URIS Ukrainian Research in Switzerland

16/06/2026

📣 Public roundtable at Universität Bern

Understanding Political and Societal Transformations from Within: Perspectives from Ukraine, Russia and Georgia
How can political and societal transformations be understood as they unfold in real time?

This public roundtable brings together perspectives from Ukraine, Russia and Georgia to discuss realities shaped by war, political change and uncertain futures. Drawing on research, observation and lived experience, the discussion will reflect on current developments while situating them in broader historical and regional contexts.

🗓 25 June 2026, 18:00–19:30
📍 Lesesaal, Schweizerische Osteuropabibliothek (SOB), Hallerstrasse 6, 3012 Bern
🎤 Moderator: Oksana Myshlovska, University of Bern
🎟 Public event, free of charge

The event takes place as part of the international conference Dynamics of Conflict and Peacebuilding in Eastern Europe: Interdisciplinary and Cross-Regional Perspectives.

Find out more:

This roundtable brings together participants from Ukraine, Russia and Georgia to examine the profound political and societal transformations in their societies in real time. The discussion will cover knowledge from research, observations and the lived experience of those working to understand and do...

10/06/2026

📚 Ukrainian Literature in Basel

Join an evening with Serhij Zhadan, Katja Petrowskaja, Claudia Dathe and Irina Bondas as they explore the rich legacy of Ukrainian literature and introduce key authors of the Ukrainian modernist tradition.

The event is part of the «Ukrainische Bibliothek» series, which makes important works of Ukrainian literary heritage accessible to German-speaking audiences through new translations and critical reflections.

We are especially pleased to see the discussion moderated by Anna Hodel from the University of Basel.

📍 Literaturhaus Basel
🗓 23 June 2026, 19:00

A wonderful opportunity to engage with Ukrainian literature, culture, and intellectual history.

🔗 Tickets via Literaturhaus Basel:

In der Veranstaltung stellen Katja Petrowskaja und Serhij Zhadan Autor:innen der ukrainischen Moderne vor, darunter den Autor des ersten ukrainischen Stadtromans Walerian …

09/06/2026

📢 Opportunity for researchers working on Eastern Europe and Ukraine

The Institute for Slavic and Eastern European Studies (ISOS) at the Universität Zürich has opened a call for a postdoctoral position in the humanities and cultural studies (60-80%)

The position is open to researchers working on East Central, Eastern, and Southeastern Europe, the Caucasus, and Central Asia.

If you're working on Ukraine, don't miss this opportunity to apply! We'd love to see Ukraine research well represented in the applicant pool. 🇺🇦

📍 University of Zurich
⏳Application deadline: 15 July 2026
📅Start of employment: 1 September 2026 or by arrangement

More information can be found in the official call: https://bit.ly/4uu4gJk

08/06/2026

📚🇺🇦 Understanding Ukraine, Rethinking Europe

From 14–17 June 2026, leading historians and experts on Ukraine from around the world will gather at Monte Verità in Ascona for the international conference "Understanding Ukraine, Rethinking Europe".

The event marks a key milestone in the development of the Oxford Handbook of Ukrainian History and offers an opportunity to discuss new perspectives on Ukrainian history, contemporary challenges, and the future of East European studies.

The conference is co-organised by Benjamin Schenk and Olena Palko (Universität Basel), together with Fabian Baumann and Börries Kuzmany.

📍 Ascona, Switzerland
📅 14–17 June 2026

01/06/2026

How can reconstruction become more than rebuilding what has been destroyed?

On 10 June 2026, the Swiss Network with Ukraine (SNU) invites researchers, policymakers, and practitioners to ETH Zürich for the conference "Learning Together". The event explores reconstruction as a collaborative and long-term process that connects immediate recovery efforts with broader questions of sustainability, resilience, urban development, and social cohesion.

Panels will address topics such as affordable housing, resilient urbanism, digital infrastructure, circular construction, food systems, and damage assessment, while showcasing ongoing Swiss-Ukrainian initiatives that are already making a difference on the ground.

Rather than viewing reconstruction as a one-way transfer of expertise or aid, "Learning Together" highlights the mutual exchange of knowledge and experiences between Ukraine and Switzerland.

Participation is free, but places are limited.
📍 ETH Zürich, Campus Hönggerberg
🗓 10 June 2026
🔗

Swiss Network with Ukraine

21/05/2026

👋 We are still here!
The semester is already moving very quickly toward its end, but we still have a few exciting events and activities coming up that we would like to share with you over the next weeks.

One of them is the international workshop “Frontline Images of the War in Ukraine: Circulation, Aesthetics and Politics”, taking place in Geneva on 28–29 May 2026.

🎥 How are images from the war in Ukraine produced, circulated, and interpreted? What political and ethical questions emerge from drone footage, documentary filmmaking, digital platforms, and online wartime aesthetics?

The workshop brings together researchers, filmmakers, and media scholars to discuss visual culture and contemporary warfare in the context of Russia’s war against Ukraine.
📍 Geneva, Switzerland
🗓 28–29 May 2026
💻 Onsite & online participation available

Topics include:
▪️ drone imagery and operational images
▪️ documentary film and witnessing
▪️ TikTok, Telegram, and visual disinformation
▪️ wartime aesthetics and digital media
▪️ gaming cultures and militarisation

Livestream links are available on the official website: https://frontlineimages.sciencesconf.org

16/04/2026

📢 Job Opportunity in Zurich!
The Universität Zürich is currently recruiting a Postdoctoral Researcher (60–80%) in contemporary history, with a focus on Eastern Europe.

The position is part of a newly established institute (Institute for Slavic and Eastern European Studies) and offers the opportunity to contribute to an ambitious research project on economic systems, energy, and infrastructure in late 20th-century Eastern Europe - with strong prospects for longer-term academic development.

Let’s make sure Ukraine-focused projects are well represented in this call! 🇺🇦

🗓 Start: July 2026 (or by arrangement)
📍 Location: Zurich
⏳ Deadline: 15 May 2026
👉 Find more information and apply here: https://www.isos.uzh.ch/de/institut/offene-stellen/postdoc-perovic.html

08/04/2026

📘 Neue RGOW-Ausgabe: Ukraine zwischen Resilienz und Wandel

Die aktuelle Ausgabe „Resilienz und Wandel“ (in Kooperation mit URIS) beleuchtet historische Perspektiven auf die Ukraine – und zeigt, wie Gesellschaft, Politik und Wirtschaft auf den anhaltenden Krieg reagieren.

Trotz Zerstörung und anhaltender Belastung werden Reformen weiter vorangetrieben, zivilgesellschaftliche Strukturen bleiben aktiv und neue Zukunftsperspektiven werden entwickelt – unter Kriegsbedingungen.

🌻 Im Fokus: Resilienz, Wiederaufbau und gesellschaftlicher Wandel
👥 Mit Beiträgen vieler bekannter Stimmen
🔗 https://rgow.eu/zeitschrift/2026/3-4/resilienz-und-wandel-historische-perspektiven-auf-die-ukraine

Ein fundierter, interdisziplinärer Blick auf Vergangenheit und Gegenwart der Ukraine.

Jetzt entdecken!

07/04/2026

Denken in einer neuen Raumzeit: Zur Lage der ukrainischen Künstler:innen und Intellektuellen im Krieg

Im Rahmen der Vortragsreihe "Conflict & Cooperation" des Forum Basiliense der Universität Basel spricht Katia Mishchenko über aktuelle Entwicklungen, Herausforderungen und Perspektiven.

📅 Montag, 13. April
🕕 18:15–19:45
📍 Hörsaal 102, Kollegienhaus, Universität Basel

24/03/2026

Über 90 Minuten war es still im Saal. Wirklich still.
Mehr als 150 Menschen hörten zu – gebannt, konzentriert, bewegt.

Im Zentrum des Gesprächs im Rahmen der Basler Geschichtstage standen die persönlichen Geschichten von Iryna Kamienieva und Volodymyr Kurinnyi: Flucht, Verlust und das Ankommen in der Schweiz. Sie gaben Einblicke in Lebensrealitäten, die oft abstrakt bleiben – hier jedoch konkret und greifbar wurden.

Luzia Tschirky brachte ihre wertvolle journalistische Aussenperspektive ein und verband diese individuellen Erlebnisse mit ihren eigenen Erfahrungen und Erlebnissen aus der Ukraine.

Besonders eindrücklich für uns: Über 60 Schüler:innen aus Basel waren im Publikum und haben im Unterricht über das Gehörte gesprochen.

Ein Abend, der gezeigt hat, wie wichtig es ist, zuzuhören – und die Ukraine sichtbar zu halten.

Vielen Dank an alle Besucher:innen und Podiumsgäst:innen für einen erinnerungswürdigen Abend und dieses eindrückliche Gespräch.

Fotos: Benjamin Plüss