If you feel the need to discuss the situation, please do so. Students can reach out to their Study Career Coach, or counsellor. Staff members can reach out to their manager.
Our Centre of International Affairs (COIA) is monitoring the situation and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' travel advice. For Ukraine, the travel advice is red, which means that travel for Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences is not allowed. This also applies to Belarus because the travel advice for that country is orange. Despite the fact that the travel advice for Russia is yellow at the moment, we urgently advise against travelling to Russia for study or work-related purposes due to the rapidly developing situation and possible effects of sanctions on travel opportunities. Keep an eye on further announcements.
What is happening now in Ukraine is terrible. We can imagine that this worrying situation is leading to conversations in the classroom and in the workplace and may possibly lead to tensions. Remember that wars are rarely if ever started by ordinary citizens, but by leaders who send men and women to war. As we strive to provide a safe learning and working environment for all our students and staff, we ask everyone to engage in conversations on this topic in a respectful manner.
Lecturers confronted with difficult conversations in the classroom can make use of the manual Controversial and emotional topics in the classroom (in dutch).
Ron Bormans
President Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences