The scholarship will enable her to continue her research in safe conditions for two years. The funding is much more than just financial support for Olena Kotykova: it provides her and her family with stability and the opportunity to devote herself fully to her research work. “Thanks to the University of Greifswald’s resources and the trust placed in me by the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, I will be able to continue my research into the topic that has been at the heart of my academic career – sustainable development and resilience in the agricultural sector – on an international level,” reports Kotykova. In her project, she is investigating how circular food systems foster the development of rural regions and are able to support the transition towards more sustainable agriculture.
How Greifswald became a port of call
Olena Kotykova was Chair of Business Administration at the Mykolayiv National Agrarian University in Ukraine from 2011 to 2023. However, when Russia’s war of aggression started, it soon became clear that she would be unable to continue her work there under the prevailing conditions.
An important companion en route to Greifswald was her mentor Dr. Hasmik Hunanyan, Head of the University of Greifswald’s International Office. Via the network “University of New Europe”, Dr. Hunanyan supported Kotykova in her search for a research opportunity in Germany, drew Kotykova’s attention to the Philipp Schwartz Fellowship Programme, and supported her through the application process.
Prof. Kotykova has not come to Greifswald for the first time. She was already a fellow of the Alfried Krupp Kolleg Greifswald Foundation in Greifswald back in 2023, and she taught as a visiting lecturer at the “Greifswalder Ukrainicum” in 2024. During this time, she became more and more acquainted not only with the university, but also the town. “I have fallen in love with the town and the academic atmosphere,” she says. “The University of Greifswald wasn’t an unfamiliar place chosen at random, but a conscious decision.” The university feels familiar to her – similar to the Mykolayiv National Agrarian University, where she taught and conducted research for many years.
Greifswald as her new home port
Even though the Ukrainian academic would probably have never left her home country under other circumstances, this change has altered the way she faces challenges. She has learned not to be afraid of changes and difficult situations, and instead, to approach them courageously. She would like to pass this experience on to the students. It is especially during times of crisis that immense potential for innovation arises.
“Science is not just grey theory, but the strongest tool we have to make the world more resistant to crisis, more peaceful, and sustainable.” That is why she encourages students to use their time at university to think critically and ask bold questions.
Prof. Dr. Olena Kotykova has found a new home in Greifswald. She is sad that the fellowship only lasts two years: “When I first came here, I only wanted to stay for one or two years, but now I know the country better and understand the rules. I understand the educational system and it suits me and my convictions. I would like to stay; I am happy here.”
Further information
The Philipp Schwartz Initiative was launched in 2015 by the Federal Foreign Office and the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation. The programme makes it possible for scholars at risk to continue their research at German universities and research institutes by providing the host institutions with the required finances. Researchers can receive fellowships with durations of up to 24 months, with the possibility of a 12-month extension.
Contact at the University of Greifswald
Prof. Dr. Olena Kotykova
Professorship for Economics: Growth, Structural Change and Trade
Friedrich-Loeffler-Straße 70, 17489 Greifswald
Tel: +49 3834 420 2401
olena.kotykovauni-greifswaldde