Competence Network Interdisciplinary Ukrainian Studies Frankfurt (Oder) – Berlin (KIU)

About

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The KIU competence network is a four-year DAAD-funded project to strengthen Ukraine-related research, teaching, networking and transfer activities. The competence network, initiated and led by the European University Viadrina, includes the ZOiS, the Humboldt Universität zu Berlin, the Freie Universität Berlin, the Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences and Humanities and the Wissenschaftskolleg Berlin.

KIU – Competence Network for Interdisciplinary Ukraine Studies Frankfurt (Oder)-Berlin, led by the European University Viadrina, and the ‘Denkraum Ukraine’ Regensburg are the two Ukraine Centers in Germany funded by the DAAD (German Academic Exchange Service). Together, they are working on building Ukraine-related academic research and teaching, disseminating Ukraine expertise in politics, academia, media, and civil society, as well as promoting a Europe-wide dialogue with Ukraine.

 

KIU – Competence Network Interdisciplinary Ukraine Studies

Frankfurt (Oder)-Berlin

News

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Max Trecker: Who owns Ukraine’s Wealth? The Ukrainian National Movement and Imaginations of a Country of Plenty

MONDAY, 11 a.m. - 1 p.m. | Hybrid format I This lecture explores how Ukraine has long served as a projection surface for competing economic visions from global powers, and how the Ukrainian national movement has drawn on these narratives to shape its own political and economic ambitions. More details...

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Mykola Riabchuk: Civicness by Default – Constructing Inclusive Nation against the Challenges of Exclusivity

MONDAY, 4 - 6 p.m. | Hybrid format I How did Ukraine build an inclusive civic nation while navigating deep political and cultural divides? In this talk, Mykola Riabchuk explores how compromise between competing elites, civil society, and contrasting nation-building models helped shape modern Ukraine’s multiethnic civic identity against persistent pressures of exclusivity. More details...

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Ukrainian (Working) Lives: Vulnerabilities, Shifting Geographies, Resistance

On 22 April 2026, the Centre Marc Bloch, ZOiS and the KIU Competence Network Interdisciplinary Ukrainian Studies will host a workshop on research in wartime Ukraine, particularly the period after the full-scale Russian invasion. More details...

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KIU Launches: Certificate Programme in Interdisciplinary Ukrainian Studies for Master’s students

The Certificate Programme ‘Interdisciplinary Ukrainian Studies’ is a supplementary academic programme focusing on Ukraine, its history, culture, and society. It is open to Master’s students at the European University Viadrina and other German universities. The programme is the first comprehensive Ukrainian Studies programme at master’s level in Germany. It offers an interdisciplinary perspective on Ukraine by bringing together approaches from the social sciences, cultural studies, law, economics, and media studies. More details...

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Introducing Our Guest Professor for the Summer Semester 2026: Oksana Mikheieva

In the upcoming summer semester, we are pleased to welcome Professor of Sociology Oksana Mikheieva as a guest professor in our programme. Professor Mikheieva teaches at our partner institution, the Kyiv School of Economics. During the Summer Semester 2026, she will offer two courses addressing the topics of Soviet totalitarianism and occupation zones in Ukraine. Her research focuses on various aspects of migration processes related to war and forced displacement, with particular attention to the social consequences of conflict and displacement. More details...

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Upcoming Courses: Summer Semester 2026

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’.

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Fellowships and Study

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Research

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Partners

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