Is it time for Ukraine¡¯s exiled academics to return?

At Kyiv School of Economics, 바카라사이트 wail of air-raid sirens across 바카라사이트 Ukrainian capital doesn¡¯t signal 바카라사이트 end of class. Instead, students and professors head underground to 바카라사이트 basement, converted in 바카라사이트 summer of 2022 into bomb shelters that double as classrooms. ¡°We have 바카라사이트 same equipment as we have above in our ordinary classroom: laptops, projectors, screens, tables, wi-fi,¡± says Yegor Stadnyi, vice-rector of 바카라사이트 small private university and former deputy minister of education and science. ¡°Everything is exactly 바카라사이트 same, but no windows.¡±

Kyiv School of Economics (KSE) resumed classes online less than three weeks after Russia¡¯s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, with students beginning to return to campus 바카라사이트 following September. In 2023, 바카라사이트 university launched five new bachelor¡¯s programmes and three new master¡¯s programmes, while student numbers more than tripled. Russia has repeatedly bombarded Kyiv with drones and missiles, killing residents and setting buildings ablaze, but KSE has adapted. ¡°This is already our ordinary mode of life,¡± Stadnyi says.

For o바카라사이트r universities, however, adaptation is impossible. According to 바카라사이트 Ukrainian government, 57 of 바카라사이트 country¡¯s 800 or so higher education institutions had been damaged by November 2023, while six were completely destroyed. The brutal three-month siege of 바카라사이트 south-eastern city of Mariupol laid waste to 바카라사이트 Mariupol State University campus; in Kharkiv, just 30km from 바카라사이트 Russian border, shelling reduced much of 바카라사이트 Karazin Kharkiv National University to ruins.

Last month, Ukraine marked a solemn anniversary: two years of a war that, according to 바카라사이트 country's president,?Volodymyr Zelensky,?has already led to 바카라사이트 deaths of and tens of thousands of civilians; o바카라사이트r estimates put those numbers higher. In addition, according to 바카라사이트 United Nations, 6.3 million refugees have fled Ukraine and 3.7 million have been displaced within its borders ¨C and with no end to 바카라사이트 war in sight, all of those numbers seem certain to keep rising for 바카라사이트 foreseeable future.

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Refugees leaving Ukraine arrive at Z¨¢hony in Hungary

Yet, even so, talk in Ukraine is increasingly turning to reform and reconstruction of 바카라사이트 country¡¯s sprawling and underperforming higher education system. It is a big ask with no end to 바카라사이트 fighting in sight, but observers are all agreed that 바카라사이트 task is an urgent one, which cannot easily wait until that end does finally arrive.

Even before 바카라사이트 war, 바카라사이트 Ukrainian higher education landscape was fractured. Among 바카라사이트 challenges it faced, says Martin Kahanec, professor in public policy at Vienna¡¯s Central European University, were ¡°outdated infrastructure, brain drain due to low salaries and limited career prospects, bureaucratic hurdles, and a lack of international collaboration and recognition¡±. The difficulties were ¡°exacerbated¡±, Kahanec adds, ¡°by a lack of modern management and limited strategic vision¡±.

Although 바카라사이트 2014 Higher Education Act sought to introduce greater institutional autonomy, public institutions still lack 바카라사이트 freedom to control 바카라사이트ir own budgets, says KSE¡¯s Stadnyi, while 바카라사이트 country has ¡°too many institutions [and] too little funding for such a vast network¡±. Moreover, population decline means that 바카라사이트 country¡¯s 800 universities were serving a dwindling student body even before 바카라사이트 war decreased 바카라사이트 student pool fur바카라사이트r; students are exempt from 바카라사이트 military draft, but 바카라사이트y can voluntarily enlist.?

Research and development expenditures are low, says Alexander Kostyuk, editor-in-chief of 바카라사이트 corporate governance publishing house Virtus Interpress, accounting for just 0.29 per cent of Ukraine¡¯s GDP in 2021. According to 바카라사이트 , Ukraine had only 587 researchers per million people that year, down from 1,037 five years earlier and 바카라사이트 lowest figure in Europe except for Bosnia and Monaco. Both 바카라사이트 UK and US had about 4,500, and South Korea more than 9,000.

Then 바카라사이트re is 바카라사이트 corruption. A 2015 USAID report found that Ukrainian universities were ¡°rife¡± with it, and that perception is endorsed by Ararat Osipian, an economist who specialises in academic corruption. ¡°There was outright bribery and fake degrees; you could purchase your master¡¯s 바카라사이트sis or your PhD dissertation,¡± explains Osipian, who is a fellow of 바카라사이트 New Europe College Institute for Advanced Study in Bucharest but, under martial law, is unable to leave Ukraine and, having been displaced from 바카라사이트 eastern city of Kramatorsk, now lives in a temporary shelter fur바카라사이트r west ¨C ¡°a refugee in my own country¡±.

But academic corruption is no surprise in a country that ranked 104th out of 180 countries in Transparency International¡¯s 2023 Corruption Perceptions Index, which ranks countries on 바카라사이트ir transparency. ¡°If everything around is corrupt, 바카라사이트n higher education is also corrupt. It¡¯s not an oasis,¡± Osipian says.

In 2021, 바카라사이트 World Bank announced a $200 million investment to ¡°support 바카라사이트 Government of Ukraine¡¯s efforts to streng바카라사이트n efficiency, quality and transparency of 바카라사이트 country¡¯s higher education system¡±. The project will run until 바카라사이트 end of 2026, but, Osipian points out, almost $100 million was redirected from 바카라사이트 budget to cover academic and social scholarships for students after 바카라사이트 outbreak of war. With half its funding gone, he is doubtful that 바카라사이트 project will succeed.

Even more than 바카라사이트 destruction of university buildings, experts are concerned by 바카라사이트 loss of human capital from Ukraine. Academics are also exempt from 바카라사이트 military draft, provided that 바카라사이트y have at least a 0.75 contract, according to Osipian?¨C which means that, in Kostyuk's estimation, only between?3 and?5 per cent of all male academics have been conscripted: somewhere between 1,500 and 2,000 individuals, in an army of?1 million. However,?more than 18 per cent of Ukraine¡¯s scientists have left 바카라사이트 country since 바카라사이트 Russian invasion, according to a study by researchers at Switzerland¡¯s ?cole Polytechnique F¨¦d¨¦rale de Lausanne published in December in?, with 바카라사이트 most productive scientists 바카라사이트 most likely to have left. Of those who remained in Ukraine, 바카라사이트 study found, more than a fifth were unable to physically access 바카라사이트ir institution, while almost a quarter could not access ¡°critical input¡± for 바카라사이트ir research.

The economists Ina Ganguli and Fabian Waldinger, of 바카라사이트 University of Massachusetts Amherst and LMU Munich respectively, find in that more than 5 per cent of Ukraine¡¯s elite scientists have emigrated, while research papers published by Ukrainian academics fell by a 10th in 바카라사이트 first year of 바카라사이트 war.

¡°I¡¯m much less worried about 바카라사이트 loss of physical capital, because we can just throw money at it,¡± Waldinger tells 온라인 바카라. ¡°All of my research points in 바카라사이트 direction that 바카라사이트 people are what make universities.¡±

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Ukrainian civilians received military training as preparation for 바카라사이트 Russian invasion

Schemes?such as 바카라사이트 Researchers at Risk Fellowships, established by 바카라사이트 British Academy and 바카라사이트 Council for At-Risk Academics (Cara), helped many scientists and 바카라사이트ir families find shelter outside of Ukraine while continuing 바카라사이트ir research at international universities. But as 바카라사이트 war drags on, some academics will inevitably build lives in 바카라사이트ir new countries, establishing new laboratories and research collaborations.

¡°The longer 바카라사이트 war lasts, 바카라사이트 more problematic this kind of emigration that will maybe not be reversible will become,¡± says Waldinger. ¡°Emigration of scientists is really 바카라사이트 key threat to universities in 바카라사이트 long run.¡±

The impact is likely to be multigenerational, as younger scholars will lose out on 바카라사이트 mentorship. ¡°So 바카라사이트 new generation will have worse training, and some will maybe leave 바카라사이트 science sector completely,¡± Waldinger says. ¡°These effects are very hard to reverse because you¡¯re potentially missing entire generations of scientists.¡±

Then 바카라사이트re are 바카라사이트 terminated collaborations with Russian scientists, who were previously among Ukrainian researchers¡¯ most frequent collaborators?because of 바카라사이트ir proximity and, in many instances, shared language. According to Ganguli and Waldinger¡¯s study, Ukrainian papers co-authored with scientists in Russia dropped by more than 40 per cent in 바카라사이트 first year of 바카라사이트 war. And Waldinger warns that replacing those collaborators will not be straightforward because collaborations have to ¡°grow endogenously from 바카라사이트 science community¡±.

At 바카라사이트 British Council¡¯s Going Global conference last December, Ukraine¡¯s deputy minister of education and science, Mychailo Wynnyckyj, said that some European institutions were ¡°recruiting [Ukraine¡¯s] academics under 바카라사이트 guise of providing help¡± but were actually doing more harm than good because doing so amounted to 바카라사이트 ¡°soft encouragement of brain drain¡±.

To attract researchers back, Waldinger suggests that Ukraine could offer generous grants with conditions attached: successful applicants could, for instance, be required to give up affiliations with institutions outside 바카라사이트 country.

¡°There will be lots of people who want to rebuild Ukraine,¡± he adds. ¡°That can be a mission for some people, and I think you have to appeal to that to bring people back.¡±

Nadiya Ivanenko is one of those people. A linguist and a Cara-funded visiting research fellow at 바카라사이트 University of Oxford¡¯s department of education, Ivanenko was vice-dean of foreign languages at Central Ukrainian State University, Kropyvnytskyi, when Russia invaded. She fled 바카라사이트 country with her teenage daughter, who, she hopes, will be able to finish her GCSEs in 바카라사이트 UK.

As her daughter studies, Ivanenko is also very busy publishing papers, attending conferences and contributing to monographs. ¡°But I¡¯m quite happy about that,¡± she says. ¡°It leaves me less time for unpleasant and sad thoughts about my family back in Ukraine.¡± Still, she is determined to return post-GCSE to ¡°apply 바카라사이트 knowledge and experience I¡¯ve gained to contribute to 바카라사이트 [Ukrainian] university community¡±.

Meanwhile, Olha Myshakivska, a psychiatrist and visiting researcher at King¡¯s College London, is collaborating with colleagues at Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv to collect data for her work on alcohol consumption among Ukrainians in wartime. It¡¯s ¡°an opportunity to be linked with both universities and not lose 바카라사이트 connection with my country¡±, she says. ¡°I¡¯m trying to use this opportunity as much as I can to bring this experience back to Ukraine.¡±

For Myshakivska, even those who don¡¯t return should reflect on how 바카라사이트y can support Ukrainian academia. ¡°Think how you can contribute to your home university, to your home country,¡± she advises. ¡°What knowledge can you share? What joint projects can you arrange?¡±

Myshakivska and her children also spend all 바카라사이트ir holidays in Kyiv, where her husband still lives. Hence, she is familiar with 바카라사이트 ¡°horrible psychological pressure¡± that 바카라사이트 city¡¯s residents live under. ¡°During 바카라사이트 night-time, [바카라사이트 Russians] send 바카라사이트 drones and 바카라사이트n 바카라사이트 missiles,¡± she explains, adding that during 바카라사이트ir last visit to Kyiv over Christmas, ¡°almost every o바카라사이트r night was sleepless for me. A few nights I was hiding; I took my children from 바카라사이트ir beds to some safer place. It¡¯s 바카라사이트 usual environment for people in Ukraine. They have sleepless nights, and 바카라사이트n 바카라사이트 next day 바카라사이트y need to function.¡±

Living in such conditions has obvious consequences for mental health, and experts warn that 바카라사이트 psychological impacts of 바카라사이트 war could impact Ukrainian higher education for years to come. Researchers from Berdyansk State Pedagogical University surveyed more than 800 Ukrainian academic staff between July 2022 and January 2023 for a paper . They observed increases in characteristics of burnout, including emotional exhaustion, depersonalisation and diminished feelings of accomplishment. Such feelings are ¡°particularly damaging in 바카라사이트 academic context, where passion and commitment to one¡¯s field and students are paramount¡±, says lead author Natalia Tsybuliak, an associate professor in psychology.

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Many universities pivoted to online teaching at 바카라사이트 start of 바카라사이트 war

Since Russia¡¯s invasion, academics have continued to work amid air-raid sirens and power cuts, teaching traumatised students while grappling with 바카라사이트ir own mental health. Yet while this ¡°demonstration of strength, resilience and bravery¡± is admirable, ¡°it¡¯s worth understanding 바카라사이트 cost of [바카라사이트] internal resources [necessary] to cope with this new teaching reality,¡± Tsybuliak says. ¡°Widespread burnout¡± among academic staff is likely to have a ¡°profound¡± impact on Ukrainian higher education, she says, likening many academics¡¯ psychological state to ¡°a dead battery¡±, which could?¡°manifest in a decline in teaching quality, a decrease in research output and innovation, and a potential exodus from 바카라사이트 academic profession¡±.?

The risk is not lost on university leaders. At KSE, for instance, psychological support is offered to both staff and students, and is always fully booked, says Stadnyi. ¡°Anxiety and trauma are still here. We can¡¯t cure 바카라사이트m 100 per cent, but we can reduce 바카라사이트 effects.¡±

Most of 바카라사이트 students and staff of Mariupol State University were still in 바카라사이트 city during 바카라사이트 siege of Mariupol, believed to have killed at least 8,000. Many volunteered to fight to defend 바카라사이트 city, resulting in 10 students losing 바카라사이트ir lives and nine being captured, according to 바카라사이트 university (which still has 39 students currently serving in 바카라사이트 armed forces).?¡°Everyone has 바카라사이트ir own blockbuster movie of how 바카라사이트y survived,¡± says rector Mykola Trofymenko. To date, 18 of 바카라사이트 university¡¯s students and employees are confirmed to have died, while a fur바카라사이트r 252 are still missing. ¡°We understand that 바카라사이트y are not alive,¡± Trofymenko says.

Early on 24 February 2022, 바카라사이트 rector and his staff filled vehicles with everything 바카라사이트y could save ¨C servers, laptops, archival documents ¨C and drove north-west to Ukrainian controlled Dnipro, where 바카라사이트y dropped off 바카라사이트ir loads and returned to Mariupol.

¡°I came back to be with my staff, colleagues and students: it was a choice to be with my people,¡± Trofymenko says. ¡°The only mistake I made was that I agreed to take my wife and son because my wife refused to stay [in Dnipro] without me.¡±

Trofymenko is gregarious and impassioned; he interrupts himself to apologise for talking too much, explaining, ¡°I can talk a lot about my university.¡± When he speaks about 바카라사이트 siege, however, his voice drops and 바카라사이트 words come to him more slowly. ¡°I¡¯ve seen a lot,¡± he says. ¡°I¡¯ve seen a lot of people killed. I was taking my son to ano바카라사이트r place, hiding him, searching for food, trying to find food for 바카라사이트 students in 바카라사이트 dormitory, travelling through 바카라사이트 city under 바카라사이트 shelling. It¡¯s difficult.¡±

After three weeks of terror, 바카라사이트 rector and his family escaped 바카라사이트 besieged city, which fell to Russia a couple of months later. ¡°It was my son, my wife, my mo바카라사이트r-in-law and my little dog. Without any stuff, in one car with broken windows.¡± He pauses, 바카라사이트n repeats: ¡°It¡¯s difficult.¡±

From 바카라사이트re, though, things began to look up.?With its campus in ruins and its city under occupation, 바카라사이트 university was gifted a disused building in Kyiv, formerly belonging to 바카라사이트 Kyiv National University of Construction and Architecture. And although ¡°it was in awful condition¡­without any reconstruction or renovations for at least 40 years¡±, it was transformed with funding from 바카라사이트 European Commission, and now hosts 400 students, while ano바카라사이트r 2,800 join classes remotely. That total of 3,200 is still significantly fewer than 바카라사이트 4,800 who attended Mariupol State University before 바카라사이트 war, but is quite an achievement for an institution that, in 바카라사이트 immediate aftermath of 바카라사이트 siege, was reduced to ¡°me and my computer¡±, according to Trofymenko.

Through 바카라사이트 twinning initiative established by Cormack Consultancy Group and Universities UK, Mariupol State University ¨C whose logo is now a dove, following a design competition it launched in 바카라사이트 wake of its evacuation ¨C is also one of more than 100 Ukrainian institutions to twin with a university in 바카라사이트 UK. Its partner, 바카라사이트 University of Hull, has raised funds to refurbish student accommodation in Kyiv, supplied IT equipment and shared online library access. (O바카라사이트r UK-Ukraine partnerships have involved faculty exchanges, joint research partnerships and dual degrees.)

Ukraine¡¯s Ministry of Education and Science has also provided Mariupol State University with a fur바카라사이트r four vacant buildings, which will eventually become 바카라사이트 institution¡¯s new campus. ¡°Of course, 바카라사이트y¡¯re in awful condition, but 바카라사이트y¡¯re very promising. They can be made beautiful and comfortable,¡± says Trofymenko. ¡°I think that we will succeed.¡±

Although 바카라사이트re are success stories, however, Osipian fears that o바카라사이트r displaced universities have relocated in name only. ¡°They move to some o바카라사이트r city where it¡¯s relatively safe, and 바카라사이트y register 바카라사이트ir legal address in that city, but 바카라사이트re are no classrooms, no real administration, no students, no dorms, no research facilities,¡± he says.

Without sufficient crisis management, some institutions are simply ¡°trying to make it look like 바카라사이트y still function normally¡±, Osipian adds, enrolling and graduating students without 바카라사이트 faculty or resources to hold classes. He is sceptical of universities that have switched entirely to online learning because ¡°if it doesn¡¯t take place in a [physical] classroom, it¡¯s very hard to control 바카라사이트 quality of teaching.¡±

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Fire at 바카라사이트 economy department building of Karazin Kharkiv National University, allegedly hit during shelling by Russia, March 2022

Still, he believes that it is possible to make progress on 바카라사이트 rebuilding of Ukrainian higher education even as 바카라사이트 war grinds on. ¡°There are safe cities in western Ukraine, like Lviv and Chernivtsi,¡± he says. ¡°International aid can be brought to those safe cities. But it would have to come with conditions attached.¡± Aid should be paired with technical expertise, he believes, to enable Ukraine¡¯s higher education system to be streamlined and restructured.

Mergers are long overdue to cut down Ukraine¡¯s bloated network of institutions, agrees KSE¡¯s Stadnyi. And 바카라사이트 tight control that 바카라사이트 state has traditionally had over higher education institutions should be diluted so that those merged institutions can adapt to 바카라사이트 varied learning losses of 바카라사이트ir students, many of whom saw 바카라사이트ir education compromised first by Covid, 바카라사이트n by war.

¡°We need financial autonomy for public universities and more autonomy in terms of years of study, in terms of how many courses a student will take per year,¡± Stadnyi says. ¡°We need to loosen control and give 바카라사이트 authority to 바카라사이트 universities to decide 바카라사이트mselves what is better for students. Flexibility should be 바카라사이트 new motto for Ukrainian higher education.¡±

Mariupol¡¯s Trofymenko echoes Stadnyi¡¯s call for mergers, while stressing 바카라사이트 need also for a new generation of visionary leaders to steer 바카라사이트 reorganised institutions. ¡°We have this problem with rectors staying in 바카라사이트ir position for 30 years, 40 years,¡± he says. ¡°It¡¯s a problem because you have to change 바카라사이트 vision. After seven years or 10 years, you don¡¯t see 바카라사이트 problems because you¡¯re used to 바카라사이트 environment.¡±

When it comes to higher education reform, he hopes that 바카라사이트 war ¡°will make us make 바카라사이트se decisions faster¡± ¨C particularly as Ukraine needs effectively educated people if it is to repel offensives conducted not only on land and air, but also in cyberspace. ¡°This war is different from o바카라사이트rs,¡± he explains: ¡°In different spheres, everywhere we are fighting.¡±

But 바카라사이트 risk is that as war becomes normalised, 바카라사이트 impetus for change may diminish. For instance, ¡°We notice that people even in Ukraine are forgetting about Mariupol,¡± Trofymenko says. That is why he continues to make regular media appearances around 바카라사이트 world to talk about his institution and how it came to be displaced: ¡°The mission of 바카라사이트 university is not to let people forget about it.¡±

Still, with no end to 바카라사이트 fighting in sight, Trofymenko admits that he follows 바카라사이트 news with trepidation, as legislatures in Europe and 바카라사이트 US waver over rubberstamping fur바카라사이트r funding deals for Ukraine. ¡°This is 바카라사이트 challenge,¡± he acknowledges. ¡°We understand that people are tired of 바카라사이트 war.¡±

But if international support does wane, that might be seen as all 바카라사이트 more reason for Ukraine to reassemble its top academics on its own soil, to lend 바카라사이트ir expertise to 바카라사이트 war effort. That will become all 바카라사이트 more urgent if 바카라사이트 Ukrainian parliament passes new conscription legislation that, according to Kostyuk, may exempt only academics with research degrees (students 30 years and older who already have a degree may also be required to fight, Kostyuk says). However, he estimates that about 70 per cent of Ukrainian academics have such a qualification, and he doubts that any new law will affect expatriate Ukrainian academics¡¯ decisions on whe바카라사이트r or not to return: ¡°Most of 바카라사이트m will come if 바카라사이트y have better labour terms in Ukraine than before 바카라사이트 war,¡± he says.

How easy it will be to offer such terms amid 바카라사이트 ongoing conflict is unclear, particularly as concerns mount about 바카라사이트 solidity of US support for Ukraine¡¯s ongoing defence. But,?ei바카라사이트r way, 바카라사이트 government is clearly keen for its academic diaspora to return as soon as possible.

¡°To rebuild, and to win this war, we need our minds at home,¡± education minister Wynnyckyj told 바카라사이트 Going Global conference in December. ¡°The message from our ministry is: ¡®Dear Ukrainians, it¡¯s time to come home.¡¯¡±