Information for hosts to academic refugees from Ukraine

Funding

If you wish to use your current research funds, check with the grant funder whether there are restrictions for e.g. forms of employment that are allowed.

There are many current sources available for funding for academic refugees.

Accommodation

KI housing currently has little or no possibility to take in visiting researchers directly. Short-term accommodation in Stockholm is a major limitation. The Swedish Migration Agency can offer temporary accommodation, but there is no choice of location. Local county councils might have arrangements for all refugees and no priority for academics.

Private sublets for KI coworkers.

Residence permit

Residence permits are granted according to the Temporary Protection Directive for those who came to Sweden on 30 October 2021 or later. Persons covered by the Temporary Protection Directive receive a residence permit with temporary protection. If persons having a residence permit with temporary protection under the Temporary Protection Directive wish to remain in Sweden, they must apply for an extended residence permit no later than 4 March 2023. The application must be submitted in the e‑service, which will be open from 1 February to 4 March 2023, see Protection under the Temporary Protection Directive - Migrationsverket.

Visa

Ukrainian citizens with a valid biometric passport are visa-free within the Schengen area and can stay in Sweden without a permit for 90 days.

Insurance and healthcare 

The Temporary Protection Directive gives the right to seek basic care. KI has a group insurance for foreign visitors who participate in the university's activities but do not have a Swedish social security number. The insurance also applies to the guest's accompanying family.

Provisions for family members

While your focus is on the researcher/PhD student you wish to host, there may be other family members (partners, children) that will also need to be incorporated into society. Children have the right to go to school according to the Temporary Protection Directive, even in preschool, and this is the responsibility of the local council authorities.

Psychological support

Consider that Incoming individuals (who might be traumatized) might require psychological support.

Employment possibilities

Doctoral students 

Doctoral students who are admitted to a university in Ukraine can complete parts of their doctoral education at KI as a “guest doctoral student”. They will still be admitted to their Ukrainian university and their doctoral degree will be issued there.

Employment:  A guest doctoral student can be employed on a short-term employment according to LAS. If the stay is prolonged, consider scholarships or to admit the doctoral student to KI, se below. Confer with HR staff regarding possibilities for employments. Persons cannot receive a KI scholarship if they have previously received a salary from KI.

Scholarship: KI-established doctoral scholarships may be awarded to persons who are located at KI as part of their doctoral education, but admitted to a doctoral program at another university. Scholarships may only be established using funds from external funders which have approved the be uses as disbursement of scholarships.

Another possibility is to “take over” a Ukrainian doctoral student in order to admit him/her to KI’s doctoral education. The KI doctoral education can be accredited with whatever the student already have been achieved in Ukraine. Note that the same rules and requirements apply for such doctoral student as for any other doctoral students at KI:  https://staff.ki.se/doctoral-education.

Employment/scholarship: A doctoral position employment does not need to be announced if the doctoral education have started at another university.

KI allows scholarship funding of doctoral students from low and middle income countries. Ukraine is defined as such country.

Postdocs 

Employment: Must be announced if there are no exceptions. Recommended to be employed as a short-term employment according to LAS. Employment at PKA can be used, but then you must be employed for two years at the time of employment. We are not allowed to use SÄVA before PKA. So, we must first hire at PKA for two years, then SÄVA (LAS).

Scholarship: KI can provide a supplementary scholarship or a full scholarship. If the person has an external scholarship that has been announced in a competition, KI can receive them and top them up with a salary or scholarship. Otherwise, the scholarship must be advertised. KI does not receive the scholarship, but we can accept the person. See https://staff.ki.se/scholarships

Researcher: 

Employment: Must be announced. Employment bases according to LAS can be used. 

Scholarship: Cannot be given to people who are not students at the undergraduate and advanced level, doctoral students or postdoctoral fellows.