The International Political Science Association World Congress took place in Seoul from July 12 to July 16, 2025. The event provided an excellent opportunity to: 1) promote the results of the FreeAC project, 2) participate in the global discourse on the challenges to...

This lecture explores how the principles of climate justice can shape Ukraine’s post-war reconstruction. As the country recovers from the devastating effects of armed conflict, rebuilding efforts present a unique opportunity to prioritize sustainable development,...

Overall, more than 22 000 different sanctions are currently active against Russia. This is the highest number ever in human history. Russia is 3+ times more sanctioned than Iran, 5+ times more than Syria or North Korea. But some areas remain untouched. For example, it...

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has placed academic freedom under severe threat, making media coverage a key arena where its narrative is constructed. This study employs qualitative content analysis to examine how leading Ukrainian news outlets frame academic freedom in...

On 20 November 2025 the guest lecture “Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression Against Ukraine: Toward Justice and Accountability” was held in hybrid format at the University of Graz within the Erasmus+ project “Promoting Academic Freedom in Ukraine” (FreeAc)....

On the 13th of November 2025, the University of Graz held an online webinar titled “Academic Writing with Generative AI” within the Erasmus+ project “Promoting Academic Freedom in Ukraine (FreeAc)”. The session was designed for students from Ukrainian partner...

This lecture explores how war, despite its destruction and loss, can also serve as a catalyst for unexpected cultural transformations. Based on Olha Volynska’s book Art Against Artillery: Voices of Resilience, the discussion highlights how Ukrainian artists respond to...

The latest issue of the FreeAc Newsletter is now available! This edition features key updates on the project’s ongoing activities, including: The Baseline Study and Best Practices now published in both English and Ukrainian. New lectures in the Ukrainian Voices...

On 14 October 2025, Ukrainian author and journalist Olha Volynska delivered the lecture “Art Against Artillery: Cultural Resilience in Times of Crisis” within the Erasmus+ project “Promoting Academic Freedom in Ukraine”. Held in a hybrid format at the University of...

Explore our baseline study: “Conditions, Needs and Challenges for Displaced Members of Academia of Ukrainian Higher Education Institutions.” This publication sheds light on the realities faced by Ukrainian academics in exile, identifying key barriers, needs, and...

Discover our latest publication: “Mapping the integration of displaced Ukrainian members of academia into the higher education sector in selected countries in the EU.” Featuring case studies from Austria, Greece, Italy, and Poland, it showcases successful approaches...

Group 3: Freedom of Academic and Cultural Expression A third group of international students at the Summer School took on the subject of freedom of expression: How free are students, teachers, and cultural creators to express their views in academic and artistic...

Group 2: Campus Integrity in Times of War and Crisis As part of this year’s FreeAc Summer School on Academic Freedom, a group of students from across Europe came together in Poznań to explore a pressing question facing higher education institutions today: How can...

In this first feature from our series of student projects, we highlight elements of the outstanding work by Group 1, who tackled the complex issue of institutional autonomy in Ukrainian higher education. Team members: Kira Ruban – Adam Mickiewicz University, Poland...

The Ukraine conflict has transformed civic engagement, with society actively producing public services as state institutions weaken. As a young democracy, Ukraine has granted civil society greater freedom, though questions persist about power redistribution and...

Dr. Petro Katerynych explored this question during his fascinating lecture on 'Resilient Minds, Fragile Networks: Protecting Academic Freedom and Rebuilding Ukraine's Higher Education Amidst Cyberwars and AI Threats' at the Free Ac Summer School. Dr. Katerynych...

On 30 June 2025, a constructive monitoring meeting was held at the ETC Uni Graz to review the progress of the FreeAc project, with participation from FreeAc project coordinator Lisa Heschl and project manager Svitlana Andreichenko. Representatives from OeAD, Veronika...

From 23 to 27 June 2025, the Faculty of Political Science and Journalism at Adam Mickiewicz University (AMU) in Poznań hosted an international Summer School on Academic Freedom in Times of War. Organised within the framework of the Erasmus+ project “Promoting Academic...

On 3 June 2025, Dr Svitlana Andreichenko took part in the session "Research Cultures in Crisis: Universities and the War in Ukraine" during the Research Culture Week held at the University of Hull, England, from 2 to 5 June 2025. In her presentation,  Svitlana...

On May 7, 2025, the Promoting Academic Freedom in Ukraine (FreeAc) project was presented during an event organized by the ETC Center at the University of Graz. The event featured a screening of the documentary "Refugee Girls", followed by a discussion as part of an...

Dr. Lisa Heschl and Dr. Svitlana Andreichenko participated in the Staff Training Week on “Responsible Internationalization and Institutional Support for At-Risk Scholars,” held from March 10 to 14, 2025, at Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece. The event was...

A significant highlight of the Free Ac Summer School was Dr. Inna Makarenko's revealing lecture on "Potemkin Village of Russian Science: The Case of Editorial Boards". Dr. Makarenko presented findings from a comprehensive investigation into the editorial boards of 140...

Dr. Lisa Heschl, coordinator of the Erasmus+ project "Promoting Academic Freedom in Ukraine" (2023-1-AT01-KA220-HED-000164930), and Dr. Svitlana Andreichenko, project manager, gave an interview for the University of Graz magazine UNIZEIT, where they discussed the...

On 12–13 June 2024, the Erasmus+ Cooperation Seminar for Austrian and Ukrainian Higher Education Institutions took place in Vienna. One of the main objectives of the event was to strengthen existing partnerships and explore new opportunities for cooperation between...

A highlight of the Free Academic Summer School was a fascinating lecture by Dr Angelo Vito Panaro on 'Academic Freedom Index: Methods to Measure Academic Freedom'. Dr. Panaro presented sobering findings from the 2025 Academic Freedom Index update, which tracks...

On 18 June 2025, a guest lecture within the series “Ukrainian Voices: Academic Freedom ina Changing World” was held online as part of the Erasmus+ project “Promoting AcademicFreedom in Ukraine” (FreeAc, ID 2023-1-AT01-KA220-HED-000164930). The event wasco-hosted by...

On May 12, 2025, the University of Graz successfully held an interactive online workshop titled "Academic Writing in English", organised within the framework of the Erasmus+ project “Promoting Academic Freedom in Ukraine (FreeAc)” (ID KA220-HED-AB735F9). The workshop...

On May 6, 2025, the University of Graz successfully held an online webinar "Teaching with Technology in Higher Education" within the framework of the Erasmus+ project "Promoting Academic Freedom in Ukraine (FreeAc)" (ID KA220-HED-AB735F9). The event was specifically...

Dear colleagues, We are reaching out as coordinators of the Erasmus+ project “Promoting Academic Freedom in Ukraine (FreeAc)”, a vital initiative aimed at supporting Ukrainian higher education institutions (HEIs) in these challenging times. 🔹 Who we are Our consortium...

We are excited to announce the first steps of our Erasmus+ FreeAc project, a collaborative effort to protect and enhance academic freedom for Ukrainian higher education institutions, students, and staff. Recognising the challenges Ukraine faces in the wake of conflict...

The Erasmus+ project “Promoting Academic Freedom in Ukraine (FreeAc)” as an example of Erasmus+ Good Practice Projects for collaboration between Ukrainian and Austrian universities. From June 12 to 13, 2024, an important event organized by the OeAD took place in...