NordForsk's commitment to research in support of Ukraine

In response to the unprecedented situation for Ukrainians after Russias full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, NordForsk has funded several research initiatives on Ukranian refugee integration in the Nordic-Baltic region and a network to help rebuild Ukraine.

Initiatives

Ukraine: Integration and Governance Dynamics in Nordic and Baltic States (INFLUX)

Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, millions have crossed the border to neighbouring countries in the West of whom many have continued through Europe to the Nordic-Baltic region. These refugees and migrants have a different demographic profile than many previous migrant groups, and there have also been several changes to the integration acts in the Nordic countries.

The INFLUX project is a result of special commission which NordForsk received from the Nordic Council of Ministers secretariat to fund research supporting activities with relevance mainly for the integration of refugees from Ukraine in the Nordic countries.

HROMADA – Nordic-Baltic knowledge-based input network to the rebuilding of Ukraine

HROMADA is a network comprising researchers based at universities, research institutions and think tanks in the Baltic and the Nordic countries with a specific expertise on Ukraine to contribute to the country’s rebuilding and sustainable development. The network provides a platform for cooperation and exchange, with a particular focus on producing and disseminating policy-relevant knowledge to decision-makers from the municipal level to the Nordic Council of Ministers, Nordic Council and Baltic Assembly. It consists of several thematic working groups, addressing possible solutions to concrete challenges.

To integrate or return? Policies, aspirations and outcomes for Ukrainian refugees in the Nordic countries

Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine from February 2022 has resulted in the largest migration flow in Europe since World War II. The European (short-term) solution has been to provide Ukrainians fleeing the war with temporary collective protection to tackle the massive influx. However, after the initial shock and as the war drags on, the dilemma of whether one should have a short- or long-term perspective on Ukrainian refugees’ stay in their host countries becomes impossible to ignore – both for policymakers and for Ukrainians themselves.

This dilemma relates to questions of both integration and return. In this project, we examine the dynamics between 1) national integration and return policies, 2) the Ukrainian refugees’ experiences and aspirations, and 3) actual return and integration outcomes for this group – and how these dynamics develop the initial years from 2022 to 2025.

Linguistic Integration of Refugee Children and their Families (LINC)

This collaborative project investigates the linguistic integration of Ukrainian refugees across four countries around the Nordic-Baltic region: Sweden, Norway, Estonia and Lithuania.

The Russian invasion of Ukraine is one of the greatest challenges of our time, having led to a massive westward exodus of Ukrainian refugees. Families consisting mainly of women and children have fled a bilingual society where both Ukrainian and Russian are spoken and must now adapt to life in a new country with a different majority language, for an indefinite period of time. Host countries are faced with the challenge of integrating refugees into society, and for this integration language is key.

Promoting Access to Health Services through Participatory Approach: E-Health Intervention to Promote Good Health Seeking (PATHS)

The project investigates migrant health needs and experienced barriers to healthcare access for Ukrainian Refugee Women (URW) residing in Norway, Sweden and Estonia. The project will design and develop a User Centered Design (UCD) of Digital Health Intervention (DHI), to help improve dissemination of information, increase access to healthcare services, and strengthen support systems within the healthcare infrastructure.