Charting an uncertain future

Research in Ukraine: Where has it gone?

How is your day going? Did you have a coffee and check your Twitter feed before work or before you walked the dog? If you are a researcher, you might be spending time in the lab or preparing a new grant application. No matter what is on your list, most likely you can expect a fairly predictable day ahead.
That is not the case in Ukraine right now.
Not only is your future uncertain, but even the rest of your day comes with a question mark. Whether you have an internet connection to stay in touch with family, friends, and work or whether everyone is safe or if you even have a place to work are in doubt every single day.
The war in Ukraine is unique in our digital age. We can watch the conflict unfold in real time. We can see the Tweets. There are videos readily available from ordinary people. Disinformation and media manipulation are everywhere – inside and outside the war zone. Politicians arrive unannounced for serious talks and photo opportunities and we can follow their itinerary.
In this podcast episode we feature two academics who don't know when they will be able to count on a predicable or 'normal' day.
Alina Mozolevsaka is a professor at Petro Mohyla Black Sea State University in Mykolaiv, Ukraine. She is now safe with her children in Berlin, but she does not know what the future holds for her personally or professionally. She along with many other displaced scholars, is doing what she can to support people who have remained behind in Ukraine.
Sergii Pakhomenko is an associate professor in the Department of Political Science and International Relations of Mariupol State University. He had to leave Mariupol and is now in Lviv. He is a political scientist who witnessed the complete destruction of his university and his city.
This episode would not have been possible without the early support of Genome Canada.
Produced by Mike Spear and by freelance broadcaster Don Hill.
Music from freesound.org
We are looking for sponsors to help us keep this podcast alive and to do what we can to raise awareness of the challenges facing the Ukrainian research community and academic institutions. Send a note to [e-mail] and we will talk about how you can contribute.