Turku University gets funding for hiring Ukrainian researchers

The Turku Institute for Advanced Studies (TIAS) research collegium of the University of Turku has received additional funding for hiring researchers fleeing the war in Ukraine.

Kone Foundation has decided to support researchers and artists fleeing the war in Ukraine with working grants and residencies, said the university in a press release on Thursday.

The Foundation granted additional funding of €180,500 for the Scholars at Risk programme of the TIAS research collegium. Kone Foundation has previously granted €290,000 in funding for Scholars at Risk for 2022–2025.

“We have tried to make quick funding decisions and use existing structures to channel support which would rapidly reach Ukrainian, Russian and Belarusian researchers and artists fleeing their home countries. Long-term support from foundations for Ukrainians, as well as for Russians suffering under a dictator, will be necessary in the future, too. Philanthropic work is also peace work,” Kone Foundation’s Director of Funding Kalle Korhonen.

With the newly granted additional funding, the University of Turku can hire for example a post doc researcher to the TIAS research collegium for two years and a collegium researcher for one year.

“The tragic events in Ukraine have shocked us all. TIAS hopes to be able to play its role in helping our Ukrainian colleagues and welcomes the commitment from the Kone Foundation to fund places for Ukrainian Scholars at Risk to be able to work in our collegium,” said Director of TIAS, Professor Martin Cloonan.

The funding was also granted to the visiting program of researchers from the Baltic countries, Belarus, Russia, and Ukraine at the research collegium of the University of Helsinki.

The Foundation's residencies at Saari Manor in Mynämäki and Lauttasaari Manor in Helsinki will also receive residents from Ukraine, and additional funding was provided for these residencies.

The board of Kone Foundation granted additional grants nearly €400,000 at its meeting on 14 March 2022.

The Foundation's statutes do not allow humanitarian aid to be provided to Ukraine.