The Russian invasion of Ukraine

and challenges scientists face

7.1 million people in the Ukraine have been displaced, and a further 3 million have fled the country. These numbers are undeniably mammoth in magnitude, yet barely account for the additional people affected globally since the genesis of Russia’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine. Science is no exception, with students and researchers alike feeling the reverberations across the globe. Scientists have come together on this front, expressing the urgency to unite, act and support afflicted scholars in their recent letter:

"We, scientists of Ukrainian, Russian and Belarusian descent, currently working in the US, UK and Canada, resolutely condemn aggression against Ukraine and call for the Russian government to stop the military operation in Ukraine. We call for far-reaching support to Ukrainian scientists who have been deprived of an opportunity to perform research at their home institutions and study at their home universities because of destruction and death brought by the war in Ukraine.

An extract from the letter, originally published on the website of the Georgia Institute of Technology.

But have these calls been heard and addressed? Indeed, if we are to restore what science once was for individuals and institutions, what exactly has and ought to be implemented moving forwards?

Concerning Russia

From energy to Eurovision, the world has been quick to boycott Russia from various respects, including science. Organisations internationally have severed collaborations with Russian scientists alongside withdrawals of funding and resources. A rapid response from Germany's largest research funders demonstrated exactly this:

“ ...it is recommended that academic cooperation with state institutions and business enterprises in Russia be frozen with immediate effect until further notice, that German research funds no longer benefit Russia, and that no joint events take place of an academic nature or those pertaining to research policy.

The statement released by the Alliance of Science Organisations in Germany

On the same day, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in Cambridge, United States issued a similar statement ending their relationship with the Skolkovo Foundation, a Moscow-based nonprofit organisation centred around innovation. UK science minister George Freeman followed suit on the 27th of February, declaring that he had launched a rapid review of research-innovation funding from the UK government to Russian beneficiaries on Twitter. Perhaps the most stinging of the condemnations came from the European Organisation for Nuclear Research, otherwise known as CERN. It was here, specifically at the Large Hadron Collider, where the Higgs Boson was discovered, a particle sought after for decades. The World Wide Web was also invented at CERN to enable physicists to easily share data. These successes reflect CERN’s founding ethos of "bringing people together for the peaceful pursuit of science" since its establishment following World War II. In going against exactly what CERN stands for, the lab declared that it would not engage in any new collaborations with the Russian Federation “ until further notice” and suspended it from its observer status at the lab. An observer status entitles delegates from a nation to observe the council meetings which govern the laboratory ’s operations. Stripping Russia from this role elicited mixed feelings. Nobel Laureate Kip Thorne (who had working relationships with Russian astrophysicists since the 1960s) deemed CERN’s decision as necessary, while Lisa Randall, a theoretical physicist at Harvard, conversely stated:

“Unless the scientists are responsible for the actions of their country, it is unfair and contrary to the international collaborative spirit of CERN to make this move.

Russia's response

Russian scientists also echo the cries of condemnation, with thousands deeming the actions of their government as reprehensible alongside the rest of the world. Researchers thus came together to organise a letter signed by more than 5000, around 85 of which are scientists who are members of the Russian Academy of Sciences, a government body that oversees the majority of the nation’s research. Contrastingly, others still vocalised the lack of condemnation from Russian academic institutions. Another open letter from the Academy of Sciences of the Higher School of Ukraine urged restrictions on Russian scientists to be all-encompassing:

“We urge that researchers with an affiliation of such institutions not be admitted to international grant teams, not be invited to international conferences, and not be published in leading international scientific journals.

A protest in Times Square following Russia's invasion on the Ukraine. Credit: Rhododendrites, Protest of the Russian invasion of Ukraine in Times Square (62491), CC BY-SA 4.0

#ScienceForUkraine

Besides the backlash against Russia, action has also been taken to ameliorate the ramifications felt amongst the Ukrainian scientific community. Looking to help wherever they can, research groups around the world have now been compiled into a list, volunteering scholarships, accommodation and job offers, accessible online under #ScienceForUkraine. Initiated by Ilfa University of Latvia and supported by national organisations, this list has grown to include more than 600 universities and has been circulated to all universities in Ukraine. With some predictions warning of an emergence of 6300 academic refugees, of which one fifth will not choose to return to Ukraine, actions such as these are crucial.

6300academic refugees

Additionally, the list is a promising opportunity for female scientists too, given that Ukrainian men aged 18-60 are forbidden to leave in anticipation that they may be called to fight. Others have already witnessed the list come into play, with Michael Bojdys at King’s College London receiving an email from an analytical chemist at Kyiv University with her two children who was seeking work.

Further measures

Alexander Kabanov, a Russian-US chemist at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill who co-organized a letter from the Russian researchers living overseas, believes further support should be implemented:

“The Western academic community should develop programmes of support for Ukrainians who need education and scientific training. I believe the laboratories should be open for them.

Despite the thousands of Russian scientists who signed the open letter acknowledging that Russia had "doomed itself to international isolation" with its invasion of Ukraine, they are undoubtedly suffering too. With funding being frozen and widespread cuts in communication as aforementioned, it’s important that the impact remains directed at governmental power as much as possible, so as to reduce further disruption to individuals. Lily Pfaffenzeller

It’s imperative that we continue to discuss the situation at hand and those impacted. If you want to join the effort in helping those affected, you can donate to The Disasters Emergencies Committee (DEC), which is the charity college has chosen to support. If you're on issuu, access DEC through this link: https://www.dec.org.uk/