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<p>Ploszaj’s recent study in <i>Scientometrics</i> provides compelling evidence of the positive impact that long-haul air connectivity has on international scientific collaboration. Using a quasi-experimental approach, the author demonstrates that the introduction of new flight routes leads to measurable increases in co-authored publications. This commentary builds on those findings by examining a seemingly paradoxical case: Ukraine, where passenger air traffic ceased entirely following the Russian invasion in 2022 and has remained suspended as of early 2025. Despite the complete closure of Ukrainian airspace and severe mobility restrictions, the number of internationally co-authored publications affiliated with Ukrainian institutions increased by 14% in the post-2022 period. Drawing on SciVal data from 2019 to 2024, this commentary explores changes in the volume, disciplinary structure, and geographic scope of Ukraine’s international collaboration. The findings suggest that institutional resilience, inherited remote collaboration practices, and unprecedented global support have compensated for the loss of physical mobility. Rather than contradicting Ploszaj’s conclusions, the Ukrainian case complements them by demonstrating that when conventional infrastructures disappear, alternative mechanisms can sustain, and even expand, global scientific cooperation. The case of Ukraine thus offers a unique lens on collaboration under constraint.</p>

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Scientific collaboration without flights: Ukraine’s wartime adaptation

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2026年2月14日

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  • Serhii Nazarovets

摘要

Ploszaj’s recent study in Scientometrics provides compelling evidence of the positive impact that long-haul air connectivity has on international scientific collaboration. Using a quasi-experimental approach, the author demonstrates that the introduction of new flight routes leads to measurable increases in co-authored publications. This commentary builds on those findings by examining a seemingly paradoxical case: Ukraine, where passenger air traffic ceased entirely following the Russian invasion in 2022 and has remained suspended as of early 2025. Despite the complete closure of Ukrainian airspace and severe mobility restrictions, the number of internationally co-authored publications affiliated with Ukrainian institutions increased by 14% in the post-2022 period. Drawing on SciVal data from 2019 to 2024, this commentary explores changes in the volume, disciplinary structure, and geographic scope of Ukraine’s international collaboration. The findings suggest that institutional resilience, inherited remote collaboration practices, and unprecedented global support have compensated for the loss of physical mobility. Rather than contradicting Ploszaj’s conclusions, the Ukrainian case complements them by demonstrating that when conventional infrastructures disappear, alternative mechanisms can sustain, and even expand, global scientific cooperation. The case of Ukraine thus offers a unique lens on collaboration under constraint.