Help portal for refugees

Whether it’s information about accommodation, basic information or medical care, with the “Germany4Ukraine” help portal, the Federal Government offers Ukrainian refugees a central, trustworthy online support platform. The portal provides information in Ukrainian, Russian, English and German and helps refugees with entry, finding their feet and gaining an overview of all available support options.

We at the Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space (BMFTR) stand firmly by Ukraine’s side and support the country in times of war and in its recovery. Since the start of Russia's full-scale war of aggression in February 2022, the BMFTR has been supporting Ukraine with numerous additional measures relating to university cooperation, the etablishment of research structures and bilateral projects. Over 110 million euros will be invested in this by 2029.

In addition to mitigating the immediate consequences of the war, such as supporting displaced researchers and students, the BMFTR has focused in particular on long-term reconstruction. The aim is to work with partners at national, European and international level to create prospects for a forward-looking and resilient Ukraine. This includes expanding EU cooperation in research and innovation, strengthening local scientific potential, supporting reforms in the science and innovation system, and integrating Ukraine more closely into the European Research Area.
As the legal basis for this enhanced cooperation, the new Agreement on Cooperation in the Fields of Science, Technology and Higher Education was signed in October 2024.

German-Ukrainian university cooperation

Academic cooperation with Ukraine has been substantially expanded and is contributing to the reconstruction of the higher education sector. For instance, “Ukraine Digital” has helped to maintain the range of courses on offer in Ukraine and enabled Ukrainian students to continue their studies digitally. As part of the bilateral higher education network launched in mid-2025, German universities can cooperate with Ukrainian partners to facilitate international exchanges and joint learning between German and Ukrainian students – ranging from digital teaching programmes to joint degree courses – thereby supporting the internationalisation of both sides. The BMFTR has been supporting German-Ukrainian university cooperation since 2022 through the DAAD alone, with a total of 51.8 million euros allocated until 2029.

German-Ukrainian research cooperation

There are few other countries with which Ukraine maintains such close relations in science and research as it does with Germany. This is in part thanks to our shared history of more than 30 years of cooperation between the BMFTR and the Ukrainian Ministry of Education and Science. Our regular bilateral funding activities have allowed us to launch many joint cooperation projects and establish research networks.

Cooperation for Ukraine’s reconstruction 

Rebuilding the scientific landscape devastated by war will be a challenge. However, it also offers an opportunity to further drive forward reform and restructuring processes and to renew the Ukrainian scientific system in line with shared European values. Through the funding call ‘Supporting German-Ukrainian Research Cooperation for Sustainable Reconstruction’, we are therefore providing around 2.7 million euros to fund measures designed to improve the framework conditions for research and innovation in Ukraine, to (re)build research capacities and infrastructure – also in the context of the German High-Tech Agenda – and to offer young researchers good prospects for remaining in the country or returning.

Four German-Ukrainian Cores of Excellence

This initiative establishes long-term research structures of the highest quality in Ukraine – supported by close cooperation with one or more German partner institutions. From 2024, four centres of excellence will be funded with around 11 million euros over a four-year period. The thematic scope ranges from history and medicine to drug discovery, quantum-based technologies, nanomaterials and digital storage technologies. Through their structure-building approach, the Centres of Excellence make an important contribution to the preservation and reconstruction of the Ukrainian scientific system. At the same time, they are firmly anchored in the ‘Ukraine National Recovery Plan’ – a clear sign that this initiative also enjoys broad attention within Ukraine itself and is actively supported at the political level.

For a united Europe

Ukraine sees its future in Europe, within the EU. The country’s EU candidate status and its association with the Horizon Europe research framework programme open up new prospects for intensifying German-Ukrainian research cooperation. At the same time, the systematically developed bilateral scientific cooperation between Germany and Ukraine also benefits engagement at the European level.

Ukraine’s integration into the European Research Area is supported in particular by the Horizon Europe project ‘Linking Ukraine to the European Research Area’ (LUKE). LUKE establishes a multilateral platform for funding research and innovation projects and for capacity building, with a focus on Ukraine. The BMFTR is not only providing funding of 2.4 million euros for the project, but is also playing a leading role in the implementation of the platform. The initiative has been supported by the European Commission with 2 million euros for a period of four years since 1 January 2025.