‘One week after the war broke out in Ukraine on 24 February, the Board asked us to arrange something for our Ukrainian, Russian and Belarusian students who were at risk of running into problems,’ says Juliëtte Nieuwland, relationship manager of the Amsterdam University Fund. ‘We got cracking right away. Everyone got involved, from copywriters, graphic designers and fundraisers to communication advisers, social media specialists and IT specialists. We wrote, made phone calls, talked to people and made arrangements. And within the space of a few hours, we had launched a fully fledged crowdfunding page and had set up all the UvA websites, platforms and social media channels.’

The next day, over a hundred thousand alumni received an email from the UvA in their inbox and newsletters were sent to staff and students to spread the word about the campaign and to encourage as many people as possible to make a donation. And it worked; that weekend, we raised more than 30,000 euros. The UvA supplemented this amount by donating 20,000 euros, and the University of Amsterdam Alumni Association donated a sum of almost 8,000 euros (one euro for each member). To encourage students to take part in the relief effort as well, the UvA launched the ‘Geef5’ campaign a week later, whereby students could demonstrate their solidarity with their fellow students by donating five euros.

Various campaigns initiated by staff members, alumni and students

Staff members, alumni and students can also organise their own campaigns. A special module has been set up on the crowdfunding platform for this purpose. The Amsterdam student association A.S.C./A.V.S.V. has already raised 3,000 euros, and the popular student café Tapmarin shared the campaign via its social media channels. It is also planning a charity evening to raise money for this emergency fund. On 11 April, the Central Student Council (CSR) also got involved with the fundraising activities. In cooperation with Russian cellist Maya Fridman, the CSR organised a musical benefit evening on 11 April featuring primarily Russian and Ukrainian musicians. Psychology student and CSR member Joselyn Arevalo Moran: ‘By hosting this event, we want to show our support for the strong and rightfully proud Ukrainian citizens and show them that we will always stand by them.’

Over the past few weeks, spirited collaborations in all shapes and sizes have sprung up throughout the UvA. Not only to raise money, but also to gather supplies for Ukrainian refugees in Poland, such as medicines and hygiene products. For this, the CSR has set up a drop-off point at CREA. On Roeterseiland and at the Science Park, the inter-university organisation Students for Ukraine has been collecting humanitarian supplies. ‘Unprecedented,’ is the word used by Henriëtte van Oosterzee, Director of Alumni Relations and the Amsterdam University Fund, to describe all these initiatives. ‘We have never received so many donations in such a short period of time. The academic community has really put its best foot forward.’

Recipients of the student fund

Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine, about fifty students have contacted the UvA, most of whom are experiencing financial problems because of the war. One of these students is Anna, who has since been granted a scholarship and does not want her real name to be published in SPUI. Her Russian parents both lost their jobs as a result of the war, so they can no longer finance their daughter’s studies. ‘I would be lying if I said that this scholarship solves all my problems,’ she says. ‘Because the psychological stress is just as acute as the economic stress. But knowing that I can now pay my rent and stay here helps me to stay calm. For now, I can continue my studies. And that’s important, because it looks like I will have to find a job after my Bachelor’s degree to support my parents financially. They have nothing left.’

Want the latest news on the crowdfunding campaign? Then keep an eye on the crowdfunding platform. Donations are still welcome!