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Connections

The role of the university during — and after — times of war

Five people wearing headphones sit at a table in a radio talk studio: a woman front left has long dark hair and is wearing a black jacket with red trim, white button-down shirt, jeans and black shoes; a bald man front right has a grey goatee and is wearing glasses, a light grey button-down shirt, red tie and grey pants; a man back left has short brown hair, a grey beard and is wearing a grey blazer, black sweater and white button-down shirt; a man back right has short brown hair and is wearing a navy blazer, navy tie and white button-down shirt; a man at center has very short dark hair and is wearing glasses, a puffy navy vest, light green button-down shirt, jeans and sneakers.
Mari Tsuchiya
/
WXXI News
(foreground) Olena Prokopovych and Timothy Kneeland, (background) Eric Ensley and Eduard Balashov with host Evan Dawson on "Connections with Evan Dawson" on Monday, April 20, 2026
WXXI News

Russia’s war on Ukraine is now in its fourth year, and while the rest of the world learns about the conflict through the media, Ukrainians continue to navigate daily life during wartime, including pursuing education.

Some of the country’s leading pedagogues say education in Ukraine must meet the needs of the state and match the trends of the modern world. That, they argue, will be the basis for rebuilding the country when the war ends.

Our guests include Eduard Balashov, rector of the National University of Ostroh Academy in Ukraine. He is in Rochester as a guest of Nazareth University and the University of Rochester.

He joins us, along with some of his Rochester-based colleagues, to discuss the role of the university during wartime and the value of international education partnerships.

Our guests:

  • Eduard Balashov, Ph.D., professor and rector of the National University of Ostroh Academy in Ostroh, Ukraine
  • Olena Prokopovych, Ph. D., associate professor of political science and director of the Political Science Undergraduate Program in History, Politics, and Law at Nazareth University
  • Timothy Kneeland, Ph.D., professor and director of the Museums, Archives, and Public History Program; and director of the Center for Public History at Nazareth University
  • Eric Ensley, Ph.D., MLS,  director of Rare Books, Special Collections, and Preservation at the University of Rochester River Campus Libraries

Evan Dawson is the host of "Connections with Evan Dawson." He joined WXXI in January 2014 after working at 13WHAM-TV, where he served as morning news anchor. He was hired as a reporter for 13WHAM-TV in 2003 before being promoted to anchor in 2007.
Megan Mack is the executive producer of "Connections with Evan Dawson" and live/televised engagement programming.
Julie Williams is an associate producer for "Connections with Evan Dawson." She started at WXXI in 2019 and has been working on Connections since 2022.