Following Russia’s invasion into Ukraine, the ZHAW took immediate action and admitted students from Ukrainian universities.

The day Russian military forces crossed into Ukraine was a day with far-reaching consequences for Europe. The ZHAW shared the position of the Swiss Federal Council and strongly condemned the military intervention and massive violation of international law by Russia. Joining swissuniversities and other universities in Switzerland, the ZHAW took swift action to admit lecturers, researchers and students from Ukrainian universities.

Straightforward admission

Supporting students affected by the war and enabling them to continue or supplement their studies was a matter of great importance to the ZHAW. The Executive Board of the ZHAW decided to allow students enrolled at a university in Ukraine who had fled to Switzerland and been granted protection status S to join the spring semester on a temporary basis as visiting students and without having to negotiate mountains of red tape. They were therefore able to visit courses and access the ZHAW’s infrastructure. This immediate measure was extended into the 2022/23 autumn semester. In total, 23 students from Ukraine were admitted to various degree programmes across the ZHAW, with two students continuing their studies in the autumn semester as regular students enrolled at the ZHAW.