Staff news

Statement on Ukraine

We understand that the invasion of Ukraine will be distressing for many people in our community and we are here to support you.

We are deeply troubled at recent events and we fully endorse the Universities UK statement on this issue.

Universities UK statement

Our response

Our immediate focus has been on supporting affected students and staff. We have suspended all affected exchange programmes and have been supporting the safe repatriation of all affected students. We value our exchange partnerships but we have a responsibility to act in the best interests of our students and to take decisive action when there are concerns for safety and wellbeing.

We are working closely with students to minimise the impact of any disruption to their studies and to provide alternative placements. Ukrainian and Russian students who have been impacted financially can apply for hardship funding and their applications will be prioritised for assessment and payment.

Support for scholars

We are committed to supporting academic colleagues and will work with the Council for At-Risk Academics, as we recently did to support Afghan and Yemeni scholars. We are also working with Una Europa to support Ukrainian scholars and fellows to access higher education across our alliance.

Supporting the community

We are liaising with our civic partners at the City of Edinburgh Council to explore how we can best support the Ukrainian community at this time. The city of Edinburgh is twinned with Kyiv, and we stand ready to provide whatever support we can.  We will work with the Home Office, UUK and others to ensure a secure and welcoming environment for refugees and asylum seekers.

Further advice on how you can support communities, both locally and further afield, who are affected by the invasion of Ukraine can be found on the SharePoint site below:

Helping communities affected by the invasion of Ukraine

Reviewing relationships

The invasion of Ukraine by Russia has prompted heightened scrutiny of UK-Russia collaboration links. In view of recent events and the sanctions that the UK has implemented against the Russian state, we are reviewing our collaborations to take account of any potential security risks.

Investments

We have instructed our investment managers to divest of all our Russian investment holdings at the earliest opportunity.

Support for staff and students

We are here to support you if you have been affected by these events in any way, both through the University Chaplaincy and counselling services.

Chaplaincy website

Staff counselling services

Immigration and visa support

Ukrainian citizens in need of free legal advice on UK immigration, visas and asylum from qualified and regulated lawyers can contact Ukraine Advice Project UK: Free UK immigration advice for Ukrainians
Temporary visa concessions have been introduced for family members of Ukrainian nationals, and British nationals who usually live in Ukraine: Temporary visa concessions
Information on concessions to immigration rules for Ukrainian nationals on work and study routes can be found on the UK Government website: Temporary visa concessions for Ukrainian nationals on work and study routes
UK Government travel advice: Foreign travel advice - Ukraine
The UK Government has announced further plans to support Ukrainian nationals with extended family members of British nationals to come to the UK: Further support for Ukrainian’s fleeing Russia invasion

Supporting each other

This is a highly distressing time for all of us and we encourage our students and staff to come together and support each other, as we look to the future with hope for peace.

A message from the University Chaplain

We are proud of being one of the world’s most international universities and recognise our responsibility to our diverse community and partners around the world. We are committed to peaceful co-operation, mutual understanding and tolerance across borders.

Respect for our community

Harassment, aggression or abuse of any member of our University community is never acceptable.

If you have been affected, you should tell someone and seek support:

Human Resources

Any conversations will be handled with due care and confidentiality, and our staff will work with you to find the appropriate means of safety and redress.

How to donate

There are a number of organisations who are coordinating donations and support to Ukraine.

A Ukraine appeal has been launched by the UK's Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) to help the hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians fleeing the conflict. All public donations to the DEC will be doubled by the UK government, up to a total of £20m.

Disasters Emergency Committee Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal

United Nations High Commission for Refugees

British Red Cross Appeal for Ukraine

The University has a longstanding partnership with the Council for At Risk Academics (Cara), and colleagues are working with Cara to seek to support academics displaced by the war:

Cara

Related links

Statement on Ukraine - Student News