Following Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine, the BBAW founded the "Young Network TransEurope" together with the Junge Akademie. The guiding principle was the realization that knowledge about the countries that are colloquially subsumed under the term "Eastern Europe" has been neglected and marginalized by Germany and its western neighbors for a long time. The network of excellent young academics from various European countries and with a focus on Eastern Europe is to help remedy this deficit and promote a deeper understanding of this region. It is intended as a platform that enables young researchers to participate in public debates and make their research more visible.
In addition to the University of Potsdam, the manifesto received support from the Federal Government’s Commissioner for Eastern Germany, Carsten Schneider, the Ministers for Science of Brandenburg and Mecklenburg-West Pomerania, Manja Schüle and Bettina Martin, as well as academy presidents from Denmark, Estonia, Lithuania, Poland, and Ukraine.