Ukraine War Series | Screenshsot from Ashley Hainzer | The Wright State Guardian
Wright State University and the Cincinnati-Kharkiv Sister City program have partnered together to create the “War and Society in Ukraine” lecture series to educate students about the war and promote a sharing of culture in crisis.
Russia and Ukraine war history
The conflict between Ukraine and Russia began in 2014, when Russia annexed Crimea, which was a part of Ukraine. After that, things were very rocky between the two nations for years.
In 2022, Russia launched a full-scale invasion on Ukraine, targeting major cities, including Kharkiv. Russia continues to attack Ukraine with the goal of invasion; however, Ukrainian armies have kept Russian forces at bay.
This issue has affected several students participating in the lecture.
War effects on the students of V.N Karazin Kharkiv National University
Students from both WSU and V.N. Karazin Kharkiv National University are attending the lecture series, which is facilitated by WSU history professor Dr. Sean Pollock.
According to Pollock, on March 21, 2024, the city of Kyiv—which was the home place of several Ukrainian students and faculty that were participating—was a target of an airstrike. Despite this, many students attended the meeting as if nothing had happened.
“The goal of the assault was to terrorize Ukrainians, but I saw no terror on the faces of Ukrainian students and faculty. On the contrary, I saw only the courage and resilience for which Ukrainians are now internationally renowned,” Pollock said.
Throughout the lecture, Ukrainian students and staff explained how many of them are displaced out of the country. Many still have family in Ukraine and are worried for their safety. On the other hand, they hope WSU students can learn about the war and Ukrainian society.
One of these Ukrainian staff members is Kharkiv University Sociology Dean Dr. Olena Muradyan.
“I think this will be a wonderful learning experience for all parties involved. I hope you all are able to get something out of this,” Muradyan said.
The lecture series day one: introductions
March 21 was the first day of the lecture series, which mainly consisted of introductions. Pollock discussed the meaning of the program and introduced some board members of the Cincinnati-Kharkiv Sister cities partnership.
“We are here to study the historical and sociological reasons and effects of the attack on Ukraine,” Pollock said. “We are going to go back to the Soviet Union and really dissect it.”
Students were then split up into groups to interact with each other. They were told to introduce themselves with their interests and basic information. Ukrainian students were also instructed to teach American students Ukrainian words. They then introduced each other in a large setting.
After introductions, Kharkiv University student Anastasiia Soshenko did a small presentation on what it was like at Kharkiv University. From her presentation, she mentioned that despite their school being a subject of attack, not only are they able to hold a lot of classes in person, but their athletics have soared.
“Despite the attack on our sports center, our school’s sports teams have been able to thrive. We still are able to produce Olympic athletes,” Soshenko said.
The entire lecture seemed to be hopeful from both sides, with each party ready to learn and educate.
The lecture series will continue until April 17 and includes lectures on several topics pertaining to the war. If students would like to sign up, they can do so by emailing Dr. Pollock.
