At the Donetsk National University named after Vasyl Stus, a solemn meeting of the Academic Council took place on the occasion of the 88th anniversary of the founding of the educational institution. The Deputy Head of the Donetsk Regional State Administration, Oleksandr Shevchenko, addressed the participants with a welcoming speech.
The university has gone through difficult trials. In 2014, due to the start of hostilities and temporary occupation, DonNU began the new academic year already in Vinnytsia. Despite all the challenges, the institution not only preserved its integrity but continues to develop dynamically, engage in scientific activities, prepare specialists, and strengthen the intellectual potential of the state.
With the onset of the full-scale Russian invasion, the university actively joined the volunteer movement. The staff and students of DonNU raised about 800 thousand hryvnias for the needs of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, purchased a vehicle and equipment for drones for the 171st battalion of the 120th Territorial Defense Brigade. The university also supports the units where its employees and graduates serve: it provides household items, manufactures trench candles, and participates in weaving camouflage nets.
During the meeting, for their dedication to their work and significant achievements, the Deputy Head of the Donetsk Regional State Administration awarded acknowledgments to Volodymyr Kipen, an associate professor of the Department of History and Archaeology of the Faculty of History and International Relations, and Maksym Prykhnenko, the Vice-Rector for Scientific and Pedagogical Work, Youth Policy, and Development.
Oleksandr Shevchenko emphasized the importance of the university's mission: "A special task is to ensure free access to Ukrainian education for youth from frontline and temporarily occupied territories. This issue is not just a matter of politics – it is a matter of justice and state duty. Because it is the youth that shapes tomorrow's Ukraine – free, democratic, and united."
88 years of DonNU's history is a path of endurance, change, and responsibility. Despite all circumstances, the university remains a strong center of Ukrainian science, education, and civic maturity, educating those who build and defend Ukraine.