Partnerships
Russia
As a consequence to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, all members of the Alliance of German Science Organisations, including the Leopoldina, froze their institutional relations with Russia on 25 February 2022. Until then, the cooperation between the Leopoldina and the Russian Academy of Sciences was based on a joint Memorandum of Understanding from 2011, which was extended and revised in 2021, focussing on the promotion of young scientists, science diplomacy and scientific cooperation on topics of common interest.
Situation since 25 February 2022
On 2 March 2022, under the leadership of the Leopoldina and within the framework of Germany’s G7 Presidency, the national academies of the G7 states condemned the unlawful and unprovoked war of the Russian Federation against Ukraine. They froze their institutional relations with Russia and declared their unwavering solidarity with the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine. Since the onset of the war, the Leopoldina has supported the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine and Ukrainian scientists in exile and in Ukraine. On national level, this support is carried out in cooperation with the members of the Alliance of German Science Organisations, and on international level together with the Polish Academy of Sciences and the United States National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.
Cooperation until 24 February 2022
The Leopoldina and its members regularly participated in conferences, symposia, workshops, and joint research projects within the various formats of German-Russian scientific cooperation. An example of promoting young scientists is the "German-Russian Young Scientist Forum," a high-level bilateral initiative from 2011 to 2014, which emerged during the "German-Russian Year of Education, Science and Innovation 2011/12." Partners included the German Junge Akademie and the Council of Young Scientists of the Russian Academy of Sciences. Four annual forums were held in Germany and Russia: 2011 in Moscow, 2012 in Berlin and Halle (Saale), 2013 in Bonn, Cologne and Jülich, and 2014 in Saint Petersburg. They were organised jointly with the most important science and funding organisations and renowned universities from both countries.
The Leopoldina was actively involved in the development of the “German-Russian Roadmap for Cooperation in Education, Science, Research, and Innovation.” The German Federal Ministry of Education and Research and the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation signed this bilateral document in December 2018. It outlined the intended strategic framework for bilateral cooperation in these areas for the period 2018-2028. The Leopoldina is also a member of the German-Russian Commission for Scientific and Technical Cooperation, which is suspended as well.
