Working with Colleagues in Ukraine Is Inspiring

Since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, I have been deeply involved in supporting higher education there. I had already been quite active, due to my affiliation with the Kyiv School of Economics (KSE) as both a member of its Board of Directors (BOD) and its International Academic Board over several years, but, in March, 2022, my connections intensified since I was elected one of the four Co-Chairs of the BOD of KSE https://kse.ua/community/stories/board-of-directors/.  Shortly thereafter, my university - UMass Amherst - established a global partnership with KSE. The partnership included both a student exchange student program (very successful) as well as a Virtual Scholar in Residence Program to reduce brain drain from Ukraine. We have now had two sets of cohorts of Virtual Scholars and I have enjoyed working with several of the scholars.

My colleagues in Ukraine inspire me and I believe that the research that we have done together is strengthened through our collaborations.

I am honored and delighted that Professor Myroslava Kushnir from the Ukrainian Catholic University (UCU) in Lviv and I have had our latest paper accepted for presentation at the Information Technology in Disaster Risk Reduction Conference at Kyoto University https://itdrr.org/conference/itdrr2025/. Our paper, "Social Network Analysis of Civilian Support Networks for the Ukrainian Military," emphasizes that Russia’s war on Ukraine is not only a geopolitical conflict but also a humanitarian, ecological, social and economic disaster. Our study applies Social Network Analysis (SNA) to explore the interaction structure between civil society organizations (CSOs) and military units in Ukraine during the ongoing full-scale war. Dr. Kushnir has been a Virtual Scholar in both cohorts. Our first joint paper, "Civilian-Military Integration in Ukrainian Defense Supply Chain," co-authored with Renata Konrad of Worcester Polytechnic Institute, was published in the Proceedings of the International ISCRAM Conference: https://ojs.iscram.org/index.php/Proceedings/article/view/49

And just a few days ago, at the great EURO Conference in Leeds, UK, I presented a paper co-authored with my Isenberg School of Management PhD student, Ismael Pour, and Professor Borys Kormych of the Odesa Law Academy. The paper, "Integrated Crop and Cargo War Risk Insurance: Application to Ukraine," was recently published in the International Transactions in Operational Research (ITOR): https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/itor.70038 Professor Kormych had also been a Virtual Scholar in the two cohorts. 

And, with Virtual Scholar Pavlo Martyshev and Professor Oleg Nivievskyi of KSE, we have published 4 papers, along with my Isenberg School of Management PhD student Dana Hassani. I am very proud of this work. The papers that have appeared in journals are: 

"A Multiperiod Multicommodity Capacitated International Agricultural Trade Network Equilibrium Model with Applications to Ukraine in Wartime," Dana Hassani, Anna Nagurney, Oleg Nivievskyi, and Pavlo Martyshev, Transportation Science 59(1): (2025), pp 143-164,

"Multicommodity International Agricultural Trade Network Equilibrium: Competition for Limited Production and Transportation Capacity Under Disaster Scenarios with Implications for Food Security,"Anna Nagurney, Dana Hassani, Oleg Nivievskyi, and Pavlo Martyshev, European Journal of Operational Research 314(1): (2024), pp 1127-1142,

"Exchange Rates and Multicommodity International Trade: Insights from Spatial Price Equilibrium Modeling with Policy Instruments via Variational Inequalities," Anna Nagurney, Dana Hassani, Oleg Nivievskyi, and Pavlo Martyshev, Journal of Global Optimization 87: (2023), pp 1-30.

Plus, we have the following paper: "Quantification of International Trade Network Performance Under Disruptions to Supply, Transportation, and Demand Capacity, and Exchange Rates in Disasters,"Anna Nagurney, Dana Hassani, Oleg Nivievskyi, and Pavlo Martyshev, published in Dynamics of Disasters - From Natural Phenomena to Human Activity, I.S. Kotsireas, A. Nagurney, P.M. Pardalos, S. Pickl, C. Vogiatzis, Editors, Springer Nature Switzerland AG (2024), pp 151-179.

Dana Hassani has received 4 research awards (2 from the OIM Department and 2 from the Isenberg School) for his publications. These are significant recognitions.

I have written additional article with Professor Nivievskyi and am extremely proud of the paper, "Ukraine - Addressing the Domestic Crisis and the Effects of the War on Global Food Systems," which was published by the Pontifical Academy of Sciences: https://www.pas.va/en/publications/scripta-varia/sv154pas/nivievskyi.html

I have also worked with Professor Elena Besedina of KSE. She was a Virtual Scholar in the first cohort. The paper that we co-authored is: "A Multicommodity Spatial Price Equilibrium Model with Exchange Rates and Non-Tariff Measures for Agri-Food International Trade," Anna Nagurney and Elena Besedina, Operations Research Forum 4: (2023), 84.

My colleagues and collaborators in Ukraine have dealt with drones and missiles and losses of family members and friends and much too much time in shelters. They continue to teach and to conduct research under very challenging conditions. What they do to support their students and knowledge discovery in wartime is heroic. I thank them from the bottom of my heart and look forward to peace and prosperity for Ukraine and its freedom-loving citizenry.

Visit of Dr. Kyrychenko from the Kyiv School of Economics (KSE) to UMass Amherst

This past week, we were delighted to have Dr. Kostyantyn Kyrychenko, the Vice Rector for International Cooperation at the Kyiv School of Economics (KSE), come to UMass Amherst. Those of you who have been reading my blog are aware of the global partnership between these two universities established shortly after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022. 

It was a pleasure to have Dr. Kyrychenko join a group of us for lunch. At the delicious lunch at The Commonwealth Restaurant sponsored by the UMass Amherst Office of Global Affairs (OGA) even the one and only Associate Vice Chancellor Ken Toong stopped by! When I told our distinguished visitor from Ukraine that UMass Amherst had been voted as having the best college food 7 years in a row - he corrected me (thank you) - UMass Amherst has received this honor 8 times! Special thanks to Kimberly Stender and Claire Novotny of the Office of Global Affairs for the lovely time and to my great Isenberg School of Management, UMass Amherst colleagues, Professors Bogdan Prokopovych 🇺🇦 and Ina Ganguli, who also has an appointment in our Economics Department and who graciously shared the photo with Ken Toong in the collage below. It was extra special to also have exchange students from KSE join us.

I was touched by a lovely gift set that Dr. Kyrychenko presented me from Sumy, which is the city in eastern Ukraine that he is from and also where one of our exchange students is from. Kimberly Stender presented him with some gifts from the Office of Global Affairs and he gave her some KSE branded gifts. The conversations were wonderful and I am sure that they will continue. The exchange student program has brought 7 different students from KSE to UMass Amherst in the past two years and they have thrived on our beautiful campus. The students are fabulous ambassadors for Ukraine and their courage and work ethic inspire me.

We thank Dr. Kyrychenko for visiting us. The journey from Ukraine is quite long and I know that tomorrow he will be back for KSE Open Days!

President of the Kyiv School of Economics (KSE) Back at UMass Amherst

Yesterday, was a very busy, fascinating day with the return of Dr. Tymofiy Mylovanov to UMass Amherst. Mylovanov is the long-term President of the Kyiv School of Economics (KSE) in Ukraine. He has led this private university for over 3 years in war-time. Enrollment has tripled; many new programs have been started, including in engineering, an, through its KSE Institute, numerous timely white papers have been published, that are regularly cited in the media. KSE, even in wartime, has hosted many dignitaries and thought leaders. Mylovanov regularly speaks to the media, including CNN.

The day was blustery, with 60 mile an hour winds. Mylovanov told me about the turbulence on his flight from Reagan National in DC to Bradley Airport (our local airport) in Connecticut. Luckily, on the third attempt, the pilot landed the plane safely!

I had helped to organize his visit and talk, with assistance from the Office of Global Affairs and the UMass Amherst INFORMS Student Chapter. It was Mylovanov's 3rd visit to UMass Amherst since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022. Shortly after that date, I was elected Co-Chair of the KSE Board of Directors but continue to serve on its International Academic Board. Very quickly UMass Amherst and KSE signed a series of MOUs and our global partnership was established.

Thanks to the Office of Global Affairs at UMass Amherst and its Director, Vice Provost Dr. Kalpen Trivedi, and Kim Stender for organizing the excellent lunch at The Commonwealth Restaurant with Provost Fouad Abd-El-Khalick, Dr. Trivedi, the Dean of Social and Behavioral Sciences Dr. Karl Rethemeyer, and Senior Associate Dean Lisa Masteralexis joining us. 

Since Mylovanov is having a big birthday in a few days, we surprised him with dessert and Happy Birthday and his name written out in chocolate.

Afterwards, we had a terrific, informal Meet and Great in the Elkins Room at the Isenberg School, which included the exchange students from KSE, some of our Operations Management PhD students, my OIM Department Chair, Professor Senay Solak, and Professor Bogdan Prokopovych.

We then, as a group, headed to the IALS building where Mylovanov gave the talk, "Future of Europe if Ukraine Loses," to a packed audience of students, faculty, and staff from UMass Amherst, and even from Amherst College and the community. The UMass Amherst INFORMS Student Chapter, whose President this year is my PhD student, Ismael Pour, did a fantastic job promoting this event. In fact, the announcement for Mylovanov's seminar was posted all week on the UMass Amherst homepage!

There was a great reception afterwards with delicious food and desserts.

We escorted Dr. Mylovanov back to his car and onwards to Bradley and DC.  Today, he flies to London and will visit several cities in different countries before his return to KSE and Kyiv.

Below is a collage of photographs from his very special visit.

Thanks to all who were able to join us!

2025 Panel with the Exchange Students from the Kyiv School of Economics in Ukraine

This was a very tough week, beginning with Monday, February 24, 2025, the 3rd anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine,  followed by the visit of Ukraine's President Zelenskyi to the Oval Office in DC on Friday, February 28.

In the afternoon of February 27, we hosted a panel at the Isenberg School of Management with the exchange students from the Kyiv School of Economics (KSE) in Ukraine. I'd like to thank the UMass Amherst INFORMS Student Chapter and its President, Ismael Pour, for designing a nice flyer for the event and for handling the promotion and logistics.

Below is a collage of photos and the flyer.

It was an honor to moderate this panel with my colleague, Dr. Bogdan Prokopovych.

The slide deck of my presentation, with some background on the UMass Amherst - KSE partnership, which includes the student exchange program as well as a Virtual Scholar Program with scholars in Ukraine, can be found on the Supernetwork Center website: https://supernet.isenberg.umass.edu/visuals/KSEExchangeStudentPanel2025.pdf

Many thanks to all who came to support our four outstanding exchange students from Ukraine! Their work ethic, dedication, courage, friendliness, love of their homeland, and appreciation of all that UMass Amherst has to offer, are inspiring.

On Serving on Boards, Including Board of Directors

As an academic, one is engaged in research, teaching, and service and, also, public outreach, if that is your interest and forte. Service can take many forms from internal department and university service to external service, including professional service of different kinds.

This post is on service on boards.

For example, just two days ago, I had a meeting with fellow Co-Chairs of the Board of Directors of the Kyiv School of Economics (KSE): Olena Bilan, Oleksandr Kravchenko, and Makar Paseniuk, and the KSE President Tymofiy Mylovanov.

We have regular meetings throughout the year and the previous meeting I attended virtually while in Brno Czechia, from my hotel room, since I was conferencing in Europe over three weeks.

The full list of the Board of Directors of KSE is here.

It is an outstanding group of thought leaders, public intellectuals, academics, business leaders, former ambassadors, a Nobel prize winner, and even a Ukrainian rockstar. 

The newest members of the KSE Board of Directors are:

Michael A. McFaul — Director of the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies (FSI), Former US National Security Advisor, U.S. Ambassador to Russia (2012-2014), Co-Chair of the International Working Group on Sanctions against Russia,

Lola Woetzel — Senior partner of McKinsey & Company, Director of the McKinsey Global Institute,

William B. Taylor — Vice president, Europe and Russia, at the U.S. Institute of Peace, 6th US Ambassador to Ukraine (2006–2009), US Chargé d’Affaires to Ukraine in 2019.

Since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, our input has been more needed than ever and supporting this higher education institution in Ukraine is incredibly humbling and inspiring.

In addition, I have been serving on the International Academic Board (IAB) of KSE for over half a decade. Its Chair is the Nobel laureate Roger Myerson. The full list is here. It is thrilling to have as the KSE IAB's newest members: Serhii Plokhii, the Director of the Harvard University Research Institute, and Maryna Viazovska, the Fields Medalist.

It has been amazing as well as thrilling to see KSE triple its student enrollment since Russia's full-scale invasion and also to expand its programs. It also has many new partnerships and I am especially excited about the partnership between UMass Amherst and KSE, which has funded two cohorts of Virtual Scholars based in Ukraine who have been matched with faculty at UMass Amherst, the latest 10 with faculty at the Isenberg School of Management. Plus, in the Fall we will have another set of exchange students from KSE studying at UMass Amherst. Some info here.

These are not the only boards that I am now serving on.

I am chairing the INFORMS Magazine Editorial Advisory Board (MEAB) and am working with Kara Tucker of INFORMS and other wonderful board members. Our meeting last week was incredibly engaging intellectually and personally.

Also, and this is expected of many of us academics, I serve on multiple journal editorial boards and also book series. 

In addition, I enjoy interacting with board members such as the Advisory Board of my Operations and Information Management Department.

I have not yet served on a corporate board but would be interested in doing so. Of course, there are also opportunities in serving on other nonprofit boards, including those outside of academia, such as, for example, on a hospital board or on an NGO one.

Working with other board members can be incredibly exciting and rewarding and one can help institutions to grow and to be more effective.

Thanks to all who provide such valuable service!

The Great UMass Amherst - Kyiv School of Economics Partnership Continues with the Second Cohort of Virtual Scholars in Ukraine

Russia's war on Ukraine has caused immense damage to education, including higher education, with the destruction of universities, and disruption to scholarship and learning. UMass Amherst stepped up, in the month after the full-scale invasion of February 24, 2022, through the establishment of memoranda of understanding with the Kyiv School of Economics in Ukraine. I have been affiliated with this university for over half a decade, and have served both on its International Academic Board and its Board of Directors. In March 2022, I was elected a Co-Chair of its Board of Directors.

As part of this global partnership, 15 Virtual Scholars, all based in Ukraine were partnered with faculty hosts at UMass Amherst. 9 of these were with faculty at the Isenberg School of Management. I had the great pleasure of working with Elena Besedina and Pavlo Martyshev of the Kyiv School of Economics and with Myroslava Kushnir of the Ukrainian Catholic University.

And, I am delighted that the second cohort of Virtual Scholars, numbering 10, has now been selected. The process was very competitive and I wish that we could fund more. All of these faculty, which hail from 5 different universities in Ukraine, have been matched with faculty at the Isenberg School of Management. More information on the call for applications can be found on the Kyiv School of Economics website.

The 10 selected scholars are faculty at the National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy, the Ukrainian Catholic University, the Kyiv School of Economics, Polissia National University, and the Odesa Law Academy. Their faculty hosts are in the Operations and Information Management Department (yours truly), the Finance Department (Wenting Ma), the Isenberg Management Department (Ina Ganguli, Giuseppe (Joe) Labianca, Bogdan Prokopovych 🇺🇦, and Orlando Richard), and the Accounting Department (Orhan Akisik). The projects are fascinating and include such themes as: human resource management in Ukrainian companies during wartime, Ukrainian scientist research productivity, mobility, and collaborations in wartime, agricultural trade flows between Ukraine and Africa, post-war reconstruction of Ukrainian agriculture and entrepreneurship, and civilian-military defense supply chains. Deepest gratitude to KSE Rector Tymofii Brik, the University of Massachusetts Amherst Provost's Office, the UMass Amherst International Programs Office and Vice Provost for Global Affairs Kalpen Trivedi and Manager of Global Partnerships Eric Wirth, and Dean Anne P. Massey for the great support of this important initiative and partnership. Highlights of some of our activities can be found here with more planned for the next academic year, including another symposium.

I am thrilled that we have even published several articles and that one of my PhD students, Dana Hassani, has been collaborating with Oleg Nivievskyi and Pavlo Martyshev of KSE. Some of our papers and others that may be of interest can be found on the Supernetwork Center site.

This partnership is truly special - it helps in reducing brain drain from Ukraine and provides not only financial support but mentorship. It also is resulting in meaningful research and its dissemination plus friendships.

I am so proud of UMass Amherst and the Kyiv School of Economics for leading the way during these very challenging times.

Reflection on the 2nd Anniversary of Russia's Full Scale Invasion of Ukraine

Hard to believe that it has been two years since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, a sovereign nation in Europe, on February 24, 2022.

Ukraine and Ukrainians in Russia's illegal, unprovoked war have endured an immense toll in terms of suffering, lives lost, injuries sustained, families separated, plus damages to critical infrastructure, homes, educational institutions, healthcare facilities, cultural institutions, agricultural facilities and land, as well as to nature and the environment. The Ukrainian economy has suffered immensely, exacerbating global food insecurity since Ukraine is known as a breadbasket with its rich chernozem (black soil) and is a big producer of wheat, corn, and sunflower seeds.

Ukrainians everywhere have been affected by this horrific war, which  has also resulted in millions of displaced people. All those on our planet who value freedom, safety, civility, and, of course, democracy continue to be amazed by the courage, tenacity and resilience of Ukrainians and their love for their country.

Incredibly, we are also marking the almost 2 year anniversary of the historic partnership between the University of Massachusetts Amherst (UMass) and the Kyiv School of Economics (KSE). In such historic, very challenging times, one does what one can and UMass Amherst has been visionary in establishing this partnership, so soon after the full-scale invasion. It endures and is flourishing.

In the past year, 15 Virtual Scholars in Ukraine, through this partnership, have worked with Faculty Hosts at UMass Amherst (9 of them based in the Isenberg School of Management). Our collaborations across the miles have synergized research, have built friendships, and have resulted in significant research publications plus conference presentations. 

Just last week, we hosted the second visit of the President of KSE, Dr. Tymofiy Mylovanov, who gave an outstanding presentation on leading his university in wartime. And last spring, we organized a symposium featuring the Virtual Scholars and their Faculty Hosts with the Rector of KSE, Dr. Tymofii Brik, also in attendance. Plus, he delivered a seminar.

What has been truly remarkable this year, is that 4 exchange students from KSE joined us at UMass Amherst. It has been a delight to get to know them and I am deeply grateful to Isenberg School Dean Anne P. Massey for even hosting a lunch in their honor.

And the exchange students spoke on a panel at the Isenberg School about their experiences.

Listen to their interview and be inspired.

Thanks to all who have been instrumental in the success of our partnership from the top administrators to Faculty Hosts and also to the students of the UMass Amherst INFORMS Student Chapter, who have provided their energy and thoughtfulness in helping us to organize many events. 

Last year, I wrote a reflection on the 1 year anniversary.

There has been media coverage of many of our activities and events and we are grateful for the coverage and for getting the messages out. For some examples, please see various postings on the Supernetwork Center website.

A collection of relevant videos can be accessed here.

Some of our research publications with Ukrainian colleagues can be found here.

It has been extremely meaningful for me to have served as a Co-Chair of the Board of Directors of KSE for almost 2 years now as well as being a member of its Board of Directors and International Academic Board with truly amazing colleagues for over half a decade now.

Sustaining institutions of higher education in Ukraine is of the utmost importance and I am so proud of the work that UMass Amherst is doing in this regard. Special thanks go out to my amazing Dean Anne P. Massey and to the Director of our International Programs Office and Vice Provost for Global Affairs Dr. Kalpen Trivedi for their terrific leadership as well as to the support provide by Provost Dr. Mike Malone.

It is high time that all democratic nations give Ukraine everything that it needs in order for it to be able to defeat the evil invaders and occupiers. The future of our planet and our way of life depend on it.

Higher Ed Leadership In Ukraine in Wartime - KSE President Tymofiy Mylovanov

This past Monday, we had the honor and pleasure of hosting Dr. Tymofiy Mylovanov, the President of the Kyiv School of Economics in Ukraine, at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. This was his second visit to UMass Amherst - his first was on February 22, 2023. 

His visit was very timely, as was his lecture,  since we are approaching the second anniversary of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine by Russia.

Mylovanov had sent me a message just a few days before his arrival saying that he would like to visit and speak and, despite multiple logistical hurdles and scheduling issues, we made it work.

Leading a university is extremely challenging and leading one in wartime, with success, is extraordinary.

I have had the great honor of serving as a Co-Chair of the KSE of Board of Directors, having been elected shortly after the full-scale invasion. But my relationship with KSE has been over half a decade, since I also serve on its International Academic Board and its Board of Directors. Also, back in March 2022, UMass Amherst and KSE established a partnership, which has further synergized our connections, and is now supporting both exchange students from KSE as well as Virtual Scholars in Ukraine (we will be starting the second round soon) to reduce brain drain.

The leadership exhibited by KSE President Mylovanov is one characterized by: immense care for the safety of his students, faculty and staff; agility in creating new degree programs at KSE; talent in connecting with thought leaders and disseminating the needs and accomplishments of KSE to donors, stakeholders, and the world at large; expanding KSE to include a business school, and supporting the outstanding KSE Institute, which produces many white papers and studies of relevance in wartime that are regularly cited by international media,  plus growing the KSE Charitable Foundation to assist in the financing of humanitarian endeavors in Ukraine. Such important activities require steadfastness, great intelligence, resilience, and ability to get data and information quickly. It also requires innovation and associated thinking under immense pressures and even danger.

What also truly inspires me is his understanding of the importance of not only face to face education but also visiting supporters and donors and advocating for KSE and Ukraine in person.

Below is a photo of Dr. Mylovanov presenting at the Isenberg School of Management at UMass Amherst this past Monday.

UMass Amherst issued this nice press release announcing his talk. The UMass Amherst INFORMS Student Chapter, in turn, prepared this nice poster, and the students, along with the International Programs Office at UMass and the Isenberg School helped with the logistics.

During his visit, Dr. Mylovanov met with top university administrators, faculty, and students, and also had a chance to chat with guests. At the meeting with the Provost, the VCRE, and the Director of our International Programs Office, Dr. Mylovanov made a statement that I found vey moving and, also, informative. He said that we all will die, so we need to identify what will be our legacy. His, he believes, is building up the Kyiv School of Economics and that is "his mile." He also, when asked, responded to the challenges of being a public persona. He is, above his educational leadership role, also a frequent guest on CNN, BBC and other media and news platforms. He said that he plays a public role because he believes that there are positives and, I believe, his sharing of information and commentary is beneficial not only to KSE but also to those interested in Ukraine around the globe.

I was thrilled to have him emphasize the importance of the partnership between UMass Amherst and KSE and its highly original model of supporting both students, as through the exchange program, and also research since Virtual Scholars in Ukraine are partnered with Faculty Hosts at UMass Amherst. Last year, for example, there were 9 Virtual Scholars in Ukraine working with faculty at the Isenberg School, and 15 Scholars total placed with UMass faculty. We have organized  joint symposia, and have published terrific journal articles and have also had multiple conference presentations based on the collaborations across the miles. The friendships that have been made support the researchers in Ukraine and are enriching to those of us who have the honor of working with them. Some additional information on the partnership can be found here.

Below is a photo of KSE President Mylovanov with two of our KSE exchange students after the lunch on Monday.

The attendance at his presentation at the Isenberg School was excellent, despite a short notice, and also a last minute room change.

The UMass Amherst INFORMS Student Chapter conducted an interview with Dr. Mylovanov and a gift was presented to him. We will let you know when the interview is posted on the Chapter's youtube channel.

It was wonderful to have discussions with him over lunch and dinner and I am very grateful to all the administrators who made time in their very busy schedules to meet with us.

We have now posted a video recording of Dr. Mylovanov's presentation and it, along with his slide deck, can be found and viewed by clicking here.

There will be additional media coverage, but many thanks to Daniella Pikman for her article on Dr. Mylovanov's presentation published already in the Daily Collegian.

Below is a collage of photos capturing the highlights of Mylovanov's visit. Thanks to all who took part. And, with a pending snowstorm, we managed to find him a hotel next to Bradley Airport and he caught a 6AM flight to DC on Tuesday morning (his 10AM flight had been cancelled) and made his meetings there in time. Quite a few neighboring universities were closed on Tuesday but not UMass Amherst.

Thanks to KSE President Tymofiy Mylovanov for the extraordinary leadership of KSE in Ukraine! Information on KSE is here.

Accomplishments of the Virtual Scholars in Ukraine Program 1 Year in - The Global Partnership Between UMass Amherst and the Kyiv School of Economics

The one year anniversary of the Virtual Welcome for Scholars in Ukraine supported by the outstanding partnership between the University of Massachusetts Amherst and the Kyiv School of Economics (KSE) is approaching. That event, held on November 30, 2022, featuring scholars in Ukraine and their faculty hosts at the Isenberg School of Management, was laudable and incredibly moving, with the scholars having to take part in the event for a time at the KSE bomb shelter.

The Virtual Welcome event jump started the research and collaborations of the scholars in Ukraine with their faculty hosts at the Isenberg School. To-date, a total of 15 Virtual Scholars have been supported, with 9 of them (Elena Besedina, Nina Chala, Yuriy Dyachenko, Iuliia Kuntsevych, Myroslava Kushnir, Pavlo Martyshev, Viktor Maziarchuk, Maksym Obrizan, Pavlo Prokopovych) placed with Isenberg School faculty, and 5 others (Petro Chorniy, Nadiia Koval, Borys Kormych, Anton Liagusha, Hanna Zaremba-Kosovych) with faculty in Social and Behavioral Sciences and 1 (Georgiy Shevchenko)  in Math/Stats at UMass Amherst.

Thanks to all the faculty hosts at the Isenberg School: Professors Alicia Johnson of Marketing, Anya Mkrtchyan of Finance, Nora Junaid of OIM, Muzzo Uysal of HTM, Ina Ganguli of Management, and yours truly, also of OIM.

The program is helping to reduce the Brain Drain of researchers from Ukraine and, to-date, has led to a remarkable outgrowth of brainstorming sessions, journal publications as well as submissions, conference presentations, and even engagement of students in accompanying research projects. Importantly, it has also enriched the understanding of Ukraine and challenges in wartime for researchers and higher education. The Virtual Scholars represent not just KSE but also other universities including the Ukrainian Catholic University and the National University Odesa Law Academy.

UMass Amherst also hosted the visit of the President of KSE - Tymofiy Mylovanov on February 2, 2023 and that of the Rector - Tymofii Brik on May 3, 2023. Rector Brik took part that day in a Virtual Symposium that we had organized featuring the Virtual Scholars in Ukraine and their faculty hosts and also delivered an excellent seminar. 

Deep gratitude is extended to the UMass Amherst International Programs Office under its Director Kalpen Trivedi, who was instrumental in making this partnership a reality, with Ukraine and its higher educational institutions dealing with many challenges, since the full-scale invasion by Russia on February 24, 2022. Thanks also to Isenberg Dean Anne P. Massey for her extremely meaningful support of the partnership and of the Virtual Scholars. Thanks to the Isenberg School Virtual Scholar Selection Committee that included Associate Deans George Milne and Nikunj Kapadia and Bogdan Prokopovych and to all the Department Chairs who have been very helpful including the OIM Chair Senay Solak, the Marketing Chair Elizabeth Miller, the former Management Chair Bruce Skaggs, and the former HTM Chair (and faculty host) Muzzo Uysal.

And, this academic year, UMass Amherst, as part of the partnership, is hosting 4 exchange students from the Kyiv School of Economics. Recently, we held a welcome event to introduce them to the community.

Some of the research that we have been involved in with Scholars in Ukraine can be found on the Virtual Center for Supernetworks website. I am thrilled that even one of my Isenberg School PhD students, Dana Hassani, has been engaged in research with us. To-date, our collaborations, have yielded publications in such journals as: European Journal of Operational Research, Journal of Global Optimization, and Operations Research Forum as well as in the Proceedings of a Workshop hosted by the Pontifical Academy of Sciences. The research continues as do the growing friendships across the miles.

Many OpEds and other publications in the media have also been written related to the research and partnership and interviews taken part in.

Higher Education in the US and Ukraine Panel - Meet the Exchange Students from the Kyiv School of Economics at UMass Amherst

Yesterday was a very special evening at UMass Amherst. The UMass Amherst INFORMS Student Chapter organized a special event, "Higher Education in the US and Ukraine Panel - Meet the Exchange Students from the Kyiv School of Economics."

The 4 exchange students from Ukraine, who are now studying at UMass Amherst, are taking courses in my Operations and Information Management (OIM) Department and in Economics, Resource Economics and Mathematics.

The exchange is part of an outstanding partnership between UMass Amherst and the Kyiv School of Economics (KSE), made possible through the International Programs Office at UMass Amherst and its Director, the Vice Provost for Global Affairs Kalpen Trivedi.

Below is a collage of photos from the panel, which took place at the Isenberg School of Management.

The UMass Amherst INFORMS Student Chapter Officers, under its President, Dana Hassani, did an excellent job of promoting the event and it was featured on the UMass Amherst webpage. They also secured the room for the panel and designed the nice poster below.

Assisting me with the moderation last evening was my great colleague from the Management Department, Bogdan Prokopovych.

In the presentation, background was provided about this unique partnership, which, in addition to the student exchange program, has helped to support 15 Virtual Scholars in Ukraine, who have been matched with faculty hosts at UMass Amherst.

The full slidedeck can be viewed here. The slidedeck contains background on KSE and the partnership and also includes a video provided by KSE Rector Tymofii Brik to welcome the exchange students from Ukraine.

In the slidedeck are also posted questions that our panelists responded to yesterday prior to the Q&A with the audience.

It was a very warm and inspirational evening. The questions began with some "lighter" ones concerning their favorite foods at the award-winning UMass Amherst Dining Commons, to questions on teaching styles of professors at KSE versus UMass Amherst. Questions were also asked on what they will bring back from UMass to KSE. The answers from our panelists were interesting and very informative. I was especially touched by the exchange students' dedication to help in the recovery and reconstruction of Ukraine and, hence, their desire to achieve the best education possible.

They delighted the audience with their expressions of joy at seeing a UMass hockey game and various sports; their enthusiasm at using our stunning Recreation Center; their enjoyment of the many student clubs at UMass Amherst, including our OIM Student Club!

Our exchange students from KSE appreciate the expansive size of our beautiful UMass Amherst campus, the lovely Amherst Town Center, the beauty of the surrounding nature and the peace.

In the slidedeck, administrators and faculty are thanked and also 3 special preceding events that we co-organized last year highlighted.

Thanks to all, who, in support of this partnership, have helped to reduce brain drain from Ukraine; have helped to forge new, impactful research collaborations across the miles in wartime, and these collaborations have led to sustained friendships, and are now educating and supporting students from Ukraine. I believe that we are learning even more from the students than they are from us.

Thrilled and Honored to be Working with Colleagues in Ukraine

With Russia's war on Ukraine ongoing and resulting in tremendous suffering and loss of lives as well as destruction, one must do what one can to support Ukrainians and those fighting for their freedom and democracy.

As a daughter of Ukrainian WWII refugees, whose first language is Ukrainian, and, as an educator, the partnership between the University of Massachusetts Amherst and the Kyiv School of Economics (KSE) is forging outstanding connections across the miles during this very challenging period in history. The partnership is now supporting 15 Virtual Scholars in Ukraine, 9 of whom are placed with Isenberg School of Management faculty. 

I am thrilled and deeply honored to be working now with colleagues in Ukraine. I would like to specifically thank the Isenberg School Dean Anne P. Massey and the Director of the International Programs Office and Vice Provost for Global Affairs at UMass Amherst Kalpen Trivedi for their outstanding support in making this partnership a reality and having it flourish since its inception over a year ago! Kudos also to Provost Emeritus John McCarthy for his support and to all the members of the Task Force who worked on forging this partnership. Special thanks to the KSE Rector Tymofiy Brik for his great work in making this partnership happen and also for visiting us in person on May 3!

Below is a photo taken with Rector Brik and Provost Emeritus McCarthy after dinner on May 3.

Some of the research with colleagues in Ukraine is also engaging a PhD student of mine - Dana Hassani. At the forthcoming Dynamics of Disasters conference, which will take place July 3-6, 2023,  in Athens, Greece (and which I am also co-organizing), I will present our latest work, "Multicommodity International Agricultural Trade Network Equilibrium: Competition for Limited Production and Transportation Capacity Under Disaster Scenarios with Implications for Food Security," co-authored with Dana and with KSE colleagues Professor Oleg Nivievskyi and Dr. Pavlo Martyshev.

Information on this conference is available here. 

This work builds on our paper, "Exchange Rates and Multicommodity International Trade: Insights from Spatial Price Equilibrium Modeling with Policy Instruments via Variational Inequalities," which was recently published in the Journal of Global Optimization. That paper was presented at the PanOptic Conference in honor of Professor Panos M. Pardalos held March 9 and 10 in Gainesville, Florida.

We heard yesterday the good news that the above paper has been accepted for presentation at the INFORMS conference in Phoenix and Dana Hassani will present it.

And, with Professor Elena Besedina of KSE, I have co-authored a paper, "A Multicommodity Spatial Price Equilibrium Model with Non-Tariff Measures for Agri-Food International Trade."

In addition, Professor Myroslava Kushnir of the Ukrainian Catholic University in Lviv more recently joined our program and we are excited to be collaborating now with her on various supply chains of relevance in Ukraine in wartime.

Below, I have posted a group photo from the May 3 symposium at UMass Amherst which featured the Virtual Scholars from the Isenberg School and also those from the School of Social and Behavioral Sciences at UMass Amherst.

In the photo from l-r are: Professors Muzzo Uysal, Lauren McCarthy, Rector Brik, yours truly, Professors Ina Ganguli, Alicia Johnson, Vice Provost Kalpen Trivedi, and Professor Bogdan Prokopovych. More information about the Virtual Scholars and their Faculty Hosts at the Isenberg School can be found on this link.

This partnership has worked towards reducing brain drain from Ukraine, enhancing research as well as friendships, and has also provided important financial and emotional support. More such partnerships are needed to support higher education in Ukraine, now and during the recovery and reconstruction. 

A press release by UMass Amherst on the partnership is available here.

Do You Remember Your First Journal Article Acceptance? Celebrating Several "Firsts!"

Last Wednesday, we had the great honor of hosting the Rector of the Kyiv School of Economics (KSE) Dr. Tymofii Brik at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. The day began with a 2 hour symposium, under the auspices of the International Programs Office, which is directed by the Vice Provost for Global Affairs Dr. Trivedi Kalpen. The visit of Rector Brik and the day's events were to mark the outstanding 1 year partnership between UMass Amherst and KSE. Below is a photo taken after the symposium with 13 scholars from Ukraine zooming in and with (l-r) Professors Uzzo Muysal, Lauren McCarthy, Rector Brik, yours truly, Ina Ganguli, Alicia Johnson, Vice Provost Trivedi, and Professor Bogdan Prokopovych in front with the Ukrainian flag. The symposium consisted of introductory remarks by university leaders, as well as by Rector Brik, and had a total of 4 panels. Faculty hosts of scholars through our partnership participated and we took a joint photo featured below.

And, shortly before the very busy, inspiring day began, we received a message from Springer Nature with great news that the paper, "Exchange Rates and Multicommodity International Trade: Insights from Spatial Price Equilibrium Modeling with Policy Instruments via Variational Inequalities," co-authored by Dr. Oleg Nivievskyi and Dr. Pavlo Martyshev of KSE and by my Isenberg School of Management PhD student Dana Hassani and me, had been accepted for publication in the Journal of Global Optimization!

This is the first paper acceptance for my PhD student Dana Hassani and the first paper that we have co-authored with scholars in Ukraine that we have been working with through our partnership!

Both Dr. Nivievskyi and Dr. Martyshev spoke at our symposium on the first panel, "Agricultural Supply Chains in Ukraine in Wartime," which I moderated.

A preprint of the paper can be downloaded here.

 

We acknowledge the anonymous reviewers of our paper and the Editor for the constructive comments and suggestions on the Acknowledgment section of our paper. We also acknowledge the support provided by the UMass Amherst - KSE partnership, which has been a bright beacon of light in wartime and has helped to reduce brain drain from Ukraine.

The Visit of the President of the Kyiv School of Economics (KSE) Tymofiy Mylovanov to UMass Amherst

On February 22, 2023, we had the honor and pleasure of hosting Tymofiy Mylovanov, the President of the Kyiv School of Economics (KSE), at UMass Amherst. He had left Ukraine about 10 days earlier, after successfully crossing the border. 

This visit was extremely meaningful since, in wartime, UMass Amherst had signed a series of memoranda with the Kyiv School of Economics with UMass Amherst releasing this press release on the partnership. 

The visit was planned with great attention to detail by the International Programs Office, under the leadership of the Vice Provost for Global Affairs,  Kalpen Trivedi. Special thanks go to his Executive Assistant, Kim Stender, for finalizing an itinerary that included Vice Provost Kalpen Trivedi, Provost Tricia Serio, Emeritus Provost John McCarthy, Isenberg Dean Anne P. Massey, the Dean of the School of Social and Behavioral Sciences Karl Rethemeyer, and the Interim Dean of the College of Natural Sciences Nate Whitaker! UMass Amherst released this article on his visit and the timing could not have been better because the day after UMass was closed due to inclement weather!

There were multiple brainstorming sessions that took place with faculty and additional administrators. The conversations were moving and very inspiring. UMass Amherst is helping to reduce Brain Drain from Ukraine by funding 15 Virtual Scholars that have been matched with Faculty Hosts at the Isenberg School (we have 9 and room for 1 more); the School of Social and Behavioral Sciences has 5; and the College of Natural Sciences has 1.  All the Virtual Scholars remain in Ukraine and the Faculty Hosts are working in collaboration with them on multiple fascinating projects, many of which are also relevant to the recovery and reconstruction of Ukraine. This support also shows the scholars that they are not alone. The research collaborations have already generated papers that have been submitted to journals as well as submissions to conferences! On November 30, 2022, the Isenberg School welcomed its Virtual Scholars through a special event that I had blogged about. The majority of the Virtual Scholars in Ukraine joined us via Zoom from a bomb shelter at KSE.  The Isenberg School wrote up this special event and our Virtual Scholars program. The School of Social and Behavioral Sciences is working on its welcome event for its Virtual Scholars, which we expect to take place in March. We are also planning a Virtual Symposium this spring featuring all the Virtual Scholars who are part of the UMass Amherst - KSE partnership. It is important to note that the Virtual Scholars include faculty from KSE, from the Ukrainian Catholic University in Lviv, the National University of the Kyiv Mohyla Academy, Volodymyr East Ukrainian National University, the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, and even an advisor to the Ukrainian government.

It was wonderful to have President Mylovanov join Ken Reade of the International Programs Office, Bogdan Prokopovych, a Ukrainian colleague of mine at the Isenberg School, and me for lunch at The Commonwealth Restaurant at UMass Amherst.

We were able to get President Mylovanov to the airport for the next leg of his journey and are pleased to report that he has now made it back to Ukraine. Earlier today, I was at a Zoom meeting of the Co-Chairs of the Board of Directors of KSE, and Mylovanov joined us from a vehicle that he was in while in transit in Ukraine. Looking forward to more joint initiatives through the truly unique partnership between UMass Amherst and KSE.

I leave you with a photo collage constructed to capture this historic visit. Looking forward to others and, of course, to victory for Ukraine and peace.

Thanks to all who made this visit a reality and so very productive and inspiring! Much good can be accomplished by working together.

Reflection on the 1 Year Anniversary of Russia's Major Invasion of Ukraine

This is an extremely difficult post for me to write but it is important to do so and not to be silent.

I remember the morning of February 24, 2022 vividly. I was about to teach my Humanitarian Logistics and Healthcare class at the Isenberg School and the guest speaker, Dr. Denise Sumpf,  Head of the UN Resident Coordinator Office and Senior Development Coordination Officer in Armenia, was a bit late. She was speaking to my class via Zoom and had just taken part in a UN Security Council meeting because of Russia's major invasion of Ukraine. It was a guest lecture on her experiences working for the UN and she also spoke about Nagorno Karabakh with interspersed comments on the invasion of Ukraine. Some background on her talk and those of others in my course is here.

Ukraine,  a sovereign nation in Europe, was being invaded and attacked by its neighbor - Russia. 

I was shaken to the core as were all of my Ukrainian relatives and many friends.

This past year has been unlike any other that I have experienced - filled with concern, trepidation, and outright terror. As an academic and as a daughter of WWII refugees from Ukraine, who was born in Canada, I had heard many stories from my parents and relatives who had to flee the Nazis and Soviets. I felt it essential to do what was possible. Not to act or to speak out was not an option. I might add that my brother had entered hospice in February 2022, while battling cancer, which made the year even more challenging. We laid him to rest in September.

Shortly after the major invasion (and I might add that Russia had already taken parts of eastern Ukraine and Crimea in 2014 illegally), which is de facto a war, I was contacted by reporters and the first interview that I did was published on February 28, 2022. The article, entitled, "'I fear a cultural genocide'; Ukrainians in Western Mass. watch, worry and help," was written by Jim Kinney for The Springfield Republican and published also on masslive.com.

The media interviews continued and I felt it was my responsibility to respond and to inform on topics related to the war that I felt knowledgeable about from impacts of the war on agricultural supply chains and food insecurity to issues of refugees as well as higher education. I had already been contacted by several international media outlets in January 2022 and said that I believed that Putin would invade Ukraine and why.

Some of  the interviews, which include those with The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, The Bulletin of Atomic Scientists, and other print media can be found here.

Interviews for radio and TV programs can be accessed here.

Letters to the Editor and OpEds that I wrote can be read here.

Shortly after the major invasion, I was elected Co-Chair of the Board of Directors of the Kyiv School of Economics (KSE) in Ukraine and, already in late February, I was fielding messages from administrators and faculty there. I have served for several years on the International Academic Board of KSE and also on its Board of Directors. These are service activities that are very meaningful to me. The last time that I was in Kyiv was for a board meeting in September 2019 and I blogged the wonderful experience. It is such an honor to work with my fellow Co-Chairs: Olena Bilan, Oleksandr Kravchenko, and Makar Paseniuk. We meet regularly during this extremely challenging period in the history of Ukraine. 

KSE has done a truly remarkable job sustaining education and even innovating during this wartime period. Plus KSE, through the KSE Foundation, has been involved in major fund raising for disaster relief that includes the building of bomb shelters for schools.  I commend all the faculty and students there, along with the top administrators: KSE President Tymofiy Mylovanov and KSE Rector Tymofii Brik. 

In September 2022, my husband and I had the honor of taking part in the conference and fundraiser organized by KSE, which took place in NYC at the Harvard Club, that I also blogged about. It was extraordinary to see KSE faculty such as Oleg Nivievsky and Nataliia Shapo there, as well as Tymofii Brik and Svitlana Denysenko. My KSE colleagues are authors of extremely important white papers during wartime and regularly speak to the international media. 

The deaths, destruction, terror, and atrocities perpetrated by the Russians continue to inflict an immense cost to Ukrainian lives, culture, the environment, and the safety and security not only of Europe but the free world.  Thanks to all in the free world who have provided significant support of Ukraine and continue to do so as it defends its land and its people. The costs to infrastructure alone due to the war are horrific. The resilience of Ukrainians, their resolve and dedication to defending their lands and way of life against the invaders and terrorists are awe-inspiring.

The University of Massachusetts Amherst established a truly special partnership with KSE with signed memoranda in March and July. Kudos to Provost Emeritus John McCarthy and Vice Provost for Global Affairs Kalpen Trivedi for spearheading this effort with immense support also from Isenberg Dean Anne P. Massey and KSE Rector Brik. Extra thanks to colleagues: Ina Ganguli, Bogdan Prokopovych, and Lauren McCarthy.  A press release on the partnership can be read here. A substantive outgrowth of this partnership is the Virtual Scholar Program where scholars in Ukraine work with faculty at UMass Amherst for a 5 month period with financial support. We now have 9 Virtual Scholars working with faculty at the Isenberg School; 1 with a faculty member in the Math/Stats Department, and 5 Virtual Scholars in Ukraine working with faculty in the School of Social and Behavioral Sciences.

On November 30, we held a welcome event for the Isenberg placed Virtual Scholars with a wonderful writeup on the event done by the Isenberg School. Our colleagues in Ukraine were at a bomb shelter at KSE for the event. The courage, resilience, and dedication of academics, students, practitioners, and defenders in Ukraine is heroic. The slide deck of my introductory remarks, which include those from Dean Massey, can be found here.

And, in December, I wrote an invited article for the INFORMS magazine ORMS Today, with photo on its cover, "Operations Research for the Recovery and Reconstruction of Ukraine."

With the support of many, and fueled by adrenaline, I completed my book, "Labor and Supply Chain Networks, which was published by Springer Nature in January 2023. The preface and acknowledgments are available for free download. The book is dedicated to: essential workers and to those fighting for freedom in Ukraine, with deep gratitude for your heroism. 

Last April, the Shevchenko Scientific Society held an all day remarkable expert-a-thon that I spoke at.

My slide deck can be viewed here. The full 8 hour expert-a-thon program, with an introduction by Dr. Halyna Hryn, who is President of the Shevchenko Scientific Society, and is at the Harvard Ukrainian Research Institute, can be viewed on youtube. We raised funds for the Shevchenko Emergency Fellows and I had the great honor to be on the selection committee. 

The first round of 50 Shevchenko Emergency Fellows has been announced. We hope that the pain and struggles that the artists, poets, historians, linguists, scientists, and other creative folks that were selected Fellows are reduced at least, in part, with some funding that should support their work. Reading their applications was heartbreaking and the need is so great!

Research with the UMass Amherst - KSE Virtual Scholars is now taking place and a symposium is planned for this spring. The work that is being done is timely and highly relevant and energizing for all concerned. The Virtual Scholars are dealing with missiles, blackouts, and Internet disruptions, and their persistence and integrity and love of Ukraine are a bright light to us all during these very dark times.

All that needs to be done is that Russia leave Ukraine, return all of its lands, and stop the killing and destruction and stay out of Ukraine.  Ukraine is part of Europe and its people deserve freedom and peace. This horror in the 21st century must end. 

On February 10, we witnessed an amazing performance by the Lviv National Philharmonic Orchestra of Ukraine at the Fine Arts Center at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. There were 1,000 in the audience and the orchestra was welcomed with a standing ovation and remarks even made by our western Massachusetts state rep Mindy Domb that moved me. She spoke against the aggression of the Russians against Ukraine and that we all Stand with Ukraine! Below are photos taken towards the end of the concert.

It was so special to see at this concert several of the administrators at UMass Amherst that supported our partnership with KSE as well as colleagues who helped so much with the Virtual Scholars Program. I am so grateful to the Isenberg Dean Ann P. Massey, to Provost Emeritus John McCarthy, and to Provost Tricia Serio, as well as to Dean of the Natural Sciences at UMass Amherst Nate Whitaker for the conversations at the reception and the intermission. Together, we can do so much good and those suffering in Ukraine need to know that they are not alone. #SlavaUkraini! Thank you!

The Terrific UMass Amherst - Kyiv School of Economics (KSE) Partnership and Virtual Scholars in Ukraine

It has been almost two months since we held our welcome event for the Virtual Scholars in Ukraine who are being supported as part of the partnership established between the University of Massachusetts Amherst and the Kyiv School of Economics (KSE), with the Isenberg School of Management hosting the event. Below is a screenshot of our welcome event that took place on November 30, 2022. Many of the Virtual Scholars were in a bomb shelter at the Kyiv School of Economics. Impressively, the technology worked and the event was truly special. 

During the welcome event, we heard welcome remarks from Rector Tymofii Brik of KSE, the Vice Provost for Global Affairs at UMass Amherst Kalpen Trivedi, and the Isenberg School of Management Dean Anne P. Massey. I have posted the slide deck of my remarks.

The Isenberg School of Management presently has 8 Virtual Scholars in Ukraine working with Faculty Hosts with more Virtual Scholars on the horizon. The Isenberg School published this nice article on the welcome event. More information on the partnership, which, I believe, is an exceptional one and a model that other universities can emulate, can be found in the press release issues by UMass Amherst.

The PIE News - thanks to Maureen Manning - provided additional coverage of this partnership.

I am grateful to KSE Rector Brik and to UMass Amherst Provost Emeritus John McCarthy plus Vice Provost for Global Affairs Kalpen Trivedi and to Isenberg School Dean Anne P. Massey for providing the incredible support for this partnership. Thanks also to the Isenberg School Selection Committee: Associate Dean George Milne, Finance Department Chair Nikunj Kapadia, and Professor Bogdan Prokopovych for assistance with selecting the Virtual Scholars and helping with the Faculty Host "matches."

Special acknowledgment of my Isenberg School colleagues from Operations and Information Management (OIM), Finance, Management, Marketing, and Hospitality and Tourism Management (HTM) for being Faculty Hosts. They, along with the Virtual Scholars, are listed below with the projects also noted.

Elena Besedina, from KSE, will be researching non-tariff trade barriers and impacts on Ukrainian agriculture. Host: Anna Nagurney, OIM

Nina Chala, at the National University of the Kyiv Mohyla Academy, is working on the motivation of consumer choice when consumer goods are produced using green energy. Host: Alicia Johnson, Marketing

Yuriy Dyachenko is at the Volodymyr Dahl East Ukrainian National University (his university was bombed) and he also holds an appointment at the National University of the Kyiv Mohyla Academy. His project is on improving business and public security using behavioral economics. Host: Muzzo Uysal, HTM

Iuliia Kuntsevych, at KSE, will study how business processes can be better managed and enhanced for greater efficiency. Host: Nora Junaid, OIM

Pavlo Martyshev, at KSE, is working on measuring the economic efficiency of alternative ways of exporting agricultural products from Ukraine. Host: Anna Nagurney, OIM

Viktor Maziarchuk is an advisor to the chairman of the Accounting Chamber of Ukraine. His project is on the influence of the war in Ukraine on the state budget and peculiarities of MPs' (Members of Parliament) amendments to the state budget and budget efficiency. Host: Anya Mkrtchyan, Finance

Maksym Obrizan, at KSE, is using the household budget survey (HBS) of Ukraine for 2020 (and later years when they become available) in order to identify the determinants of catastrophic health expenditures before the war. Host: Ina Ganguli, Management and Economics

Pavlo Prokopovych, at KSE, will investigate whether his approach for the existence of equilibria in Bayesian games can be used in first price auctions with a reserve price. Host: Anna Nagurney, OIM.

The challenges are immense now in Ukraine and that includes higher education with the missiles, blackouts, and Internet disruptions. Nevertheless, the research made possible through the support for the Virtual Scholars continues and it is heartwarming to see the friendships that are being made and the scientific investigations that are being conducted. I am delighted and inspired that already there are two papers completed and submitted to journals and a paper that will be presented at a conference next month. Other papers are being worked on and the excitement that the collaborations are generating are great to hear about! Plus, a Virtual Scholar, just this past week, spoke about his work at the Ukrainian Catholic University in Lviv and acknowledged support from the fellowship that he holds.

Support for higher education in Ukraine is essential in wartime and critical for the recovery and rebuilding of Ukraine. Research that the Virtual Scholars and their Faculty Hosts are conducting will be instrumental in rebuilding better and more sustainably and also giving us deeper insights on topics ranging from agricultural supply chains and Ukrainian exports, various trade policies, the impacts of war on science in Ukraine, financial budgeting during wartime, advances in game theory, and even how to teach better with Excel!

And there will be more news soon on 5 Virtual Scholars placed with Faculty Hosts at the School of Behavioral and Social Sciences at UMass Amherst, another Virtual Scholar for the Isenberg School, and one for the Math/Stats Department at UMass Amherst! This partnership program is providing support and strengthening networks of scientific collaborations across continents in wartime. I am so proud of my home university - the University of Massachusetts Amherst. This partnership is deeply meaningful to me since my first language is Ukrainian and, since the major invasion of Ukraine by Russia on February 24, 2022, I was elected Co-Chair of the Board of Directors of KSE.