Mendel University in Brno will offer the first work contracts to refugees from Ukraine, beginning with an Ukrainian professor who has already worked with Mendel University in the past, Professor Rodchenko. Photo credit: Mendel University
Brno, March 10 (BD) – Rodchenko decided to leave Kharkiv soon after the Russian bombs started falling on the city. In the past, his team has worked on Kharkiv’s economic development strategy, green energy and so on. “Kharkiv today is not a place to live. We took the children and everyone else we could and went,” said Rodchenko, who arrived in Brno after a four-day journey over the weekend.
The Ukrainian professor already has ties to Mendel University from the past. “We did some projects together, we wrote articles together,” says Natálie Veselá, a graduate of Mendel University, who has been in contact with him since the beginning of the invasion. The management of the Faculty of Operations and Economics is now looking for a way to employ Rodchenko and his colleagues. “We are moving towards concluding an employment contract. We hope that the professor will be joined by PhD students in the coming days. We will also involve them, some of them are still in the course of their studies, which they will be able to complete with us,” said Pavel Žufan, dean of the Faculty of Business and Economics.
So far, the university has offered refugees facilities in its dormitories, which are currently occupied by about 30 people from Ukraine. Another 70 places are currently vacant in Brno and Lednice. “We are happy for the facilities at Mendel University and for the work, we definitely want to be an asset and not just sit on our hands,” said Rodchenko, who founded the Karazin business school in Kharkiv six years ago. He has been acting as vice-rector since the middle of last year and has been involved in HR and digitalisation. Rodchenko has four children himself. His daughter, who is studying at Masaryk University on Erasmus, also works in Brno.
“We are very grateful to Mendel University for the warm welcome and the quality of the facilities and organisation of our stay,” said Rodchenko. Professor Rodchenko (left) with Pavel Zhufan, Dean of the Faculty of Economics. Photo credit: Mendel University
