The ENGAGE.EU partner universities strongly condemn the war of aggression waged by the Russian Federation against Ukraine, which is in breach of the core principles of international law, and is not justified in any way. It is an attack on countless human lives, on the right of a state to exist, and not least on the concept of liberal democracy. We are stunned and deeply saddened that, following decades of peace in Europe and years of fruitful cooperation across European national borders – at economic, political, and academic level – and despite all efforts to create a common Europe, something like this can happen.

As an alliance of European universities, we particularly appreciate the tremendous value of academic exchange – not least as an important form of diplomacy that can create understanding and build bridges between countries, people, and cultures.

We express our unwavering solidarity with the universities and academic institutions in Ukraine as well as with their students, researchers, and staff members, and assure them of our full support.

ENGAGE.EU is an alliance of leading European universities in business, economics, and social sciences with rich experience in analyzing societal change. It is coordinated by the University of Mannheim and comprises, in addition to Mannheim (Germany), Luiss Libera Università Internazionale degli Studi Sociali Guido Carli (Italy), NHH Norwegian School of Economics (Norway), Tilburg University (Netherlands), University of National and World Economy (Bulgaria), Université Toulouse 1 Capitole (France), and Vienna University of Economics and Business.