Russia's invasion of Ukraine - education and arts

With Russia's invasion of Ukraine in its second month, signaling that Russia's strategies underestimated resistance, the devastation of Ukraine is graphically demonstrated in pictures of damaged buildings, injured and killed civilians. Meanwhile, Putin continued the repression of any messages he doesn't want Russian citizens to hear and channeled his 'inner-Trump' including name calling (e.g. Ukraine governments are Nazis), claims of fake news coverage, and staged demonstrations to spark nationalistic fervor in support of his invasion of an sovereign country.

One of the most frightening aspects of Putin's invasion of Ukraine is that, coupled with tacit support from China's Xi, it has challenged the world order that presumed continued connections and cooperation across the globe. The idea that democracy and capitalism provided a quality of life unsurpassed by other governments and economies is now under question. In addition, Russian clerics declared their support of Putin's invasion by ignoring the record of history and declaring the Ukrainians are Russian. One can only pray that rising interfaith cooperation in Ukraine will counter the destructive impact of clerics who unquestioningly line up to support Putin's agenda. The emergence of new political, ideological, and religious chasms separating Russia/China from the U.S.A. and other Western countries will echo for years and perhaps decades beyond the Ukraine crisis.

As the picture unfolded, higher education began to adjust and looked into the future. Repercussions were felt as some international students were stranded in Ukraine, desperate to get out. Indian medical students who were studying in Ukraine had their dreams dashed and may never be able to complete their degrees. Study abroad programs scrambled as cancellations mounted across Russia and other eastern European countries. Both Ukrainian and Russian students struggled to continue pursuit of education as a result of the financial repercussions of the war and sanctions imposed on Russia.

To their credit numerous higher education institutions have intervened. Institutions such as the University of Helsinki reached out to Ukrainian students to invite them to continue their studies in Finland without testing or fees and the University of Chicago offered to pay tuition for students affected by the Russian invasion. University of the People provided scholarships for 1,000 Ukrainian refugee students to continue their studies online. As some Russian scholars fled from what they saw as an impossible future, other academics tried to sort out what role they could, or were willing to play. The Biden administration requested that Congress approve modified visa rules for Russian scholars to move to U.S.A. institutions over the next four years.

The Russian Rectors' Union chose to defend the war against Ukraine and said, "It is very important to support our country, our army, which defends our security, to support our president, who has made perhaps the most difficult decision of his life, a hard-won but necessary one." This statement included reference to valuing research cooperation with Ukraine. The end of the statement asserts, "Together we are a great power." Knowing what is portrayed in western media, it's hard to stomach that academics could make such a statement and the European University Association suspended the 12 institutions whose Rectors now stand in favor of the invasion of Ukraine. In addition to the Russian Rector's complicity, some Russian institutions have begun to target anti-war expressions among students through intimidation and explusions. QS, an international academic ranking system, vowed to remove Russian institutions from their rankings yet an April 4 update included them.

On the other hand, westerners who are criticizing the attack on Ukraine don't live in a country where media is controlled by the state and where opposition to the state could result in terrifying consequences. The "Z" first noticed on Russian military vehicles seemed mystical but turned into a disinformation campaign for a segment of Russians who are promoting the Ukrainian invasion.  Considering the pro and anti-war divide emerging among Russians, perhaps the Russian Rectors were responding to public division, maybe they didn't have enough detailed information, or maybe they were just acting under Russian state direction.

The age of social media has changed the public's awareness of war tactics, including the brutal tactics that have victimized so many innocent Ukrainian children, elderly, and others. However, even as the Russian invasion of Ukraine persisted, some countries did not fall in line with the condemnation of the U.S.A., Europe, and other Western-aligned countries. The reasons for not joining in the broad criticism of Russia are complicated and must be considered in the historical context of other conflicts between the West and its adversaries. Steven Mintz noted John Mearsheimer's (University of Chicago) assessment that NATO's expansion toward Russia triggered Putin's fears of border encroachment as relevant and important for academic scholars and students to consider.

The devastation of Ukraine will render 'research cooperation' impossible among higher education entities because little will be left should Russia be victorious in overtaking Ukraine. Universities have been targeted in hacking and others have sustained extensive damage, including buildings that support Jewish students, such as the Hillel building in Kharkiv. As conscientious citizens in Russia, many of whom do not have access to information beyond state propaganda, dig deeper into what they are being told, the hope among Ukraine's defenders is that Russians will increasingly go to the streets to protest the invasion of Ukraine.

While the political condemnation has been broad, with economic sanctions on Russia levied by many countries, arts and culture responded with numerous cancellations. Concerts around the world, including the Chicago Symphony Orchestra dedicated performances to Ukraine and highlighted content to remind patrons of the history of war and to condemn those who have used it to subjugate others. Musicians such as Valery Gergiev and Denis Matsuev, as well as the Bolshoi Ballet, were canceled due to their alignment with Putin. Risking retaliation from the Russian government, 17,000 Russian artists denounced Putin's war against Ukraine. Reflecting the growing number of businesses like McDonald's and Starbuck's ceased operations in Russia, U.S. higher education institutions cut financial ties as well. As an example, Stanford University determined to discontinue online access to its professional development courses. Faith-based institutions in the U.S.A. launched numerous gatherings and initiatives to raise awareness about, and stand in solidarity with, Ukraine. President Zelensky spoke with representatives of the Association of American Universities, saying that Ukraine would prevail and recover and that it needed the restoration of higher education opportunity.

One of the most damaging statements against Putin's war made by anyone in the world was that of Arnold Schwarzenegger. His video recounted his love of Russia and the Russian people, conveyed his admiration for the Russian weight lifter who inspired him, and concluded with a call for Russian citizens to stand against Putin's war on Ukraine. We are in a modern age where celebrity and social media can be dangerous yet, at other times come together for good by informing the public by way of respected figures that politicians' actions may be very different than their actions.

Political and economic sanctions against Russia have been widely embraced by democracies, resulting in Putin claiming that they are equivalent to acts of war. The breadth of nations supporting economic sanctions includes some countries that notoriously oppose such action, including Switzerland, Monaco, and the Cayman Islands. Unfortunately, Russian oligarchs are flocking to Dubai aboard their yachts, arriving to bask in the sun on the beaches that front their mansions. Following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, a Russian oligarch moved his 2nd luxury yacht to one of the UAE's poorest emirate, Ras al-Khaimah. The UAE is seeing a boom in high-end real estate and the influx of Russian-speakers in expensive restaurants and other venues is undeniable. Holdouts such as Dubai, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt have the potential to undermine the sanctions of the rest of the world.

Putin's response to sanctions appears to be part of a pre-determined smear campaign that labeled the Ukraine government as led by neo-Nazis and drug dealers. Russian citizens have been fed so much propaganda that Ukrainians appealing to Russian family members are told that Russia has come to bring them food and clothing. For information on conditions in Russia, Valerie Hopkins of the NYT provides excellent insights.

President of Urkraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, has been revered worldwide for his courage in standing up to Putin and leading the Ukrainian resistance. As a former media personality turned public leader, Zelensky has exploited his popularity to garner local and international support. The power of arts is very clear in Zelensky's example; by being public and visible, silencing him and attempting to take him down has become extremely problematic for Putin.