Throughout September 2025, the University of Vienna hosted the mentoring programme UM_DENKEN designed to support forcefully displaced Ukrainian female scholars in Austria. Funded by Stadt Wien Kultur (MA7), the initiative is led by Dr. Oleksandra Romaniuk and Dr. Iuliia Iulinetska (Department of English and American Studies), with support from Dr. Tetiana Kravchenko and Dr. Oksana Havryliv.
UM_DENKEN offered an interdisciplinary approach to academic empowerment, combining LEGO® Serious Play® workshops, training on impostor syndrome and academic confidence, tailored academic German language sessions, and individual mentoring. UM_DENKEN created a vibrant community space for professional reflection, mutual support, and academic resilience.
While the September activities have concluded, individual mentoring and follow-up events are planned for the coming months.
