WACO, Texas — Baylor faculty, students and staff gathered on Wednesday afternoon for a discussion on the biggest issues facing Ukraine and the international community.
The panel consisted of multiple Baylor experts on topics like history, psychology and economics. One of those experts was associate professor of political science, Serhiy Kudelia, a Ukraine native.
"The city of Kherson is a city of about 500,000 people on the Dnieper River on the southern part of Ukraine. It's the city where I spent most of my childhood," Kudelia said. "The city is now fully occupied by Russian troops."
Kudelia joined the panel virtually from Switzerland. Other experts provided insight on the invasion's historical significance and its impact on global economics and mental health.
"We're talking about post-traumatic stress disorder or PTSD, we're talking about depression, so major depressive disorders that may last," professor of psychology and neuroscience, Sara Dolan, said to the audience.
Others, like economics professor Stephen Gardner, tried to calm fears of a global economic meltdown. Gardner explained most of the financial hardship will be on Russia itself.
Hundreds sat in for the panel, walking away with a clearer picture of the toll the invasion will continue to take on Kudelia's homeland.
"You must feel overwhelmed with the amount of names that you hear, cities that you've never heard of," Kudelia said.
President Linda Livingstone provided opening remarks for the panel, applauding the several efforts made by university community members in recent weeks to honor Ukrainians.
Kudelia called on the university to join a growing list of schools providing assistance to displaced Ukrainian students.
