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No indirect support for the war: Swiss universities are very careful about who they work with.
A concrete example is the University of Freiburg. She has been working with 2 Russian universities for years. But these two universities support the Russian war against Ukraine. That’s why Astrid Epiney, the rector of the University of Freiburg, is taking the consequences: “We are suspending cooperation with these institutions, because otherwise the Russian war would ultimately be supported here.”
Legend:
Astrid Epiney, Rector of the University of Freiburg, is consistently taking action against Putin’s ideological support.
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The other Swiss universities also want to check their cooperation with Russian institutes, as Martina Weiss says. She is Secretary General of Swissuniversities, the association of Swiss universities: “That’s why the board of Swissuniversities has recommended that Swiss universities suspend cooperation where there is a risk that we will support the Russian government.”
In the current situation, the universities would have to take a stand. At the same time, collaboration with individual researchers in Russia cannot be categorically ruled out, according to Weiss: “Swiss universities would like to support those forces and voices in Russia that are critical and speak out against such a war.”
Adjunct Professor Suspended
This differentiated attitude also means that Russians who do research or study at Swiss universities are now not excluded. This is also how ETH Zurich handles it – with around 200 researchers and students from Russia, as ETH spokeswoman Vanessa Bleich explains: “Of course, all ETH members with Russian nationality can continue their studies or research at ETH Zurich as normal.”
However, this does not mean that the war in Ukraine cannot also have personnel consequences at Swiss universities: the University of Freiburg suspended a Russian titular professor this week because he did not want to condemn the Russian invasion.