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The Effect of War on Ukrainian Research

Author

Listed:
  • Gaetan de Rassenfosse

    (Ecole polytechnique federale de Lausanne)

  • Tetiana Murovana

    (Ecole polytechnique federale de Lausanne)

  • Wolf-Hendrik Uhlbach

    (Ecole polytechnique federale de Lausanne)

Abstract

The ongoing war in Ukraine has unsettled the Ukrainian scientific community in ways that have not been quantified. Some scientists have left the country or changed jobs. For those who remain in research, the destruction of civil infrastructure and psychological stress may dramatically slow down research progress. Based on a survey of over 2,500 Ukrainian scientists, we estimate that by the Fall of 2022, around 18.5 percent of the population of Ukrainian scientists fled the country, and around 17.6 percent left academia or stopped conducting research. Considering reductions in research time, we estimate that Ukraine has lost a fifth of its research capacity and, should the war stop today, about seven percent of its scientists. We further utilize the survey to shed more light on scientists who left the country and those who remained in Ukraine and conclude by discussing potential policy measures.

Suggested Citation

  • Gaetan de Rassenfosse & Tetiana Murovana & Wolf-Hendrik Uhlbach, 2023. "The Effect of War on Ukrainian Research," Working Papers 25, Chair of Science, Technology, and Innovation Policy.
    • Handle: RePEc:iip:wpaper:25
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Keywords

    Ukraine; Science; Mobility; War; Research; Migration;
    All these keywords.

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