Twenty-one universities from eight countries issued a statement today condemning Russia's invasion of Ukraine and called for institutions of higher learning to mobilize in support of victims and others in need.
"The presidents of the U7+ Alliance member universities stand in solidarity with Ukraine, the Ukrainian people, and Ukrainian universities, and with all those who are affected by the heinous violence currently perpetrated by the Russian government," the statement read.
The signing institutions are part of the U7+ Alliance, an international coalition of university presidents aimed at advancing the role of universities as global actors.
The leaders of those universities also said in the statement that they reaffirm their commitment to the safety and well-being of Russian students, faculty and staff on campuses, while commending the bravery of those inside Russia who chose to speak out against the invasion.
"Russia's invasion of Ukraine is a flagrant violation of international law and universities are taking a stand in defense of shared moral values," said Annelise Riles, associate provost of Global Affairs at Northwestern University and executive director of Northwestern's Roberta Buffett Institute for Global Affairs.
The institutions that have signed include: Australian National University, McGill University, Université d'Ottawa, University of British Columbia, University of Toronto, Aix-Marseille Université, Université Côte d'Azur, Université Grenoble Alpes, Université Paris Saclay, Freie Universitat Berlin, University of Mannheim, Hitotsubashi University, Keio University, Osaka University, The University of Tokyo, University of Cape Town, University of Cambridge, Georgetown University, Northwestern University, Sciences Po, and Université de Bordeaux.
