On 2 March 2022, the United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution following the invasion of Ukraine by Russia. The??urged the immediate peaceful resolution of the conflict, which has had a significant humanitarian impact and devastating consequences on civilians. the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, it has forcibly displaced millions.
, a member institution of the United Nations Academic Impact (UNAI) in Poland, reacted quickly to the crisis. This private institution of higher education in the city of Warsaw, some 300km away from the border with Ukraine, hosts over 500 students from that country and many Ukrainian lecturers and staff. Almost immediately after the first Russian bombs fell on Ukraine, the LU community began to act.?
Forms of assistance have ranged from fundraising for Ukrainians that were already on campus to providing services to those newly arrived, including psychological support, legal aid, and free Polish language courses. “I am extremely proud of the attitudes that our entire academic community demonstrates every day,” commented professor Maciej Rogalski, Rector of the institution.
“We know well what war is and how important it is to provide support. Almost all of us at the university have a close friend or colleague from Ukraine. We cannot imagine leaving them without help,” explained Magdalena Mieczkowska, a Marketing Specialist, and lecturer. “Our deans got into the cars themselves to pick up Ukrainians from the border. We received several messages on social media from volunteers asking how they can help,” she added.
The LU Student Help Desk, which was initially created to smooth students’ transition to university life and to the city of Warsaw, has taken on a new role given the ongoing crisis that unfolded. Help Desk Coordinator Daryna Petryk, a Ukrainian national whose family is still in her home country, works day and night to help her fellow Ukrainians despite the several challenges and the emotional burden.?“We do whatever we can, but honestly, I do feel guilty for being here, not there with my closest ones. The only thing that makes this feeling dissipate is understanding the importance of the help we are providing,” she said, highlighting how many people have come together to support one another.
Over 250 LU students, graduates, administrators, lecturers, and professors from many countries worldwide, including Russia, work to assist Ukrainians.?Miroslava, a Russian LU student volunteer coordinating shifts, commented: “I know where I am from. I know who I am. But I do not even know at this point what day it is.”
LU alumni and partners also actively participate. Aksen Semak, a Ukrainian clothing brand owner who has lived in Poland for six years and worked on promotional campaigns for LU, organized a charity event.?Event proceeds went to buy vests for those involved in direct humanitarian assistance and medicines for those in need. “In just two days, we managed to collect over 6,000 USD. My team and I were stunned by the response from an academic community that bravely decided to put aside exams, essays, and research to support, with an open heart and immense dedication, a brotherly nation,” he explained.
LU volunteers help not only on campus but in the community. For example, they prepare sandwiches for those arriving in Warsaw railway stations, renovate refugees’ homes, unload transports of donated goods, help manage traffic at airports, and even take care of displaced Ukrainian children. Overall, the LU community, which calls itself the ‘Orange Family’ from the institution’s color, emphasizes its strength through unity and love.??
“Through our crying souls, we choose to produce love every second of the shift, with every volunteer. Others can opt-out. We cannot. Let's help together!” emphasized Anastasiia Menshykova, a lecturer and Coordinator of the Help Point at LU, who is of Ukrainian origin. And with this, LU demonstrates the true meaning behind the UNAI principles, being committed to fostering peace, resolving conflict, and promoting human rights through higher education.
We can all strive to follow its example.? ?