Bohdan Liakhno and Bohdan Makarchuk
by Jayden Dill
Martin Geiger, a political science professor in the Faculty of Public Affairs (FPA), is partnering with two Ukrainian student researchers to study the displacement of skilled Ukrainian professionals and its impact on Canada and various European countries, including the Baltic states.
Bohdan Liakhno and Bohdan Makarchuk attend Ukrainian universities and are the recipients of a Globalinks award from Mitacs.
According to UNHCR, as of June 2023, more than 6 million Ukrainians are registered as refugees globally; meanwhile, more than 5 million are estimated to be displaced within Ukraine.
“My Mitacs student researchers were not allowed to leave Ukraine, and work with me from Odessa and Poltava. These days, Odessa is often under attack. We try as best as we can, and work remotely, using Zoom. With the help of my researchers, we try to connect to Ukrainians who have been displaced and moved abroad, for example to Estonia.”
Geiger’s team is interested in how Ukrainians have been received abroad, and how they have connected to local labour markets . At the same time, the project examines the impact the massive exodus of professionals has had on the Ukrainian economy.
“Of course, we are also interested in how these professionals can support Ukraine’s post-war recovery and development. For my colleague and me, this focus is really important. We have started with a review of recent media reports, and soon will also conduct interviews with stakeholders in, e.g., Estonia, a major host country of Ukrainian professionals”, says Liakhno.
Mitacs supports more than 2,200 international research collaborations in 13 countries.
Friday, August 18, 2023 in Department of Political Science, News
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