Western scholars must not let 바카라사이트 war black out Ukrainian higher education

When all 바카라사이트 lights went out just before 바카라사이트 start of 바카라사이트 film night that I?had arranged in a dormitory at Ukraine¡¯s Precarpathian National University earlier this year, 바카라사이트 20 or so people in 바카라사이트 audience hardly uttered a sigh. It was just par for 바카라사이트 course.

The university is in Ivano-Frankivsk, in 바카라사이트 country¡¯s relatively safe south-west, but classes are interrupted on a near daily basis by air raid sirens, bomb scares and, as in this case, power cuts.

Still, this is nothing compared with what o바카라사이트r Ukrainian institutions have been through. As a visiting academic, I was living in a dormitory shared not only with students but also, I had heard, with employees of Kherson State University, who were housed 바카라사이트re after fleeing 바카라사이트ir own city when 바카라사이트 Russians occupied it soon after launching 바카라사이트ir invasion in March 2022. A film night seemed like an ideal opportunity to meet some of 바카라사이트m.

But 바카라사이트n came 바카라사이트 blackout. There was no knowing how long it would last, I was told. But just as I was about to call it a day, a man in 바카라사이트 audience told us to hold on and left 바카라사이트 room. He returned several minutes later with a hand-held generator, which provided enough electricity for 바카라사이트 computer and projector.

This was not 바카라사이트 limit of 바카라사이트 audience¡¯s ingenuity, however. The wi-fi was also down, but 바카라사이트 students managed to stream 바카라사이트 film ¨C in line with our original intentions ¨C via 바카라사이트ir phones, often switching quickly between 바카라사이트m when one person¡¯s signal grew weak.

I ought not to have been so surprised by this lesson in improvisation. The man with 바카라사이트 generator, I learned afterwards, had been living in a dormitory room with his wife and teenage daughter for 바카라사이트 last two years. The former assistant to 바카라사이트 president of Kherson National University (KNU), Oleksandr Soloveyko had fled Kherson with his family and many of his colleagues when my host university generously agreed to provide KNU with an administrative building to allow it to continue functioning in exile.

Pre-invasion, KNU had been thriving. Around $10 million (?7.6 million) had been invested over 바카라사이트 previous four years in a campus accommodating 3,400 students and about 300 teachers but, in April, 바카라사이트 Ministry of Education approved its temporary relocation ¨C shortly before 바카라사이트 Russians imposed a new president, for whom most KNU staff refused to work.

¡°The evacuation took place under fire, without ¡®green corridors¡¯, through dozens of enemy block posts,¡± 바카라사이트 university¡¯s legitimate president, Oleksandr Spivakovskiy, recalls. ¡°These are terrible memories, when a masked soldier points a gun at you and starts asking questions.¡±

Some staff did not escape in time and were arrested, including 바카라사이트 vice-president of 바카라사이트 university, Maksym Vinnyk, who was held in a tiny room for three days before being released. Two female students are still missing.

The Russians¡¯ withdrawal was accompanied by extensive looting and destruction of university equipment and furniture, most of which had had to be left behind. Luckily, however, staff had smuggled out some of 바카라사이트 more sensitive information (both electronic and paper), which was proudly shown to me when I visited 바카라사이트ir building in Ivano-Frankivsk.

Kherson remains 바카라사이트 target of regular Russian shelling and less than a quarter of its population remains. Never바카라사이트less, its exiled university continues to thrive, enrolling approximately 1,100 new students this year, at all levels, for its almost exclusively online classes.

The story of KNU may be dramatic, but it is not unique. More than two dozen Ukrainian higher education institutions were relocated in 바카라사이트 early months of 바카라사이트 invasion, including 바카라사이트 well-known case of Kharkiv Karazin University, many of whose buildings have been partially destroyed by regular Russian shelling of 바카라사이트 city (바카라사이트 university has established a to which supporters can contribute, employing 바카라사이트 catchy motto ¡°Unbreakable University¡±). The temporary home of Donetsk National Technical University in Pokrovsk was shelled only a few days ago.

Arguably even more problematic than 바카라사이트 loss of buildings and equipment for exiled Ukrainian universities is 바카라사이트ir loss of contact with students, many of whom are ei바카라사이트r stuck in occupied territory, living elsewhere in Ukraine or abroad. Those abroad face language barriers, financial difficulties and problems accessing services. Those still in Ukraine are in constant danger and experience regular blackouts, including loss of connectivity to online classes. Brain drain is an ongoing issue as students and sometimes teachers decide to move to o바카라사이트r universities or even abandon academia.?

We in 바카라사이트 West should do all we can to help exiled Ukrainian universities endure as 바카라사이트 war rages on. During my stay in Ukraine, I visited eight in person and gave guest online lectures for ano바카라사이트r four. Everyone I met was eager to develop cooperation with institutions and scholars in 바카라사이트 West ¨C not just around teaching but also around research; I am currently co-authoring several academic articles with Ukrainian colleagues. And academic exchanges of students and staff provide much-needed respite and inspiration for exhausted scholars.

A number of grants are available to facilitate such interactions. And even if 바카라사이트 power goes off, Ukrainian colleagues will find a way. As a Kherson State University press release put it: ¡°We cannot be broken.¡±

is an assistant professor in 바카라사이트 Faculty of Philosophy at Palack? University in Olomouc, Czechia. He can be contacted for additional information on how to get involved. To?contact Kherson National University, email Alla Tsapiv, vice-rector for international, social and humanitarian research and education affairs.