As part of the Baltics4UA project (Supporting Ukraine through citizen engagement at Baltic Universities), a World Café will be held on March 30, 2023, from 10:00 to 13:00 at Lviv Polytechnic National University (Reading Hall of the Scientific and Technical Library, 1 Profesorska street, Lviv, Ukraine).
Lviv Polytechnic National University (LPNU) has its seat in Lviv, a relatively safe place since the
russian invasion on February 24, 2022. The city has become where thousands of people (including
schoolchildren, students, and academic staff) gather to seek peace and safety.
The academic community of Lviv Polytechnic has had lots of experience in providing help to
refugees and displaced persons since 2014. From the first days of the current war, the university
established a Center of Humanitarian Aid to Internally Displaced Persons and the Army, collecting
food and necessities for people in need. Also, starting from March 14, 2022, students from
Ukrainian HEIs, located in the area of hostilities, where educational services are temporarily
suspended, can continue their education in Lviv Polytechnic.
The topics to be discussed during the World Café are the following:
1) The role of students in response to crises
2) University as a psychological and legal support hub
3) University empowering the general public to take action
4) The role of research: which topics are most relevant and how to leverage the potential
5) University contributing to shaping policies on crises response
The event is expected to provide answers to the following questions:
- How to involve students in crisis response? What can be learned from students?
What are the most significant initiatives? What experience can be adopted? - How can you describe the most acute psychological and legal needs of refugees during a crisis?
How was the work organized? What are the challenges in this field related to refugees? - What are the points of contact between the university and the community in peacetime?
How does this role transform during a crisis? What are the significant initiatives in this field? - What is the role of scientists during the crisis in general? What areas are most needed during a war or an influx of refugees?
How can science prepare society for new challenges? - In which direction should policy move at the local, national and international levels for effective work with crises?
In what directions were the initiatives? What should be the role of universities in facilitating better decision-making?
The World Café will be held in Ukrainian. Participation in the event is free of charge. We invite
teachers and students, volunteers, psychologists and social workers, and others who have been
actively working with refugees since the beginning of the full-scale war in Ukraine to participate in
the event.