Bridging Research and Resilience: Teaching and Learning in Ukraine
Thursday, July 16, 2026
Misura's visit to Kyiv School of Economics.
Andrew Misura ‘13/M.B.A. ’23, director of Media and Marketing Strategy in the Division of University Relations, recently returned from an impactful volunteer experience: teaching English to students at the Ukrainian Catholic University (UCU) in Lviv, Ukraine. This trip marked Misura’s third summer of teaching, inspired by his familial connection to Ukrainian culture, interest in aid and volunteer opportunities following Russia's full-scale invasion and his own research as a candidate within the University’s Ph.D. in Higher Education program.
Misura presenting at the Association for the Study of Nationalities conference.
Prior to departure, Misura presented at the Association for the Study of Nationalities conference at Columbia University and shared how Ukrainian higher education institutions (HEIs) have adapted during Russia’s invasion and what their responses reveal about resilience and internationalization. In addition to receiving valuable feedback and inspiration for future research, Misura also connected with other global scholars, fostering both personal connections and potential university partnerships.
Misura with Olha Poliukovych at National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy.
After presenting at Columbia, Misura immediately boarded his flight to Kyiv for meetings at National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy, Kyiv School of Economics and Borys Hrinchenko Kyiv Metropolitan University. Seton Hall has a longstanding Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the University, and Misura discussed the state of higher education in Ukraine and potential points of collaboration among the Universities while visiting.
While in Kyiv, Misura experienced a stark contrast that highlighted the daily reality of Ukrainian higher education. The morning after a heavy missile attack, he witnessed a bustling city en route to campus, where administrators hosted him exactly as scheduled—a moment of perseverance he felt mirrored the values of his home institution.
Misura's visit to Borys Grinchenko Kyiv Metropolitan University.
“The determination and flexibility from faculty, students and administrators to continue studies and preserve what higher education means gets to the heart of the human experience,” he reflected. “Continuing despite the hazards and injustices sustains what can be good about the world, which ties into our motto here at Seton Hall: Hazard Zet Forward.”
From there, Misura traveled by train to Lviv, where he spent time at Ukrainian Catholic University teaching a class of 12 students majoring in law, social work, ethics-politics-economics, cultural studies and a Catholic seminarian in the English Summer School immersion program for two weeks.
“Being able to connect with students, individually and as a group, is meaningful to me,” said Misura, who values the opportunity to directly engage with students alongside his administrative work. “In general, understanding the student experience is valuable. It pains me to think how the war, which started in 2014, has been part of nearly their entire lives, but they are great students and are building their futures in law, social work, politics, the Catholic priesthood and more.”
Misura with his class of students at Ukrainian Catholic University.
Like UCU, Seton Hall strives to educate the whole person, preparing the mind, heart and spirit of students for life outside of the University. Misura applied that philosophy in Ukraine and focused on fostering students’ speaking confidence in both 1:1 and group settings. To hone their skills beyond academic work, Misura taught an elective focused on mock job interviews and had every student create an English-language CV. Additionally, he co-led a class that focused on teaching and playing American sports.
“I am most proud of what they were able to express and how they expressed themselves in English by the end,” he recalled, acknowledging that “It is difficult to learn a second or third language and communicate at a university level in it.”
Misura with Halyna Protsyk at Ukrainian Catholic University.
While at UCU, Misura also met with Halyna Protsyk, who recently visited Seton Hall, to further discuss future opportunities around Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) between the universities.
Shortly after his return, Misura published a commentary on higher education trends in Ukraine. He explored the nation’s enrollment dip, and how Ukrainian universities are developing new programs while pushing for greater financial independence – a topic that Misura plans to research further as he works toward his Ph.D.
"Working with these students for a third year and helping them build the confidence to share their voices globally is a privilege, and it reminds me that education remains our greatest tool,” said Misura. “I look forward to continuing to collaborate and my next visit to Ukraine."
Categories: Nation and World, Research
