We stand by the Ukrainian people and, in support, we will be lighting our iconic Founder’s Building in the colours of the Ukrainian flag next week.

Over the last week we have witnessed the unprovoked invasion of Ukraine by the Russian Federation, and watched as cities crumble under siege. Our thoughts are with Ukrainian citizens all over the world, and we fully support the statement issued by the representative body for universities across the UK which you can read here.

On Thursday evening (3 March), a vigil was held for Ukraine in our Chapel and, since the invasion began, we have been reaching out to students, staff and alumni who may be directly affected.

On Monday (7 March), Professor Daniel Beer and Professor Dan Stone will take part in a round table discussion, with academics from other universities to address the different dimensions of this conflict. 

More than a million people have fled Ukraine and in response, a number of charities have launched appeals. The Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) has launched a humanitarian appeal which will be match-funded up to £20m by the UK government to support people fleeing the conflict. DEC brings together 15 charities who, by pooling their fundraising efforts and humanitarian expertise, can effectively respond at times of crisis. If you feel able to give, you can find out more here.

We all hope that a peaceful resolution can be found. Until then, as a university, we will continue to provide support to members of our community, from any country, directly and indirectly affected.