In this interview, we turn our attention to the Bogolyubov Institute for Theoretical Physics (BITP) of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine (NASU), where Sergiy Svistunov serves as the Head of Department.
Despite the immense challenges posed by the ongoing war in Ukraine, BITP has been instrumental in fostering the principles of Open Science and in integrating Ukraine into the European Research Area and the EOSC community, effectively fulfilling its role as Ukraine’s Mandated Organisation for EOSC-A.
Conducted by Natalia Galica (NCN Poland) and Isabel Caetano (EOSC-A), this interview is part of the series coordinated by the EOSC Focus project, in which we highlight the role of EOSC Association Mandated Organisations, and showcase their activities aimed at the implementation of EOSC.
Your circumstances and everyday challenges are different from those of other Mandated Organisations. Could you provide an overview of the national context for Open Science in Ukraine?
Over the years, various regulatory documents related to Open Science (OS) have been adopted, beginning with the Concept of the Development of the Digital Economy and Society for 2018-2020, and the Roadmap for Ukraine’s Integration into the European Research Area (2018). The situation in Ukraine after 2014, including the armed conflict in eastern Ukraine, the occupation of Crimea, frequent changes in government, and an unstable financial situation, impacted the implementation of these documents.
Despite these challenges, the main elements of OS in Ukraine have been established, although their development has been uneven, irregular, and concentrated on separate “islands”. Coordinated efforts began in late 2022 with the adoption of the National Open Science Plan by the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine. The plan serves as the cornerstone for OS implementation in the country.
Russian aggression and the full-scale war starting in 2022 significantly disrupted Ukraine’s plans. The destruction of Research Infrastructures, lack of electricity, migration of scientific staff, and insufficient financial support for scientific and infrastructure projects have all complicated the implementation of the plan. Despite all of this, by the end of 2024, Ukraine completed the regulatory framework for introducing OS principles and developed a clear implementation plan. However, given the current circumstances, the pace of implementation remains slow.
What is the role of your organisation in the EOSC Association?
The BITP has been a Mandated Organisation of EOSC-A since its inception in 2020. The BITP was selected by the Ministry of Education and Science (MES) thanks to its expertise in managing and coordinating the Ukrainian National Grid (UNG) and its extensive experience in international collaboration.
BITP’s role in EOSC-A is twofold, reflecting the bidirectional responsibilities of Mandated Organisations. The BITP facilitates the transfer of European OS principles and best practices into Ukraine’s national research ecosystem. This involves informing NASU and MES about advancements in OS implementation across Europe, while leveraging EOSC-A membership to access networks of European research organisations, foster partnerships, and develop OS projects at both national and European levels.
At the national level, the BITP plays a critical role in implementing European best practices in OS within Ukraine. This is exemplified by the participation of NASU experts, coordinated by BITP, in the working group that developed Ukraine’s National Open Science Plan.
Through these activities, BITP strengthens Ukraine’s integration into the European research landscape, despite the ongoing challenges posed by the country’s socio-political and financial circumstances.
What are your main motivations for being a member of EOSC-A?
The main motivation is to ensure the country’s participation in European projects from their inception. Active participation in European initiatives began in 2012, with Ukraine engaging at a technical level in the European Grid Initiative. However, it wasn’t until 2019 that the NASU was granted a mandate by the Ministry to become an Associated Member of EGI.
Similarly, Ukraine’s participation in the European e-Infrastructure Reflection Group (e-IRG) started later in 2019. These milestones have significantly influenced the development of Research Infrastructures in Ukraine. When EOSC-A was established, NASU recognised the strategic importance of Ukraine’s involvement and secured our membership, enabling Ukraine’s active participation in EOSC-A.
My appointment as Ukraine’s delegate to EOSC-A was proposed due to my role as BITP’s representative at EGI.ua and my decade-long experience as a project manager overseeing the implementation of Ukraine’s national network infrastructure. Additionally, I have contributed to critical national initiatives, including the National Open Science Plan and the Concept of the State Target Program for the Development of Research Infrastructures in Ukraine until 2026.
BITP’s involvement in EOSC-A underscores its commitment to integrating Ukraine into the European research ecosystem, fostering collaboration, and advancing OS and Research Infrastructure development in the country.
How is Open Science coordinated in Ukraine?
In Ukraine, two main actors are responsible for key decisions regarding science, MES and NASU. The MES primarily oversees universities, while the NASU manages research institutes. The two of them cooperate on Ukraine’s integration into the European Research Area.
The coordination efforts began in late 2022 with the adoption of the National Open Science Plan developed by a working group comprised of 19 experts from leading Ukrainian universities and institutes of NASU, under the direction of the MES and based upon best practices from European countries and recommendations from EOSC. The plan outlines the key areas for developing and implementing OS, specifying deadlines and identifying responsible parties.
It was only approved in late 2022, by which time Ukraine was facing dramatically altered circumstances due to the war. Nevertheless, additional documents were prepared, including Resolution No. 327 on the Participation of NASU in the Implementation of European Principles of Open Science.
Effective implementation of OS policies requires better coordination at the national and local level. In my view, this coordination should be led jointly by the MES and the NASU. A unified approach of these two key institutions would align the efforts of all stakeholders, ensuring a cohesive and efficient integration of OS policies across the country.
What resources remain available for Open Science in such a difficult time?
Assessing the current OS resources in Ukraine is challenging. Neither the Ministry nor the NASU has comprehensive information about the real state of the existing infrastructure. Military actions have disrupted access to some resources, and the situation remains highly dynamic, with power outages and ongoing mobilisation further complicating the matter. Additionally, much of the infrastructure equipment has not been updated in recent years, exacerbating the challenges.
A Working Group on Open Science (WGOS) initiated a targeted scientific and technical project titled, “Development and Implementation of Open Science Infrastructure in NASU (OPENS)”, covering the 2023–2024 period. It accomplished significant achievements, including the launch of the Harvester of NASU, the Open Data Repository, the Preprints Archive, a universal publishing platform for NASU scientific journals, and the deployment of a new version of JNAS, an electronic archive for academic journals. OPENS has provided a solid foundation for the broader adoption of OS principles in Ukraine, but continued funding will be critical to sustaining and expanding these initiatives.
The Network Infrastructure is provided by the Ukrainian Academic and Research Network of the Institute for Condensed Matter Physics of NASU (UARNET) and the Academic Network (URAN). The latter performs the role of the Ukrainian National Research and Education Network (NREN) and additionally provides access to the GÉANT network.
High-Performance Computing is coordinated by the Basic Coordination Center (BCC), a subdivision of BITP, which performs the functions of Resource Infrastructure Provider of grid resources at the technical and operational level of the Ukrainian National Grid project. There is also a cloud infrastructure represented by the BITP cloud cluster of the NASU, which is part of the EGI Federal Cloud.
The challenges you face are very different from those of other Mandated Organisations. How has the war impacted Ukraine’s science and Open Science efforts?
The ongoing war with Russia presents the most significant challenge to Ukraine. The country is under martial law, and all available resources are dedicated to defending the nation from aggression. The scope of military actions extends far beyond front-line shelling, including missile strikes on cities, the destruction of critical infrastructure, widespread power outages in homes and research institutions, and the shift to distance learning and remote work. Under these conditions, it is immensely challenging to continue scientific research or innovate, especially when constant vigilance is required to monitor air raid alerts and instructions to seek shelter.
Despite the ongoing hostilities, significant progress has been made over the past two years in advancing OS principles in Ukraine. It is now clear to all key stakeholders that OS is not merely a concept or a slogan—it represents a fundamental transformation in the research process.
However, in the current situation, it is difficult to say how OS will develop in Ukraine. It is difficult to plan anything when drones and missiles attack Kyiv every night. The same can be said about other regions of Ukraine. You turn on the computer, and the first thing you check is the power outage scheduled for the day.
Despite the current challenges, there is potential for EOSC development in Ukraine. The country already possesses essential components for progress: a solid foundation for an OS infrastructure, a dedicated scientific community, and a robust framework of regulatory documents. Planning for the development of OS can begin once hostilities are over.
Given the current state of Ukrainian science, what external support is needed?
We greatly appreciate the invaluable support extended by European countries to Ukraine, particularly in aiding researchers and providing access to resources essential for scientific research. Given the current circumstances, it is impractical to discuss financial support for modernisation or procurement of equipment. There are no guarantees that new equipment can be safely installed, operated, or protected from potential damage due to ongoing risks.
A more practical and impactful approach is to enable access to EOSC-related resources for computational work and facilitate the use of shared scientific equipment for conducting experiments. It is important to note that male staff in Ukraine, including scientists, are generally prohibited from traveling abroad due to the restrictions imposed by martial law. Therefore, redirecting Ukrainian researchers to online Open Science infrastructures for their work is a crucial form of support.
Another highly effective measure is to involve researchers from Ukrainian institutes and universities in programmes like Horizon Europe and similar initiatives. While this approach comes with challenges—such as identifying partners, potentially adjusting research directions, and preparing proposals—it provides a realistic avenue for Ukrainian scientists to continue their work amid limited domestic funding.
Such collaborative opportunities not only sustain research activities in Ukraine but also strengthen the integration of Ukrainian science into the broader European research ecosystem.
As we are now in the build-up phase of the EOSC Federation, how do you see Ukraine involved in the future, and which instruments may be necessary to implement this?
The primary goal is to involve Ukraine in Open Science projects at the federal level. This does not necessarily imply direct financial support for Ukrainian participants, but rather a collaboration that offers valuable learning and knowledge transfer. For instance, the BITP has been actively involved in the FAIR-IMPACT project. Through this participation, we have gained insights into national practices for developing the FAIR Implementation Action Plan, as well as its implementation. The transfer of these best practices to the Ukrainian context is crucial for advancing OS.
Another key example is Ukraine’s involvement in the development of an EOSC Node. The BITP has been selected as one of the Potential Candidate Nodes to contribute to the test bed of the future EOSC Federation. While we acknowledge the limitations in resources and the need for additional services, participation in this process offers us a better understanding of the direction we need to take.
I believe that the situation in Ukraine will change for the better, and the acquired knowledge and experience will allow us to speed up the implementation of Open Science.
About Bogolyubov Institute for Theoretical Physics
The Bogolyubov Institute for Theoretical Physics (BITP) of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine is a leading scientific center addressing fundamental challenges in theoretical, mathematical, and computational physics. It is also Ukraine’s Mandated Organisation to the EOSC Association, contributing to the advancement of Open Science and fostering international research collaboration.
The Institute is renowned for its pioneering research in various fields, including the theory of nuclei and nuclear reactions, quantum field theory, elementary particles, relativistic astrophysics, solid-state physics, theoretical biophysics, nanophysics of molecular and metallic systems, condensed matter physics, biophysics of macromolecules, plasma theory, and advanced mathematical methods and computational modelling in theoretical physics.
About Sergiy Svistunov

Sergiy Svistunov is the Head of Department at the Bogolyubov Institute for Theoretical Physics (BITP), which is a part of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine. He serves as the institute’s delegate to the EOSC Association, where BITD has the role of a Mandated Organisation. Additionally, he is the institute’s representative in the European Grid Infrastructure (EGI.eu), with the Bogolyubov Institute acting as the foundational institution of the Ukrainian National Grid. Sergiy is actively involved in advancing the “National EOSC Readiness in Ukraine” project, which aims to integrate Ukraine into the European Open Science Cloud framework.
Beyond its research excellence, the Institute offers doctoral and postgraduate programmes in theoretical physics, shaping the future of scientific inquiry and innovation.