Zagreb University has expressed strong support to the Ukrainian academic community, which includes providing Ukrainian students with all the help they require to facilitate their studying at the Zagreb University.

The University of Zagreb expresses its solidarity with the families of the academic community, their friends, compatriots and everyone in friendly Ukraine who has been caught in these difficult times, a press release from the university said on Wednesday.

As an institution that nurtures European values and develops a modern, democratic, multicultural and free society, the University of Zagreb is following the sad events in Ukraine with attention and great sorrow and hopes that a peaceful solution will be found to bring the grave suffering and war to an end.

Ukraine was among the first countries to recognise Croatia and that enabled our university to act autonomously within Croatia, the university said.

Universities need to be centres of intellectual, expert, critical and moral debates, pacifist, proactive and constructive initiatives and activities, free expression of thought and places that motivate cooperation and partnership with institutions and individuals throughout the world.

Hence, it is the duty of universities to care through their activities for the future of all mankind and advocate dialogue and the freedom of every individual, the press release says and adds that war and war suffering are in contradiction to university, scientific, educational and overall human values.

The Zagreb University has made a recommendation to its faculties that students who have taken refuge in Croatia and wish to continue studying at the Zagreb University are enabled to continue their higher education and subsequently, with the mediation of expert services, to launch proceedings to recognise that period of their studies or their enrolment in the next academic year.