The URJC gives a voice to the researchers hosted in Ukraine

The Vice President for Research, through the Unit for Scientific Culture and Innovation (UCC+I), has held a round table with Ukrainian researchers, who have shared their personal and professional experiences.

Irene Vega

On March 4, the URJC approved in its Governing Council a institutional statement to "categorically condemn the aggression against Ukraine and show its solidarity with the people of Ukraine, especially with its universities." From this moment on, the Vice-Rectorate for Research and the Vice-Rectorate for Planning and Strategy launched a program to host Ukrainian researchers at the URJC. This program of stays, initially lasting three months and now extendable for another three months, has offered eight scientists the opportunity to leave Ukraine, in addition to continuing their research work. "The objectives of this program are to support our Ukrainian colleagues so that they can continue their research activity, strengthen links between researchers and research groups by improving internationalization and, in addition, the humanitarian purpose", highlighted Visitación López-Miranda González, Vice-Rector Research, in the presentation of the conference "Ukraine and Science: the voice of its scientific community”, which took place this Monday, June 6, at the Móstoles Campus.

In this meeting, Professor Andrés Martínez Fernández, Vice-rector for Planning and Strategy, has underlined, in reference to this program of stays, that "these mechanisms put in place must also continue to help other colleagues from other countries". In addition, the vice-rector has expressed his gratitude and collaboration in this initiative to Professor Rosa Viejo García, who was unable to be present on this day.

A round table was then held, moderated by Professor Marta Albert Márquez, in which Ukrainian researchers from the different departments and research groups of the URJC participated. “The university is a way of life, which is lived in common between professors and students. As academics, we feel at home when we are at any university in the world”, said Marta Albert. In this sense, the Ukrainian researchers have shown their gratitude to the URJC and, as Yulia Andriichenko, professor at the Taras Shevchenko National University in kyiv, has pointed out, "we feel at home and the projects help us to continue with our work".

Together with Yulia, her partner at the Taras Shevchenko National University Nataliia Popova and the scientists Vladymir and Viktor Meitus, from the Kyiv Mohyla Academy and National Academy of Culture and Arts Leading Personnel respectively, Stefan Zaichenko, a researcher at the National Technical University of Ukraine “Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute”, and Kateryna Horiachko, a researcher at The National Transport University, have shared their professional and personal experiences to make known how the scientific career was developing in their country and how they are continuing with it in Spain.

This event, organized by the Vice President for Research through the Unit for Scientific Culture and Innovation (UCC+I), is part of the program of activities prior to the celebration of the European Night of Researchers (MADRID NIGHT).

MADRID NIGHT is a scientific dissemination project, coordinated by the madri+d Foundation and financed by the European Union within the Horizon Europe Program, under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie actions (with grant agreement no. 101061343). The URJC is a member of this European consortium and the organization of the activities, within the framework of this project, is coordinated by UCC+I. Likewise, these activities also have the collaboration of the Spanish Foundation for Science and Technology (FECYT) – Ministry of Science and Innovation.