Higher education in times of war: navigating between survival and development

Join us for an expert briefing with Taras Dobko, Rector of the Ukrainian Catholic University.

Like many other institutions in Ukraine, universities have been heavily impacted by Russia’s full-scale war. They have had to tackle urgent challenges to stay afloat. Additionally, they have had to look beyond the immediate crisis to envision post-war Ukraine and prepare to shape its future. Their operations are also influenced by the ongoing substantial reforms in the higher education system in Ukraine.

How are universities managing in this perfect storm? What lessons are they learning in the process? How is this situation affecting their social engagement and global outreach? Taras Dobko, Rector of Ukrainian Catholic University, will explore these and other questions, focusing on the experience of running the Ukrainian Catholic University. 

The conversation will be moderated by Ursula Woolley, Chair of the Board of Trustees of the UIL.

Taras Dobko

Taras Dobko has been Rector of Ukrainian Catholic University since 24 June 2023. With a Doctorate in Philosophy, he has more than 20 years of experience of work in the field of higher education. He is responsible for operational management, strategic planning and development of the university, academic culture, establishing international relations, developing support systems, and improving the quality of education and service to the community at UCU.

He held the position of UCU Senior Vice-Rector from 2008. He was responsible for general management of the university, promoting university autonomy, personnel policy, and establishing a culture of integrated human development for students, professors, and staff. He also headed the Council for the Project of Building the UCU Campus. Prior to that he was Vice-Rector for Academic Work at Ukrainian Catholic University and before that he was Dean of the UCU Faculty of Theology and Philosophy.

He is the compiler and scholarly editor of four books and author of more than 40 articles in Ukrainian and international publications. His publications deal with themes of ethics, theology, religious experience, human dignity, and relations with God. In 2003, he earned his Doctorate in Philosophy. He has taught philosophy since 1998 in various educational institutions of Ukraine and Georgia. He is the author of certificate programs and courses at the Ukrainian Catholic University. Dr Dobko is a former Trustee of the UIL.