The National University of Ostroh Academy is located in the Rivne region of western Ukraine. Despite its geographical distance from the front line, the university has experienced the shock of war on its doorstep. Nevertheless, the university prepared in advance for possible difficulties. Plans were developed in advance for the civil protection of employees and students, as well as for the protection of university campuses. The experience of the COVID years also came in handy.
So, on the first day of the war, I wrote an email to all my colleagues, students and postgraduates with a message from the administration: education at Ostroh Academy does not stop but continues online (later we decided to conduct it in an asynchronous format to reduce the use of Internet resources that were critical for communications at the state level); an operational headquarters was created to monitor the situation at the university; round-the-clock duty was organized on the university territory,
Then a volunteer center was created to provide support to refugees and collect necessary items for the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Weaving nets was organized in the Scientific Library. Subsequently, the faculty and staff of the university agreed that they would transfer one day’s salary every month to collect technical equipment and ammunition for our colleagues, graduates who went to the army to defend our country. Ostroh Academy donated its bus and truck for the needs of the army.
By the way, once representatives of the Armed Forces of Ukraine admitted that the military believed that it was a good sign if they were transported to a mission by a bus of Ostroh Academy, because everyone returned alive,
The Academy feels the impact of the economic situation in the country, when there are a number of restrictions on the use of funds. Nevertheless, at the time of the full-scale launch, the online learning system was well developed. Already in the previous years of the pandemic, the blended learning system, which provided for full synchronous learning (online and offline) and bringing students to face-to-face classes whenever possible, proved to be one of the best in Ukraine and even in the world, as we shared our experience with colleagues from around the world during an international forum organized by the British Council.
Since the pandemic, we have developed an effective system of psychological support for all participants in the educational process. This proved to be extremely important during the period of martial law, as both students and teachers are under constant stress due to enemy missile and drone attacks, air raids, and the loss of loved ones.
During these three years of war, new educational programs were launched, for example, in robotics, artificial intelligence, and public administration. All courses are adapted to the current labor market conditions and the needs of the country. Two absolutely unique interdisciplinary educational programs will be launched next academic year. One of them, Chaplaincy, was created as a response to the public demand for spiritual support for our soldiers, veterans, and their families. The second is Global Communication Management, which aims to form a new generation of professionals who will act internationally and strengthen the positive image of our country as a strategic partner. This second program is also unique in that the budget for its implementation is entirely funded by patrons.
Many members of the academic community have been defending Ukraine since the first days of the war:
For example, Serhii Rudko, the head of the Department of Regional Studies, gave lectures to students from the frontline. I would like to note that Ostroh Academy provides an opportunity to study for military personnel and veterans. We have created all the conditions for the defenders of Ukraine to improve their skills, get a higher education or change their profession. We have developed individualized study plans. Our students and graduates tell us many stories of how they listened to lectures or took exams from the trenches. At the same time, we have been providing training opportunities for the military for much longer than the years of the full-scale invasion. We are extremely proud that General Valeriy Zaluzhnyi, former Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and now the Ambassador of Ukraine to the United Kingdom, is a graduate of our international relations program.
Unfortunately, Ostroh Academy has lost 29 students and university staff. The Museum of History of Ostroh Academy has created an interactive book of memory so that everyone who is at the university or comes to visit us can honor their feat.
There are very few students at the university who went abroad at the beginning of the full-scale invasion and never returned.
Ostroh Academy has taken care of creating safe learning conditions. Each campus has shelters that are adapted not only to stay there during air raids, but also to conduct training if these alarms last for a long time. We put the safety of everyone who teaches and studies at our university above all else. In addition, our priority is face-to-face education. However, we are now forced to continue to hold classes in a mixed format, as some of the university’s dormitories are occupied by internally displaced persons, mostly people from eastern Ukraine,
Students continue to participate in international exchange programs and attend European and American universities for academic purposes.
Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, our foreign partners have responded to our call for support for Ukraine. First of all, these are our university’s Polish partners – for example, the University of Warsaw provided us with the opportunity to use their server so that we could place a backup copy of our data; John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin sent charitable aid, which we distributed through the Ostroh Academy volunteer center to those who needed it.
Colleagues from the United States, the United Kingdom, and Canada also provided assistance. This assistance and support was different – it included access to databases, online courses (for example, Coursera and EdX launched free access programs to courses on their platforms). The university joined the Twinning program with British universities, which established very close cooperation with the University of St. Andrews. Together with American universities, the institution has launched a certificate program in chaplaincy training.
