risk are in Leicester on two year fellowships, while a successful twinning with Kremenchuk Mykhailo Ostrohradskyi National University (KrNU) has now led to plans to twin with a second in the war-torn country.
In April, Leicester will sign a twinning agreement with Poltava Agrarian State University (PASU), which is in central Ukraine, some 160 miles behind the frontline. The city of Kremenchuk has been devastated by heavy missile and drone bombardments targeting its power generation facilities.
“It is important that we stand with the Ukrainian people against the Russian aggression; across the University, we are working hard to do what we can,” said Geoff Green, University Registrar and Secretary.
“The positive engagement of colleagues at KrNU and PASU and the resilience they have shown during such challenging and difficult times, is overwhelming. I would like to thank all my colleagues at Leicester for their support in these twinning partnerships – colleagues from Ukraine tell me often how these discussions provide a beacon of light during what are otherwise dark times.”
