The Power of Hope: The Russo-Ukrainian War through the Eyes of a Historian
Serhii Plokhy, Mykhailo S. Hrushevs’kyi Professor of Ukrainian History and Director of the Ukrainian Research Institute at Harvard University, joins Taras Dobko, rector of Ukrainian Catholic University, in a conversation about what has changed in Ukrainians and their society in the last three years during the Russian aggression, and the ways in which hope and resilience together can be fertile ground for miracles to happen.
Experience the Event
Presented by The Nanovic Institute for European Studies
Serhii Plokhy, Mykhailo S. Hrushevs’kyi Professor of Ukrainian History and Director of the Ukrainian Research Institute at Harvard University, joins Taras Dobko, rector of Ukrainian Catholic University, in a conversation about what has changed in Ukrainians and their society in the last three years during the Russian aggression, and the ways in which hope and resilience together can be fertile ground for miracles to happen.
Revolutions of Hope: Resilience and Recovery in Ukraine is a collaboration between Notre Dame’s Nanovic Institute, part of the Keough School of Global Affairs, and Ukrainian Catholic University (UCU). The conference, hosted at the University of Notre Dame in March 2025, focused on the positive and corrective response to this destruction, exploring reasons for hope, sources of hope, and the politics and ethics of hope in Ukraine. How is hope powerful or even revolutionary? How does it encourage resilience and recovery? And, above all, how can we build and promote the integral development of hope in Ukraine? The conference explored the concept, dynamics, and practices of hope through keynote addresses, panel discussions, the arts, and liturgical observances. For more information visit the event website.
Co-sponsors included:
- Department of German, Slavic, and Eurasian Studies
- Kellogg Institute for International Studies
- Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies
- Notre Dame Democracy Initiative
- Notre Dame Global
- Office of the President, University of Notre Dame
- The Program of Creative Writing
- Raclin Murphy Museum of Art
- Ukrainian Catholic University
Meet the Speaker: Serhii Plokhy
Serhii Plokhy is the Mykhailo S. Hrushevs’kyi Professor of Ukrainian History and Director of the Ukrainian Research Institute at Harvard University. Born in Nizhnii Novgorod, Russia, and raised in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine, Serhii earned his degrees from the University of Dnipropetrovsk, the Russian University of the Friendship of Peoples, and Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv. A leading expert on Eastern European history, his works include The Gates of Europe and The Last Empire. His research focuses on the intellectual, cultural, and international history of Eastern Europe, with a particular emphasis on Ukraine’s historical and geopolitical context.
Meet the Speaker: Taras Dobko
Taras Dobko has served as affiliate faculty of the Nanovic Institute since 2023. Rector Dobko is responsible for operational management, strategic planning, and development of the university and academic culture, establishing international relations, developing support systems, and improving the quality of education and service to the community at UCU. Before serving as rector, Dobko served as senior vice-rector (2008-2023) responsible for general management of the university and establishing a culture of integrated human development for students, professors, and staff. Prior to this role he also served as vice-rector for academic affairs and dean of the Faculty of Theology and Philosophy. Dobko holds a Ph.D. in philosophy from the International Academy of Philosophy in Liechtenstein. His research focuses on the happiness of the human person, phenomenology, ethics, human dignity, the concept of rationality in European culture, and the philosophy of religion. Dr. Dobko has strong academic ties to the University of Notre Dame, completing several semesters as a visiting scholar of the Nanovic Institute for European Studies, including all of 2022, and collaborating on academic initiatives to strengthen UCU’s global partnerships.