Competence Network Interdisciplinary Ukrainian Studies Frankfurt (Oder) – Berlin (KIU) • European University Viadrina

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Viadrina Debate: Can Society Grow Through Crisis?

Programme and Registration

Viadrina opens Ukrainian Week

Programme and Registration

Check out the Lecture Series for Winter Semester 2026/2027!

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New Course Catalogue for the Winter Semester 2026/2027 has arrived!

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About

The KIU Competence Network is a four-year DAAD-funded project to strengthen Ukraine-related research, teaching, networking and transfer activities. The Competence Network is initiated and managed by the European University Viadrina in Frankfurt (Oder), and includes the Centre for East European and International Studies (ZOiS), the Humboldt University of Berlin, the Free University of Berlin, the Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences and Humanities and the Wissenschaftskolleg Berlin, as well as partner institutions from Ukraine and other European countries.

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News

07. October 2026

Welcome to the New KIU Fellows – Winter Semester 2026/27

This winter semester, we welcome eight new Fellows to the KIU Fellowship Programme. Their research projects explore different dimensions of transitional justice in Ukraine, ranging from international criminal law, victims’ rights and post-war reconstruction to memory, displacement, disinformation and cultural heritage. During their stay at KIU, the Fellows will develop their individual projects and contribute their diverse disciplinary perspectives to this semester’s academic exchange.

02. October 2026

New Guest Lecturer at KIU: Anna Slavko

We are pleased to welcome Anna Slavko, Associate Professor at Sumy State University, as a Guest Lecturer at KIU in the Winter Semester 2026/27. Her research focuses on transitional justice, human rights, and international law. At European University Viadrina, she will teach three seminars addressing transitional justice, the right to truth, and human rights in times of crisis.More details...

23. September 2026

The new Ukraine Lecture Series for Winter Semester 2026/2027 is here!

Transitional justice has become central to Ukraine’s present and future as the country addresses the consequences of Russia’s war of aggression. International crimes, human rights violations, occupation, displacement, and widespread destruction raise urgent questions of justice, accountability, and social recovery. Transitional justice encompasses judicial and non-judicial approaches, including criminal prosecution, truth-seeking, reparations, institutional reform, and memorialisation. It also addresses broader questions of democratic renewal, decolonisation, remembrance, and reconstruction.

23. September 2026

Upcoming Courses: Winter Semester 2026/2027

New Ukraine-related courses at the Europa-Universität Viadrina, Humboldt-Universität Berlin, and the Freie-Universität Berlin. We are excited to announce a new series of lectures and specialized courses focusing on Ukraine at the EUV, HU, and FU. These courses cover a wide range of topics, including Ukrainian language, literature, political history, and media analysis, offering students a unique opportunity to deepen their understanding of Ukraine's rich cultural and political landscape. Ukrainian Language Courses for various proficiency levels are also available, providing learners with the chance to build or strengthen their language skills alongside thematic academic studies. Courses are eligible for the certificate programme ‘Interdisciplinary Ukrainian Studies’.

09. September 2026

Can Society Grow Through Crisis? What Eastern Europe Teaches Us About Resilience – and Why Ukrainians Can’t Stand the Word Anymore

Wednesday, 14 October 2026, 4 p.m. | Audimax, Logenstraße 4, 15230 Frankfurt (Oder) | How do crises change societies? What role do digitalisation, democracy, urban development and civic engagement play in this? And what does ‘resilience’ actually mean when a country continues to function under the conditions of a devastating war? These questions, and what Germany and the EU can learn from Eastern Europe, will be discussed by journalist Vassili Golod and Viadrina sociologist Susann Worschech, together with the audience on 14 October 2026 at the Viadrina Debate to mark the start of the winter semester. | The event will be simultaneously interpreted into English and Ukrainian.

09. September 2026

Opening of Ukrainian Week in Germany

Monday, 12 October 2026, 1 – 7 p.m. | Logensaal, Logenhaus, Logenstraße 11, 15230 Frankfurt (Oder) | The Global Coalition of Ukrainian Studies’ Ukrainian Week will be launched at the European University Viadrina. In a variety of formats, distinguished guests will discuss Ukraine’s European future and reaffirm the importance of German-Ukrainian cooperation in teaching and research. At the same time, Viadrina will formally join the Global Coalition.

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