The news of the insidious war waged by the russian federation, invading the territory of Ukraine, shocked the whole world. In these critical conditions, the Ukrainian society managed to consolidate and decently withstand the pro-putin occupiers. It is not just about our military resistance from the standpoint of the classical force, which is obviously the most feasible for an average zombie soldier from beyond the curb (the so-called porebrik).
Ukrainians are actively defending their state. You can see people either standing in queues at the military enlistment office, or wearing aprons and making varenyks (Ukrainian dumplings), making anti-tank hedgehogs, mixing Bandera smoosies, getting behind the wheel of their own cars and collecting food, medicine, clothes for refugees, the youngest weaving camouflage nets, drawing pictures and doing other activities. Such complex resistance makes change and brings Ukraine closer to the imminent victory.
As a higher education institution, Lesya Ukrainka Volyn National University, is a point of science and culture. From the first days of the tragic events, our workers have been actively involved in the fight against the occupiers at all fronts. While russian society is indifferently watching the events in Ukraine, there is a need to tear apart all ties with this northern neighbour.
During the war, the academics from Lesia Ukrainka Volyn National University decided that science must not stay outside politics and joined the national resistance, the sanctions imposed by most countries against russia and belarus in the scientific field. Thus, the Academic Council considered the issue of excluding the scientists working in educational and scientific institutions of the russian federation and the republic of belarus from the editorial boards of Lesya Ukrainka Volyn National University periodicals. The decision was unanimous and undeniable.
In addition, the members of the Academic Council convened to terminate agreements with research institutions and universities in russia and belarus. According to Larisa Zasiekina, the Vice-Rector for Research and Methodology and International Relations, the University had such agreements with two belarusian educational institutions and a russian one. "We signed three agreements with scientific institutions and universities of these two countries. These are Pushkin Brest State University, Maxim Tank Brest State Pedagogical University and Tambov State University. These three current agreements are terminated from now on, "Larysa Volodymyrivna said.
In addition, Lesia Ukrainka Volyn National University representatives appealed to the management of the SCOPUS database to stop indexing scientific journals in the russian federation. Serhii Zasiekin, the Editor-in-Chief of the East European Journal of Psycholinguistics, Professor at the Department of Applied Linguistics, suggested that Rector Anatolii Tsios should prepare a letter to the database management. In the letter, the Editor-in-Chief and the Rector argued that the russian federation has been committing armed aggression and felonies against Ukrainian civilians. The request of scientists is also meant to support the sanctions against russia imposed by the United States and the European Union.
"Our cities are on fire, the militaries are hitting civilian buildings with ballistic and cruise missiles in Kyiv, Kharkiv, Sumy and many other Ukrainian cities. The number of civilian casualties is reaching hundreds of innocent people, including dozens of murdered and wounded children. Armed invasion is a flagrant violation of international law, a threat to world peace and human rights. Russia has begun threatening the world community with the use of nuclear weapons. We are convinced that only multilateral sanctions and collective international efforts in the economic, political, sports and scientific spheres will help stop russia's aggression against democracy and the basic principles of social order, "the letter reads.
Therefore, the editorial board pled to help stop the war and support Volyn and Ukrainian scientists and scholars on the path to peace and stability and decided to refuse to consider manuscripts submitted to the journal by scientists and scholars working in educational and scientific institutions of russia.
Information Policy Department
