University Webinar: “Global Dialogue: Ukraine from the Frontline” -March 31, 2022

The St. John’s University community is invited to attend a Webex panel discussion, “Global Dialogue: Ukraine from the Frontline,” on Thursday, March 31, from 2 to 3 p.m. with Michael R. Sampson, Ph.D., Professor, Department of Education SpecialtiesThe School of Education. The discussion is sponsored by the Office of Global Programs and will be moderated by Mauricio Borrero, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Department of HistorySt. John’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.

As a community, we have many questions about the war in Ukraine: How can this happen?  What is the experience of Ukrainians living through the war? How will the world respond to refugees from Ukraine? What can we do as individuals and as an institution to help?  This panel will provide a brief framework for understanding the current conflict and focus primarily on the situation on the ground, including the experience of refugees, essential needs, health care concerns, and recommendations for action.

Dr. Sampson was in Ukraine as a Fulbright Scholar working on a research project with children and teachers when he was abruptly relocated to Poland in January because of the imminent threat by Russian forces. Now in Poland, he continues to teach classes remotely to students still in Ukraine while working with humanitarian organizations and other Fulbright grantees to support and aid Ukrainian refugees. He will be joined on the panel by three Fulbright scholars to Ukraine who were also evacuated due to the war: 

  • Evan Harary is a graduate of the University of Michigan Law School with experience in immigration and international humanitarian law. In Ukraine, Evan conducted research on the implementation of citizenship confirmation and statelessness determination procedures.
  • Nicole Jepeal earned a Master of Science degree in Public Health from Emory University, where she studied health systems and health policy research. Her work in Ukraine involved working with the Ukrainian Ministry of Health to explore the implementation process of Ukraine’s health reform plan.
  • John Vsetecka is a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of History at Michigan State University. In addition to his scholarship on famine in Soviet Ukraine in the 20th century, he is the founder of H-Ukraine, an online platform dedicated to promoting academic and intellectual content related to the study of Ukraine.

Registration is required.