Seeds of Knowledge
in Times of War and Conflict
Academic freedom is especially vulnerable during times of war and conflict, when violence and political instability can directly threaten universities and the students and scholars who work within them.
Beyond restrictions on teaching, learning, and research, armed conflict often results in the physical destruction of university infrastructure, disruption of teaching and learning, and the displacement of academic communities. Libraries, laboratories, and campuses may be damaged or repurposed, undermining generations of intellectual work and institutional continuity. In such contexts, protecting academic freedom also requires safeguarding the material conditions that make it possible.
Universities around the world therefore have a responsibility to express global solidarity with scholars and institutions at risk, offering refuge, research opportunities, and academic networks to displaced academics.
International cooperation can help preserve intellectual communities during crises and prevent the permanent loss of knowledge and expertise. Equally important are efforts to support post-conflict reconstruction, including rebuilding universities, restoring academic programs, and revitalizing research capacity.
By working together across borders, higher education institutions can help ensure that academic life not only survives periods of war
Read more about Ruhr University Bochum´s engagement in support of students, scholars, and higher education institutions from Ukraine here:
Learn more about academic freedom at times of war and conflict from Philipp Schwartz Fellows from Ukraine:
Dr. Olga Matveieva | Sociology of Social Transformation | Ukraine
What academic freedom and responsibility mean to me
It is the possibility to conduct & communicate research honestly, without censorship & pressure.
The meaning of 'refuge'
It is connected to emergencies – war, persecution, or natural disasters - that force people to start their lives from scratch. Connection to trauma and loss links refuge with suffering, placing a person in a vulnerable position. Thus, it also implies acquiring the status of being “different” at the new place.
What I took with me when I left
I took my child, cat, phone, bank card, documents, and the connections to those who stayed. We brought only irreplaceable, as everything else is already embedded in our knowledge and experience, or available in the cloud and via the phone. War taught us not to become too attached to material things, places, and memories, but instead to focus on soft assets, such as connections and relationships with people, and to develop the ability to be of value to them.
What I wish others understood about (my) displacement
It is valuable to enable and support the voices of displaced people - those who highlight spaces for growth in equality, tolerance, and openness.
An idea I would like to plant here
I could suggest an idea of moving beyond victimhood to value, highlighting the resilience, innovation, and cultural contributions of displaced researchers through intercultural and international activism.
- Read here more about Olga Matveievas story: Link ( https://news.rub.de/english/2026-04-01-internationalization-i-now-feel-home-three-places )
Dr. Olena Zinenko | Media Studies | Ukraine
What academic freedom and responsibility mean to me
For me, academic responsibility means never tiring of searching for the truth and standing alongside those who strive to discover it again and again.
The meaning of 'refuge'
A ‘refuge’ is not a home; it is a place where I am temporarily staying, where I am not an object. When I started talking in exile about the place where I was staying ‘I'm going home,’ I realised that it was no longer just a ‘refuge’ for me. That happened in Bochum. Although I still want to go home.
What I took with me when I left
From Kharkiv, my hometown, I took an evening dress and a tripod for shooting with my mobile phone. I memorised the horizon as seen from the window of my apartment. It was dark, and explosions flashed in the darkness, the sound of which could be heard later.
What I wish others understood about (my) displacement
My work saved me when I was displaced. I did what I knew how to do—fix events, tell stories, stay in touch, and give lectures. The greatest miracle for me was the people who not only helped me but also made me understand that I could still decide my own fate, that I could take action.
An idea I would like to plant here
It would be cucumbers. They are always green and valued for their freshness, although cucumbers can be pickled, fermented, and eaten all year round, and you never get tired of them. It's a joke, but I am always inspired by new ideas and the belief that, apart from two obvious solutions, there is always a third one that needs to be found — somewhere, hidden under a leaf.
- Read more about Olena Zinenko here
