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Study and research

Young people wearing safety goggles in laboratory setting © istock - kali9

Are you from Ukraine and working or studying in the research field? Want to know what impacts the war in Ukraine is having on co-operations with Russian institutes or what opportunities are available to Russian researchers and students in Saxony? You'll find all the latest information here.

Information flyer on studying in Saxony in Ukrainian and Russian

Навчання в Саксонії / Учеба в Саксонии

Флаєри українською мовою / Флаеры на русском языке

Providing accommodation for refugees entering Saxony is the most important task right now. Saxony's student unions have made around 420 places available at residences. Gymnasiums are also being prepared to possibly host refugees - so that they can be available if capacities at the state's initial reception centres become exhausted.

Many staff and students are organising additional private places to sleep, and providing everyday supplies.

In addition to collecting donations, providing individual support and networking local aid offerings, the universities and student unions are particularly organising additional language courses and support services, psychosocial counselling, social and legal advice, and child-care, and arranging jobs.

Some of Saxony's non-university research institutes are offering internships or temporary residencies to Ukrainian scientists/academics and, in some cases, facilitating specific emergency fellowships. Some of the larger research institutes are also offering occupational medical and psychological services.

Universities have options for them to continue their courses. Ukraine has been a member of the Bologna Process since 2005, meaning study undertaken in Ukraine is also recognised in Germany.

Saxony's universities will assess the study completed in Ukraine and, based on this, will look directly and unbureaucratically for ways of providing suitable course offerings to interested Ukrainians.

Overview of Saxony's university landscape

Please also contact your local immigration office to learn about your options for obtaining a residence period for study/training purposes.

More information

Tertiary study in Germany requires a university entrance qualification that would also apply in the holder's homeland. 

The information provided here will tell you whether or not your certificate can be recognised: If a certificate cannot be recognised, the universities will conduct a university entrance examination. Foundation courses are available to prepare students for this examination in terms of both content and language proficiency.

List of foundation courses (Studienkolleg):

Many universities offer specific courses in English, particularly for internationally focused Masters courses.

To access courses taught in German, you will need to pass a language test for university admission. All language certificates must be issued in accordance with the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR).

Please contact the immigration office to obtain a long-term residence permit for study purposes. This does not currently require a visa.

Further information

If you have questions about obtaining a residence permit for other purposes or if you wish to potentially extend your current residence permit, please contact your local immigration office.

List of immigration offices

Temporary protection status under Section 24 AufenthG (German Residence Act) is granted by the immigration office as a humanitarian residence permit. Ukrainian citizens already holding a German residence permit can apply for this temporary protection status if their existing residence permit was not able to be extended or if they no longer meet the requirements for permit issue.

Tertiary study in Saxony is generally free of charge,

but there are two exceptions: If the student already has a university degree (including a Masters) and is seeking to obtain another, they may be charged a fee for this second course. Fees may also be charged for long-term students (starting from the 5th semester beyond the standard course period).

A semester fee must be paid when starting a course, and this varies from university to university. Interested students can ask the respective university directly about potential fee-relief options.

Many students or researchers from Ukraine are dependent on financial aid, because the cash flow from their homeland has ceased.

  1. Social benefits: Asylum-seekers from Ukraine have access to social benefits.
  1. BAföG: Ukrainian refugees who have commenced, or are commencing, studies in Germany, can only obtain the BAföG (a German federal grant for higher education) if they themselves or one of their parents have lived in Germany for several years and been regularly gainfully employed.
  1. Scholarships: The Saxon State Ministry of Science has decided to provide financial support for Ukrainian students who are already studying in Saxony or who wish to study in Saxony. Saxony offers two types of scholarships:

    A) Full-time scholarship
    Refugees from Ukraine wishing to commence studies here can now apply to the Studentenwerk Dresden for a scholarship. A full-time scholarship provides support in the form of up to EUR 480 per month for the entire duration of the studies.
    Link to application form

    B) Short-term scholarship
    Students from Ukraine wanting to attend a Saxon university to continue studies already commenced in their homeland can apply to their university for a short-term scholarship. This scholarship covers up to EUR 450 per month for up to two years of study. The International Office at the respective university is generally the authority that provides advice on applying for short-term scholarships.

  2. Temporary residencies for Ukrainian scientists/academics: Non-university research institutes can provide support here - enquiry with the respective institution for more specific information.

Ideally the university or research institute directly.

The International Offices are the ports of call at universities. Information is usually available on the university websites themselves.

Following Russia's attack on Ukraine, institutional co-operations with Russian state establishments have been suspended and are being critically reviewed. This stance is supported by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research, the Standing Conference of German State Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs, and the 'Allianz der Wissenschaftsorganisationen' alliance of scientific organisations, which includes the Hochschulrektorenkonferenz (German Rectors' Conference), the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), the German Research Foundation (DFG), non-university research organisations, the Leopoldina (German National Academy of Sciences) and the German Science Council. It is currently not possible to say how the projects with Ukrainian partners will proceed due to the war.

Students from the Russian Federation and Belarus can generally continue to study at universities in Saxony. Russian and Belarussian students entering Saxony now are generally also able to enrol at universities.

Scientists and academics can similarly continue their research. There should not be any general suspicion about Russian students or researchers.

The Standing Conference of German State Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs has stated that science in particular is being called on to not hold Russian students or scientists/academics personally responsible for what is happening. Hostilities or threats against Russian people have no place at our universities.

Standing Conference of German State Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs

All state universities and universities of applied science in Saxony maintain bilateral co-operations with universities in Russia, largely based on set university or faculty agreements. There are more than 100 such co-operations in total, predominantly in technical and economic disciplines: engineering, electrical engineering, IT, mechanical engineering and economics.

Saxony's non-university research institutes collectively maintain nearly 70 bilateral co-operations with universities and research institutes in Russia, particularly in the fields of theoretical and experimental physics, engineering, materials chemistry and geography.

As part of the Erasmus+ programme, the EU Commission has given students from German universities the opportunity to cancel current and planned stays in Russia.

The Erasmus+ programme does not restrict Russian students from studying at German universities.  

The DAAD continues to offer individual scholarships for Russian students and scientists. If you have any questions, please contact your host university in Saxony directly.

The German Federal Foreign Office advises against travelling to the Russian Federation, travel warnings are in place in some regions. Stays in Russia must also be critically reviewed in light of the general stances taken by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research, the Saxon State Ministry of Science, and Germany's national scientific organisations.   

The DAAD is restricting academic exchanges with Russia, but is maintaining access paths to Germany. The following activities have currently been suspended:

  • DAAD-funded stays by German students, lecturers and researchers at Russian universities;
  • Joint events by German universities with Russian partner universities;
  • Joint activities with and direct funding of Russian academic institutions by the DAAD.

On the other hand, the DAAD is continuing its scholarship programmes for students and researchers from Russia. Russian DAAD scholarship-holders already in Germany will also retain their scholarship and can continue their stay as agreed.

DAAD-Website

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