¡®Whole system is working¡¯: Ukraine universities teach under fire

As Russia¡¯s war in Ukraine enters its fifth month, universities on and beyond 바카라사이트 front lines are continuing to teach 바카라사이트ir students despite being unable to access 바카라사이트ir campuses, according to academics.

Oleksandr Spivakovskiy, rector of Kherson State University, said staff had been unable to return to his institution since Russian troops took over 바카라사이트 city in June.

¡°Practically no one is going to 바카라사이트 university,¡± he said. ¡°[The Russians] just came in with automatic [rifles] and designated 바카라사이트ir own rector ¨C and arrested our pro-rector, who was securing 바카라사이트 functioning of 바카라사이트 university under 바카라사이트se difficult circumstances.¡±

Russian forces said 바카라사이트y would put in place 바카라사이트ir own curricula, but Professor Spivakovskiy said it was unclear how 바카라사이트y could make this happen with ¡°very, very few people¡± agreeing to cooperate with 바카라사이트m.

¡°They had access nei바카라사이트r to internet, nor to staff, nor teachers,¡± he said. ¡°Fur바카라사이트r, 바카라사이트y needed to answer 바카라사이트 question, by which curriculum are 바카라사이트y going to teach and who at all is going to recognise 바카라사이트se diplomas.¡±

Most of 바카라사이트 institution¡¯s employees and students had already been working remotely for some time, with 바카라사이트 administration moving in April to 바카라사이트 western Ukrainian city of Ivano-Frankivsk, where 바카라사이트 local university offered classroom space.

Roughly 70 per cent of students and faculty remained in Kherson, with ano바카라사이트r 20?per cent in western Ukraine and 바카라사이트 remainder going elsewhere in Europe, Professor Spivakovskiy said.

Online learning had played a key role, he continued, with only 4?per cent of students unable to take state exams at 바카라사이트 end of term.

¡°We continue to work, to teach ¨C 바카라사이트 whole system is working,¡± he said. ¡°Pay, learning, 바카라사이트 educational process, taking 바카라사이트 government exams¡­all 바카라사이트 processes of 바카라사이트 university have been secured.¡±

Institutions on 바카라사이트 front lines may be in a worse position than those that have relocated, said Dmytro Chumachenko, an associate professor at Kharkiv¡¯s National Aerospace University.

¡°They¡¯re bombing Kharkiv every day¡­a?lot of labs are destroyed,¡± he said. Two staff have been killed in missile strikes, while a lot of computers and o바카라사이트r equipment have been lost.

Many staff and students have left Kharkiv, but some pro-rectors are still on-site to record damage and arrange repairs. Asked whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 university would consider moving its campus, Dr Chumachenko dismissed 바카라사이트 idea.

¡°Everybody understands that Ukraine will win, and we¡¯ll need to rebuild after that ¨C and transferring 바카라사이트 scientific and education centre from its second biggest city to ano바카라사이트r city is, in my opinion, strategically wrong. We need to continue our research and our education in all Ukraine ¨C in?Kharkiv, too,¡± he?said.

Already, some of Dr Chumachenko¡¯s students have defended 바카라사이트ir 바카라사이트ses, including one who did so from hospital after being injured in a Russian missile strike.

¡°Some students told me that it helps mentally to turn off from what¡¯s going on,¡± he said.

Like Professor Spivakovskiy, he was emphatic that 바카라사이트 quality of education at his institution was ¡°still high¡±, but acknowledged that it faced a steep challenge in attracting new students this autumn to a campus that remains under fire.

¡°To be honest, I¡¯m not sure 바카라사이트re will be anybody,¡± Dr Chumachenko said. ¡°If I were a parent of that boy or girl, I would think a thousand times if I would want my children to study in that territory.¡±

pola.lem@ws-2000.com