DU Interview with Dr. Oleksandr Zabirko: Ukraine in German Academia after Four Years of the Russian Full-Scale War

Back in 2014, during the annexation of Crimea, people often had to answer questions such as: Is Ukraine even a sovereign nation? Is Ukrainian just a form of Russian? Or does it even have its own history and culture? Today, such debates are largely unthinkable in academia and the public sphere – a change that cannot be taken for granted.

Fundamentally, narratives about Ukraine in German academia depend highly on the discipline and cannot usually be reduced to a few core themes. History focuses on different questions than economics, for example. 

In politically relevant research, however, two themes stand out as particularly prominent in my view. Firstly, Ukrainian resilience, i.e., the cultural, historical, and economic resources that support the country's resistance. Secondly, the decolonization perspective, which places Ukrainian resistance in the broader context of the liberation of former colonies from imperial dependence. This involves, in particular, critically questioning Russocentric perspectives on the history, culture, and politics of Ukraine. 

However, the analytical value of both narratives can be slightly controversial, mainly because the line between analysis and political activism can easily blur.

Traditionally, history and philology, especially literary studies, have dominated Ukrainian studies. Today, law, economics, and political science are also more strongly represented, significantly increasing the diversity of perspectives. At the same time, this breadth carries the risk of trivialization: due to the highly topical nature of the subject, the focus often lies on current buzzwords or fashionable topics rather than on basic research.

Since 2022, the institutional presence of Ukrainian scholars in German academia has become significantly stronger. At the same time, however, they are often addressed primarily as contemporary witnesses of the war or as regional experts, rather than as theorists or catalysts for methodological debates. The visibility of their research remains comparatively low in relation to this presence. Despite increased attention, persistent structural asymmetries remain: recognition is given, but genuine epistemic equality only occurs in isolated cases.

The simultaneity of war and normality: that social routines - including research and education - continue in Ukraine, but under constant existential threat. This is difficult for many to imagine. 

Unfortunately, the meaningfulness of Ukrainian resistance itself is sometimes no less difficult to convey. Even if you can justify its necessity rationally, some consider this justification ethically problematic and are quick to dismiss it as war propaganda. This points to a skepticism toward military force that is deeply rooted in German academia, but also to the often unquestioned normativity of a supposedly neutral stance.