Dr. Petro Katerynych explored this question during his fascinating lecture on ‘Resilient Minds, Fragile Networks: Protecting Academic Freedom and Rebuilding Ukraine’s Higher Education Amidst Cyberwars and AI Threats’ at the Free Ac Summer School.

Dr. Katerynych presented research examining how leading Ukrainian news outlets frame academic freedom during wartime, using qualitative content analysis of 2024 news articles, opinion pieces, and feature reports. His study analyses how war reshapes public narratives about higher education and intellectual autonomy.

The research identifies dominant storytelling strategies and framing techniques, revealing that Ukrainian media emphasise existential threats to universities and scholars while portraying academia’s resilience under direct attack. Common themes include freedom vs. oppression, the role of international solidarity, and the interplay between knowledge and resistance in conflict zones.

This work provides insights into how media coverage influences institutional responses and global perceptions of academic freedom during crises, contributing to our understanding of media discourse and academic freedom in wartime.

Dr. Petro Katerynych is a PhD in Journalism and Lecturer at the Department of Cinema and Television Arts, Institute of Journalism, Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, Ukraine.

More information: https://www.freeac.eu/ukrainian-voices-guest-lecture-series/