The Vietsch Foundation awards a special Vietsch Medal of Honour to URAN, the Ukrainian NREN
The Vietsch Foundation has awarded a special Vietsch Medal of Honour to URAN, the National Research and Education Network (NREN) of Ukraine, in recognition of its extraordinary commitment to keeping Ukraine’s research and education infrastructure operational throughout the ongoing war.
Unlike the traditional Vietsch Medal of Honour, which is awarded to an individual, this special medal honours an entire organisation. The trustees of the Vietsch Foundation unanimously decided to recognise the URAN team, led by Yevhenii Preobrazhenskyi, for their exceptional dedication under extreme circumstances.
Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine on 24 February 2022, the URAN team has worked tirelessly—often around the clock—to ensure that connectivity and services for Ukrainian universities, schools, and research institutions remain available. Their work has enabled education to continue and research to progress, both of which are essential for the country’s resilience and future development.
“Despite air raids, attacks on energy infrastructure, and the daily realities of war, the URAN team has kept the network running without significant outages. Their commitment is nothing short of heroic,” said Pekka Kahkipuro, trustee of the Vietsch Foundation, who presented the medal at TNC26.
Immediately after the war began, and at the request of GÉANT, the Vietsch Foundation established a dedicated support mechanism for URAN. Many European NRENs have since contributed annually to sustain this support. The Foundation encourages NRENs to continue their contributions for as long as needed.
At TNC26, the GÉANT Humanitarian Support group also announced that individuals can now donate to URAN support via the Vietsch Foundation. Visitors to the Humanitarian Support booth at the conference are invited to contribute and will receive a small token of appreciation.
Kahkipuro emphasised the importance of maintaining education and research during prolonged conflict. He recalled giving a remote lecture to a Ukrainian university during the war:
“Even through the screen, I could feel the students’ eagerness to learn. This was only possible because URAN kept the infrastructure running.”
In accepting the medal Yevhenii Preobrazhenskyi, director of URAN, said: “The URAN team is deeply moved that our work and resilience have been recognized with such an important medal. For us, this is a powerful sign that our lives, our efforts, and our thoughts matter to GEANT, Europe, and the entire community. This recognition, our ongoing work, and the very survival of the URAN team would have been impossible without the unwavering support of the GEANT community and the Veitsche Foundation. It is only because of this support that we can continue to serve the R&E community in Ukraine, provide GEANT services to universities and institutions, and maintain hope for peace in our country and across Europe.”
The Vietsch Foundation expresses its deep respect and gratitude to the entire URAN team for their unwavering service to the Ukrainian research