Reflections on the German-Ukrainian Symposium

Against the background of the war in Ukraine, the Chairs of Slavistics Studies and TEFL (JMU) initiated a series of academic activities to foster effective collaboration in the fields of linguistics, literature, and pedagogy with Ukrainian universities. Involved partners for this international academic event are Ukrainian universities in exile Vasyl’ Stus Donetsk National University (DonNU), Mariupol State University (MSU), and frontline higher educational institutions – Zaporizhzhia Polytechnic National University (ZPNU) and Zaporizhzhia National University (ZNU). Researchers and students from JMU and Ukraine contributed significantly to the further perspective international cooperation during the symposium. The future initiatives frame ideas on interdisciplinarity, integration of Digital Humanities, and possible transcultural studies, using a wide range of technological tools and methods to achieve the common goal of global academic interaction.

Within the framework of the BAYHOST-initiated Mobility Grants 2023 and the support of DAAD, researchers and students from the humanities faculties and departments of JMU, ZPNU, ZNU, DonNu, MSU, CERPEK Masaryk University (Czech Republic), TH Aschaffenburg (Germany), and other interested parties had a perfect opportunity to exchange and expand their knowledge in various interdisciplinary studies, innovative projects, and transnational practices in the fields of linguistics, literature, and pedagogy.

Effective working days during the symposium not only brought together researchers from Germany and Ukraine, but also led to insightful keynote lectures and workshops.