Information on the impact of the war in Ukraine

Currently, there are no LUH students staying in Ukraine, Belarus or Russia in the context of a study-related period abroad.

The Presidential Board has decided to suspend all collaborations with Russia for the time being. In particular, this affects the strategic partnership with Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University and the triple degree programme Energy Technology available within the framework of this collaboration.

All LUH students enrolled in the triple degree programme will receive a double degree awarded by LUH and the Finnish partner university in Lappeenranta. Students enrolled in the triple degree programme at Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University can no longer transfer to LUH.

Until further notice, new students cannot enrol in this degree programme. Application and admissions procedures at LUH that have already been commenced will be discontinued.

Contact Information: Course Advice

No, LUH students cannot apply for a semester abroad in Russia at the moment.

Germany suspends its relations with Russia – however, these restrictions will not affect Russian citizens currently staying in Germany with a German residence permit.

This means:

• Russian students currently completing a preparatory course ("Studienkolleg") or Russian students who have already commenced their studies at LUH (bachelor’s, master’s or doctoral studies) may continue their studies as usual. Enrolment will NOT be terminated due to their nationality.
• Russian students staying in Germany and wishing to pursue postgraduate studies at LUH may apply as usual and will not experience any disadvantages due to their nationality. In particular, this means:
• Preparatory course participants may apply for bachelor's degree programmes at LUH.
• Students enrolled in bachelor's degree programmes may apply for master's degree programmes at LUH.
• Students enrolled in master's degree programmes may apply for doctoral studies at LUH.

Payment of DAAD grants (“Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst”) for Russian students already staying in Germany will continue as scheduled.

The DAAD continues to offer individual grant programmes for Russian students and doctoral candidates intending to study in Germany. Learn more

Exchange students studying at a Russian partner university who have been accepted may spend their period abroad at LUH as scheduled – provided that they can enter Germany.

Refugees do not require any preliminary review documentation (VPD) from uni-assist. Please apply within the relevant deadline via the LUH application portal.

Application deadlines:

Studienkolleg:

• 1 Dec.-15 Jan. for the summer semester
• 1 June-15 July  for the winter semester

Bachelor’s:

You are subject to the application deadlines for prospective students from Germany and EU countries.

Master’s:

You are subject to the application deadlines for prospective students from non-EU countries.

The Leibniz Language Centre offers intensive German language courses for future students of Leibniz University Hannover that are also available for refugees.

Learn more

Students at risk who do not stay in Germany, the EU or EEA/EFTA at the time of nomination may apply for funding provided within the scope of the Hilde Domin Programme of the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD). Students will be nominated by the International Office. (Contact information: Ludolf von Dassel) 

Ukrainian students with an existing residence title as per section 24 are eligible to apply for BAföG from 1 June 2022.

Students enrolled at a Ukrainian university pursuing studies in Germany as exchange or degree-seeking students are eligible for Erasmus+ funding. (Contact information: Andree Klann)

Students and doctoral candidates enrolled at the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering or the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science who lived in Ukraine until 24 February 2022 and / or have been in Germany as (exchange) students since winter semester 2021/22, who could not return to their home country due to the war and now intend to complete a university degree in Germany, are eligible to apply for the DAAD-funded programme “LUH4Ukraine”. Information about the next call for applications: www.uni-hannover.de/de/universitaet/internationales/wege-nach-hannover/luh4ukraine

The Presidential Board has decided to suspend all collaborations with Russia for the time being. All activities with Russia, including institutional and strategic connections with Russian institutions, will be abandoned until further notice. This applies to research and teaching activities. All joint visible activities such as workshops, conferences or similar meetings - including virtual ones - will be cancelled. New joint projects will not be commenced.

In particular, this affects the strategic partnership with Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University.

Furthermore, LUH will suspend any financial transfer activities with educational and research institutions in Russia. LUH members maintaining active collaborations with Russia in receipt of third-party funding are urged to contact the respective funding body.

University management would like to emphasise that personal contact between researchers from both countries is encouraged and desired to promote peaceful international collaboration.

University management recommends the following course of action:

• Publication projects with partners in Russia that have already been commenced but have not been completed yet may be completed (such as contributions to journals currently in review).
• Joint publications on sensitive issues should not be published (such as publications on potential dual-use technology).
• Joint publication projects or joint attendance at a conference that has not taken place yet should be avoided.
• New publication projects with partners in Russia should not be commenced.

Foundations and funding bodies are currently in the process of creating opportunities for researchers from Ukraine. LUH hosts are welcome to contact the International Office for guidance on applying for funding (contact person: Manuela Schimmels).

Alexander von Humboldt Foundation: Philipp Schwartz Initiative

German Research Foundation (DFG): Walter Benjamin Programme, refugee researchers from Ukraine and Russia are now eligible to apply

Faculty of Mechanical Engineering at LUH: Support fund for researchers from Ukraine: Funding for researchers in the fields mechanical, biomedical, industrial, chemical, aeronautical metallurgical and mechatronical engineering or in related disciplines. Contact person: Dr. Sarah Engelmann.

German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD): Hilde Domin Programme, funding programme for threatened doctoral candidates

Erasmus+: Students and members of staff enrolled at or employed by a Ukrainian university are eligible to apply for Erasmus funding for their stay in Germany. Contact information: Andree Klann

Accident insurance:

All members of Leibniz University Hannover are automatically insured via the statutory accident insurance policy. This policy covers accidents in the workplace, commuting accidents as well as occupational illnesses that occurred in connection with duties at the university.

As LUH employees, refugee researchers with an employment contract are insured via the university’s accident insurance policy.

Start of insurance coverage:

• employed researchers: from the first day of the employment contract,
• researchers funding their stay independently or via a scholarship:
  • in the case of postdocs from the chosen day indicated in the notification submitted to the Personnel and Legal Department (Dezernat 2)
  • in the case of doctoral candidates once enrolment has been completed at the Admissions Office. To fill any gaps that might occur, as well as to enable doctoral candidates to commence their position at the Institute straight away, the Personnel and Legal Department (Dezernat 2) may be notified.

Prior to commencing their duties, the institute must inform the Personnel and Legal Department by submitting this request.

Contact person for approving stays of foreign researchers:

Dezernat 2
Anke Giltmann
Tel. +49 511 762 19772
Email anke.giltmann@zuv.uni-hannover.de

No. Until further notice, LUH members are not permitted to conduct business travel to Ukraine, Russia or Belarus, since the safety of travellers cannot be guaranteed. Approval for business travel requests that has already been granted has been revoked.

Since November 2023, Lower Saxony has not taken in new refugees from Ukraine because the required quotas have been fulfilled. Refugees are being referred to other federal states that still have capacity. Refugees in Lower Saxony are subject to restrictions regarding their place of residence. This means that they are initially permitted to live in specific districts only. Taking up studies does not result in an exemption from these restrictions. Students from Ukraine with a residency permit under Section 24 will need to determine whether these restrictions apply to them. The restrictions do not apply to (exchange) students from Ukraine with a residency permit under Section 16 or to researchers with a residency permit under Section 18d.

Ukrainian citizens with a national visa or residence permit may apply for a residence title or renew the validity of an existing residence title as usual. 

Ukrainian nationals who have fled Ukraine and foreigners who cannot return safely and permanently to their country or region of origin may currently enter Germany without a visa and stay in Germany without a residence permit for a period of 90 days from the date of their arrival. They should register in Germany as soon as possible following their arrival and apply for a residence permit at the foreigners' authority.

Russian citizens will not be expelled from Germany and will be able to apply for a residence permit at the foreigners' authority as usual.

The social guidance department of Studentenwerk Hannover provides prompt and straightforward support services for students experiencing financial difficulties.

The students' union (AStA) provides the following options for students experiencing financial difficulties:

• Mensa card grants provided within the scope of the initiative "Mensafreitische"
• Semester ticket funding provided within the scope of the initiative "Semesterticketausfallfond"
• A one-off loan

LUH students and members of staff in need of psychological help due to the war in Ukraine are welcome to contact Psychological Counselling for Students (ptb) in order to book an appointment as soon as possible. Confidential guidance is available for all those seeking help, irrespective of their nationality. Contact information

The Presidential Board urges all LUH members to demonstrate solidarity with Ukraine and help in any way they can. As an institution, LUH has decided against holding an individual fundraising campaign. The university asks members of staff to support the numerous relief organisations specialising in providing help where it is needed most.

Among other resources, ways to help can be found here:

• UNO-Flüchtlingshilfe
• Caritas International
• unicef
• Ukrainischer Verein in Niedersachsen
• Freiwilligenzentrum Hannover
• Hannover hilft

In order to support faculties, institutes and facilities in charge of advising and supervising persons directly or indirectly affected by the war in Ukraine, central facilities at LUH offer the following services:

• Advice on cases and course matters provided by colleagues: Please send an email to welcome-centre@zuv.uni-hannover.de containing details about your query.

LUH students can assist pupils or refugees in educational institutions with learning German as a second or foreign language. The course “Werkstatt DaZ/DaF” of the German Department helps them prepare for this task. The course provides basic theoretical and practical knowledge for teaching German; prior knowledge is not required. The course addresses all students in teacher training courses. However, the course is also available for interested students in other degree programmes. Please register via Stud.IP.

In addition to attending the course "Werkstatt DaZ/DaF", students can apply their theoretical knowledge at #LernenVernetzt or gain in-depth knowledge on teaching German as a second/foreign language and language education in the context of additional elements of the certificate "Bescheinigung internationaler und interkultureller Kompetenzen Lehramt: Mehrsprachigkeit und Bildung" (BIKO-LAMB).

If they participate in the course “Werkstatt DaZ/DaF” or in the #LernenVernetzt project at schools or other educational institutions, students enrolled in teacher training courses can acquire two credit points in professional development, as well as for the elements of the certificate “Bescheinigung internationaler und interkultureller Kompetenzen Lehramt: Mehrsprachigkeit und Bildung“ (BIKO-LAMB).

Further information:

• #LernenVernetzt
• Werkstatt DaZ/DaF
• BIKO-LAMB