Joint statement on Ukraine - Abertay University

Joint statement on Ukraine - Abertay University

Joint statement on Ukraine from Abertay University Principal, Professor Nigel Seaton and Abertay Student President, Robyn Thiel

As the distressing Russian invasion of Ukraine continues, our thoughts remain with all those affected, and with the members our community who may have links to the conflict.

The number one priority for both the University and Abertay Students’ Association is the welfare of our students and staff, and we are ensuring that support is being made available to all who need it.

The University has been in contact with the small number of Ukrainian and Russian students currently studying here at Abertay to offer advice and pastoral support.  While we don’t currently have any students on the ground in Ukraine, we have reached out to our partner institutions there to offer to assist in any way that we can.

The Student and Academic Services team are on hand to provide support to all our students and can be contacted through the Support Enquiry Zone. Students can also find links to a number of resources, including out-of-hours support, on our support pages. We also have support in place for staff, including counselling, with details available on the People Services intranet pages.

The University’s senior team is liaising with colleagues from across the HE sector and the Scottish Government as we seek to coordinate further action at a national level, and has offered assistance to CARA (Council for At-Risk Academics) who are working to support Ukrainian academics.

The Students’ Association is also coordinating with its networks and society members, in addition to supporting the local response here in Dundee.

As a University with a strong sense of community, we know that some staff and students may be keen to play a part in the humanitarian response. The Scottish Government has provided some links to useful sites, including Ready.Scot and OSCR, where you can find out more about how to donate safely and securely, or get involved in recognised charity appeals from organisations such as the Disasters Emergency Committee, UNICEF, the British Red Cross and the International Rescue Committee.

We will, of course, stay in touch with our students and staff as the situation develops.