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 and the “Denkraum Ukraine” Regensburg, led by the European University Viadrina, 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.

 

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KIU – Competence Network Interdisciplinary Ukraine Studies

Frankfurt (Oder)-Berlin

News

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Keynote lecture: ‘On the Historical Roots and Contemporary Forms of Ukraine’s Struggle for Independence’ - Susann Worschech

Tickets required | Event language: German | TUESDAY, 6 - 9 p.m., Hygiene Museum Dresden | Independence and freedom play a central role in Ukraine’s self-understanding and stand at the heart of its historical memory. This is evident not only in national symbols, songs, the text of the national anthem and in literature, but also in three major revolutions since 1990 and, ultimately, in Ukraine’s active and still unbroken resistance against Russia’s war of aggression. The lecture will explain the foundations of the Ukrainian society’s uncompromising will for freedom, the forms it takes today, and why a Ukrainian defeat by Russia would pose an immense danger to Europe as a whole.

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Nataliia Mushyrovska: The Power of Ukrainian Memes - From Social Therapy to Building National Memory and Supporting Civilian Infrastructure

Hybrid format | TUESDAY, 11 a.m. - 1 p.m., GD HS 08 | Zoom-Link in the event description | This presentation explores the role of memes in Ukraine during the ongoing war, emphasizing their power beyond humor. Ukrainian memes have become tools of social therapy, helping citizens cope with trauma and uncertainty through shared laughter. At the same time, they act as a form of national memory, capturing and preserving key wartime events and symbols in digital culture. Moreover, memes serve a practical purpose in supporting civilian infrastructure, mobilizing communities for fundraising, volunteering, and humanitarian aid. By analyzing these dimensions, the discussion highlights how memes contribute to resilience, solidarity, and cultural identity, making them an essential element of Ukraine’s resistance and future recovery.

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Konrad Sobański: ‘Crisis-Innovation-Transformation: Digital Financial Infrastructures in Wartime and Postwar Ukraine’

Hybrid format | TUESDAY, 11 a.m. - 1 p.m., GD HS 08 | This lecture examines how Ukraine is redefining the foundations of its financial system in response to the infrastructural collapse triggered by Russia’s full-scale invasion. Amid destroyed bank branches, cash shortages, institutional dislocation, and limited access to international finance, Ukraine is developing a digital financial architecture - spanning government service platforms, stablecoins, and blockchain-based tools - that helps to maintain the continuity of core monetary and financial functions. The lecture explores both the short-term role of these instruments during wartime disruption and their potential to transform Ukraine’s financial infrastructure in the long term. | Find the Zoom link in the event description.

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Book presentation: Freiheitssschauplatz. Ein Gesellschaftsportrait der Ukraine

Registration required | Event language: German | Monday, 4:00 - 5:30 p.m., Berlin, Zentrum Liberale Moderne in cooperation with KIU – Competence Network Interdisciplinary Ukrainian Studies Frankfurt (Oder)–Berlin | Three revolutions in three decades, a vibrant civil society and the epitome of resilience – Ukrainian society is as impressive and diverse as it is largely unknown in Germany. Who are the Ukrainians, how do they see themselves and their country in Europe? How have the revolutions, the upheavals of the 1990s and the developments since the Maidan shaped Ukrainian society? What significance do Europeanisation and the decades-long conflict with Russia have for Ukrainian society? In the book ‘Freiheitsschauplatz’ (Freedom Arena), German and Ukrainian experts provide comprehensive insights into Ukrainian society – from political structures and processes such as rapprochement with the EU, the development of the economy and social policy, social dynamics such as democracy, gender issues and migration, to topics such as civil society, culture and the culture of remembrance. The book thus contributes to a better understanding of Ukrainian society, its historical development, its fractures and conflicts, and its resilience. In a conversation with journalist Gesine Dornblüth (texte + toene), editor Susann Worschech and one of the anthology's authors, Garry Polushkin, explain why our knowledge of Ukrainian society is so limited and why it is worthwhile and exciting to take a closer look at it.

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Facts and Findings: KIU Sur Place fellows present their research (online-event)

SAVE THE DATE & REGISTRATION OPEN Part 1: Wednesday, 5 November 2025, 9.30 am to 11.30 am (surplace fellows 2024-2025) Part 2: Wednesday, 5 November 2025, 1.30 pm to 3 pm (surplace fellows 2025) What do memory studies, food security, higher education, political preferences, and history have in common, to name just a few? They are all part of the diverse research conducted by this year’s KIU Sur Place fellows working from Ukraine. At our upcoming event, they will present findings from their scholarship period (Oct 2024–Jun 2025) and share the new questions and perspectives that emerge from their work. In the second part of the event our current KIU surplace fellows (Sep 2025-Dec 2025) will present their ongoing KIU research-projects. The event is open to previous, current and incoming KIU fellows, KIU alumni network, KIU allies, researchers connected to the KIU as well as everyone interested in the topics. Please feel free to to share the information about the event with probably interested collegueas, institutions and organisations. Registration open until Monday, 3 November 2025:

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Dmytro Goncharenko: ‘Sonic Resistance - Experimental Music and Cultural Activism in Wartime Ukraine’

Hybrid format | TUESDAY, 11 a.m. - 1 p.m., GD HS 08 | This talk explores how experimental and avant-garde music communities in Ukraine and the Ukrainian diaspora mobilize sonic practices as forms of cultural resistance during the Russian full-scale invasion. Drawing on cultural and sound studies, it examines how soundscapes, performances, and transnational collaborations create alternative publics and foster solidarity. The lecture highlights the role of sonic activism in challenging colonial narratives, sustaining resilience, and reimagining cultural agency under conditions of War. | Find the Zoom link in the event description.

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Fellowships and Programmes

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Fellowships

The KIU Research Fellowship in Interdisciplinary Ukrainian Studies supports innovative and significant research on topics related to Ukraine.

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Programmes

The KIU Competence Network Interdisciplinary Ukrainian Studies Frankfurt (Oder) – Berlin offers various programmes. Among them is its first Summer School on "War in Ukraine: Destruction of heritage – mastering legacy".

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Partners

Funded by

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with funds from the Federal Foreign Office (AA)