UKRAINIAN UNIVERSITIES AS POLITICAL RESISTANCE AND STATE-BUILDING DRIVERS DURING WARTIME
UKRAINIAN UNIVERSITIES AS POLITICAL RESISTANCE AND STATE-BUILDING DRIVERS DURING WARTIME

Summary/Abstract: This article investigates the role of Ukrainian universities as a driver of political resistance and statebuilding during wartime, with a focus on the case of Yaroslav Mudryi National Law University. Drawing on theoretical perspectives of political resistance and state-building, the study positions universities as pivotal actors in sustaining national sovereignty, institutional legitimacy, and civic resilience amid armed aggression. The concepts of “political resistance” and “state-building” are adapted to reflect the wartime context, emphasizing not only governance structures but also the defence of cultural, intellectual, and educational autonomy. Six key functions of Ukrainian universities are identified: as a symbol of sovereignty, a mechanism for state legitimization, a site of informational resistance, a platform for international visibility, a domain of adaptive governance, and a source of psychological resilience. Using qualitative data, policy documents, visual evidence, and institutional records, the research highlights how universities operate as agents of civil stability and ideological defence. The case of Yaroslav Mudryi National Law University, offering teaching and learning in bomb shelters and maintaining academic continuity under fire, demonstrates how education serves both strategic and symbolic functions in national survival. This investigation contributes to broader discussions on the role of education in fragile states and suggests that in times of crisis, universities can actively reinforce statehood, identity, and democratic values.

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