Teaching Peace in Times of War: Perspectives from a Ukrainian University

Abstract

How do you teach about peacebuilding and build the skills necessary to do the work during active war? This article shares an interview, conducted October 9, 2023, with two university professors from the Department of Sociology and Social Work (DSSW) at L’viv Polytechnic National University (LPNU). Asked to focus on their own experiences in the interview, the scholars reflect on what it has been like to try to teach not only the theories, but also the practical skills required for the living profession that is social work and community development, essentially peacebuilding skills, since the beginning of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022. The interview considers not only the challenges to the professors and their university, but also thoughts on building and keeping up morale, followed by musings as to what their work will be once the war ends.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Liliya Klos

Liliya Klos MD, D.Sc. in Education, Associate Professor, Department of Sociology & Social Work, Institute of the Humanities and Social Sciences L’viv Polytechnic National University L’viv Ukraine. E-mail: [email protected]

Sofiya Stavkova

Sofiya Stavkova PhD in Education, Associate Professor, Department of Sociology & Social Work, Institute of the Humanities and Social Sciences L’viv Polytechnic National University L’viv Ukraine. E-mail: [email protected]

Maureen Flaherty

Maureen Flaherty Senior Scholar, Peace & Conflict Studies University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada. E-mail: [email protected]