Science in times of crisis 

Background  

Science in Times of Crisis is an ISC-led collaborative project which mobilizes Members and other ISC partners to respond to support colleagues affected by crises around the world, including Ukraine and Afghanistan.  

Activities and impact

Responding to the war in Ukraine 

• February 2022: The ISC published a Statement on the war in Ukraine and began working with Members and partners to mobilize support for Ukraine’s scientific community. 
• 2022: The ISC and All European Academies (ALLEA) launched the Ukraine Science Stakeholders group, which meets monthly to coordinate the science community’s response to the Ukraine crisis. The group connects science stakeholders in Ukraine and around the world, including NGOs, science academies and disciplinary bodies, governments, UN agencies and the private sector. 
• June 2022: The ISC and partners ALLEA, Kristiania University College and Science for Ukraine hosted the ‘Conference on the Ukraine Crisis: Responses from the European Higher Education and Research Sectors’. The conference included more than 150 participants, who contributed to seven key recommendations.  
• March 2023: A follow-up conference organized in collaboration with ALLEA brought together more than 530 participants from around the world, and included sessions hosted by Science Europe, the National Research Foundation of Ukraine, The Council of Young Scientists, and the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine. Watch the conference presentations and read the conference report. 

Supporting the scientific community in Afghanistan 

• December 2022: The ISC released a statement on the exclusion of women from university education in Afghanistan, which urged Afghan authorities to reverse their decision.  
• The ISC’s action and support page includes resources and opportunities for the scientific community in Afghanistan. 

Next steps

The project team is looking into producing several policy briefs and holding a discussion on how scientific publications can better support researchers affected by crises.

The ISC Members are invited to reach out to get invovled.