Interdisciplinary Ukraine Studies: A book for the future of research!

Interdisciplinary Ukraine Studies: A book for the future of research!

On May 21, 2025, Prof. Dr. Andrii Portnov presented his book “Ukraine Studies. Introduction” in Berlin. The event took place in cooperation with the Institute for Slavic and Hungarian Studies at the Humboldt University in Berlin, the Viadrina Center of Polish and Ukrainian Studies (VCPU) and Prisma Ukraina. Portnov's book is the first German-language interdisciplinary introduction to Ukrainian studies and offers a comprehensive overview of topics such as history, politics and society, language, culture as well as cultural contacts and cultural exchange. European University Viadrina reports that...

Prof. Dr. Susanne Frank emphasized the uniqueness of the book during the presentation. Portnov himself explained the interdisciplinary character and presented essential content that is covered in several chapters on the Ukrainian language, literature, theater and filmography. A central feature of the book is the history of connections, which focuses in particular on Jewish-Ukrainian, Polish-Ukrainian, Russian-Ukrainian and Ottoman-Ukrainian contacts. Ukrainian intellectuals who are often unknown to the German-speaking audience are also presented.

Importance of Ukraine Studies

Portnov not only gave an overview of the development of German-language Ukraine studies, which had their origins during the First World War, but he also pointed out the urgency of Ukrainian issues in times of crisis. He included the context of the war in his observations and wanted to portray the complexity of Ukraine studies without reducing history exclusively to experiences of violence. Topics covered also include Ukrainian nationalism and the often neglected socialism.

The interdisciplinary and internationally oriented series on Ukraine studies, to which Portnov's book is part, aims to transfer Ukraine-relevant knowledge between different disciplines. Complex social, social, political and cultural processes in Ukraine are discussed. Particular attention is paid to the challenges posed by Russia's war of aggression and Ukraine's potential EU/NATO accession. These goals are crucial in order to convey a differentiated image of Ukraine and strengthen German-Ukrainian relations. Nomos reports that…

Academic exchange and the current situation

The relevance of Ukraine studies is currently particularly evident in the effects of the war, which affect all areas of life, including education and research. Since the conflict began in February 2022, over 1,300 schools and educational institutions have been damaged or destroyed. In this context, Germany and Ukraine are expanding their academic exchange through various projects. Deutschland.de reports that…

One example is the Center for Interdisciplinary Ukrainian Studies at the University of Regensburg, which opened in October 2024. With a focus on protecting wartime cultural heritage and regional diversity in Donbas, this center is supported by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD). Another project is the Competence Network for Interdisciplinary Ukrainian Studies in Frankfurt (Oder) and Berlin, which connects numerous institutions in order to strengthen Ukraine-related teaching and research. The DAAD is supporting this network with 2.5 million euros over four years.

Portnov's book presentation and the accompanying projects clearly show how important it is to expand scientific relations between Germany and Ukraine and to understand the complexity and diversity of Ukraine, especially in times of change and crisis.