Inquiring Minds Series Featured Panel Discussion About Russian Invasion of Ukraine

For some, the war in Ukraine feels distant and out of reach. But for Mariya Dzhyoyeva and Roman Bohdan, the situation is personal.

Dzhyoyeva, an assistant professor of Modern Language, hails from Crimea. And Bohdan, an assistant professor of Business, is from Ukraine. The two participated in an Inquiring Minds panel discussion held February 28, 2022, on campus about the Russian invasion in Ukraine. They were joined by Michael Hancock-Parmer, an assistant professor of History.

The panel discussed many topics, including the subject of timing and why this conflict is happening now, as opposed to occurring earlier. “For me personally, this invasion hasn’t started five days ago. It started eight years ago… since or even before 2014,” Dzhyoyeva said. “...it was just a question not of if (Russia would invade), but a question of when.”

Bohdan agreed the invasion had been ongoing and added that the attitude of some Ukrainians toward Russia has changed. “It’s not an easy process,” he said. “It’s all Ukrainian spirit. And the majority of the political leaders–they have become nationalists, and it’s very difficult to conquer them. That’s why we still have independent Ukraine up to this point.”

Ambassador Jim Gilmore was the inaugural speaker for the Gentry Locke lecture series hosted by Ferrum College on November 14, 2022. The event was attended by community members, alumni, faculty, staff and students.

While Gilmore is probably best known to attendees as a former Governor of Virginia, he spoke primarily about his most recent experience as U.S. Ambassador to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe in Ukraine. Following his term as ambassador, Gilmore led a delegation sponsored by the American Foreign Policy Council to assess the status of Ukraine. The delegation conducted numerous meetings in Kyiv, and continued to Mariupol and battlefield visits in southern Ukraine.

Gilmore provided a brief history of the conflicts in and around Ukraine and shared his perspective on the current state of the conflict including the United States’ role.

The lecture series is a partnership between Ferrum College and Gentry Locke, a prominent Virginia law firm with offices in Roanoke, Lynchburg and Richmond. The Gentry Locke lecture series will bring two experts and thought leaders to the College per academic year to discuss current social and cultural topics of interest.