The University of Cologne and the University of Bonn, two of the largest German universities located in North Rhine-Westphalia, have jointly launched the Cologne/Bonn Academy in Exile (CBA). Its aim is to support the research work of renowned researchers who had to flee their home countries due to Russia’s war against Ukraine. The Academy invites researchers from Ukraine to continue their work at Cologne and Bonn. However, it also supports others affected by this war. This includes researchers who are being persecuted due to their opposition to the war, e.g., from Belarus and Russia.

The focus of the Academy is on law, history, cultural studies, and linguistics. While – in line with the perspective of Ukraine becoming a member of the European Union – the contribution to European integration is an overarching aim of the project, it will also work towards upholding and further promoting region-specific knowledge. Thus, projects linked to comparative politics, comparative law, comparative linguistics, and European history are pivotal.

The CBA will host a group of around twenty researchers who have already completed their studies, if possible also their doctorates, and are early-career or senior researchers, or already professors at their home universities.

The Universities of Bonn and Cologne provide office space and administrative support, and they facilitate the researchers’ integration into the local academic community. Moreover, they will help the researchers obtain personal financial support from public or private funds.

The universities will furthermore support all forms of academic exchange within the CBA, among other things with seminars and workshops, and will try to reach out to researchers outside the CBA, e.g. through summer schools currently planned for as early as the summer of 2022, online programmes are envisioned as well. A joint website is under construction.

For initial information on the structure of the Academy, please contact the CBA at:  cb-academyuni-koeln.de or cb-academyuni-bonn.de.

Media Contacts:
University of Cologne
Professorin Dr. Dr. h.c. Dr. h.c. Angelika Nußberger
Academy for European Human Rights Protection
Professorin Dr. Johanna Hey
Vice-Rector for International Affairs
cb-academyuni-koeln.de

University  Bonn
Professor Dr. Martin Aust
History Department, Eastern European and Russian History
Professorin Dr. Birgit Ulrike Münch
Vice-Rector for International Affairs
cb-academyuni-bonn.de

Press and Communications Team:
University of Cologne
Eva Schissler
+49 221 470 4030
e.schisslerverw.uni-koeln.de