Beginning on 24 February 2022 Russia’s aggressive invasion of Ukraine has forced many Ukrainians to flee their homes and seek refuge in safer places. The Baltic States have become a safe haven for Ukrainians. Kaunas University of Technology Library, as a partner of the Erasmus+ project Baltics4UA, invites the university community to discuss the ways in which we can act to support Ukrainians coming to Lithuania and those who remained in Ukraine during the war. The World Café starts with short panel discussion to picture the current state of HEIs engagement in support Ukraine, and to inspire the following discussions.
Thursday, 6 April, 9 a.m. – 1 p.m University Campus Library, Studentų st. 48, room M8
Target audience: KTU students (including UA student community), academic staff members, administrative staff members.
Focus question: Empowering the university community for social action in times of crisis in Ukraine
The discussion will be held in World Cafe format, in English. Five main topics will be discussed:
- Meeting the educational needs of Ukrainians.
- Meeting the cultural needs of the Ukrainian people.
- Meeting general needs (accommodation, financial support, legal support, psychological support).
- Support for Ukraine in the field of research.
- Support for Ukrainian nationals who have remained in the country.
The event is expected to provide answers to following questions:
- What are the opportunities for Ukrainian refugees to continue their studies? How can University contribute to overcoming the language and multicultural barriers for Ukrainian people living in Lithuania? How can the University contribute to the organization of non-formal education for Ukrainian adults and children?
- How can the University contribute to the preservation and promotion of Ukrainian culture and heritage? What examples do we already have, what other opportunities do we envision?
- What can the University community do to improve the lives and livelihoods of Ukrainian refugees? What initiatives should the University initiate to provide for the basic needs of the Ukrainian people? What are the opportunities for the University to provide psychological support and legal assistance to Ukrainian people?
- How can the University support Ukrainian researchers? What could be the contribution of the University’s researchers to the Ukrainian crisis? What areas of research would be relevant and useful in overcoming the crisis caused by the Ukrainian war?
- How can the university community contribute to the continuity of universities in Ukraine? What support can the University’s lecturers, researchers and students provide to the population living in Ukraine and involved in the war?
After the discussion in groups, the results will be summarised and presented to all participants.
Event agenda:
8:30 – 9:00 – Registration
9:00 – 9:40 – Welcome words and introduction to the Baltics4UA project initiatives (Aistė Pranckutė, Gintarė Tautkevičienė). Short panel discussion.
9:40 – 11:00 – Coffee break
11:00 – 12:40 –World café group discussions
12:40 – 13:00 – Summarising results and reflections from the group discussions