The Russian invasion of Ukraine has had a global impact, including on Ukrainian students at the University of Windsor, and professors Jamey Essex and Sally Bick have issued a call for donations to a support fund.

“Due to the ongoing conflict, students are unable to return home and their families are living under crisis,” Dr. Bick told the University Senate at its May 13 meeting.

“The conflict has come right to our doorsteps. We need to help because banks in Ukraine are shuttered or cut off and students have found their normal sources of financial support evaporated.”

Bick cited a third-year student, who described her situation this way:

“In Ukraine, my family had to evacuate my hometown of Kharkiv, which is being heavily bombed and comes to ruins day by day. My father and my siblings are internally displaced within Ukraine, my mother escaped to the Czech Republic, and I’m here in Windsor, knowing that my Ukrainian friends and family are struggling for survival.”

The University has committed to help with housing and work opportunities, but there are expenses beyond what the University can provide, Bick and Essex noted.

They called for contributions to the Student Emergency Bursary Fund, targeting Ukrainian students. All donations are eligible for a tax receipt. Learn how to help by making a gift online.

Born and raised in Canada, neuroscience student Anita Hu says that balancing her own experiences with her Chinese ancestry can be a struggle.

“The clothes that I wear and the way I talk are a product of my environment in Canada, yet my thoughts, actions, and values within are largely a product of my Asian family,” she says.

Because most of her extended family resides in China, she misses the experience of weekends with Grandma or frequent big family dinners, but says that makes her appreciate even more the rare moments with they can all be together.

“My parents, brother, and I try to visit Shanghai as often and long as we can, which is usually once a year in the summer for three weeks,” Hu says. “My favourite feeling in the world is sitting in my Ah-Bu’s — grandma in Shanghainese — apartment with my parents, brother, aunts, uncles, and cousins all crammed into the three-in-one bedroom/living room/dining area just catching up and talking about the past.

“Through these stories, I realized how pretty much all of my family history lay in Shanghai and in China, and I was never exposed to any of this growing up in Canada.”

She does enjoy Asian food culture and professes an interest in Chinese architecture.

“The history of China is sculpted right into the cities’ landscapes,” says Hu. “I find that the buildings and structures in China directly reflect the cultural movements that took place in the country.”

This is the fourth in a series of articles featuring voices from members of the UWindsor community in celebration of Asian Heritage Month. The 2022 theme “Continuing a legacy of greatness” is a reminder for all Canadians to come together to combat anti-Asian racism and discrimination in all its forms.

Like building muscle, building psychological resilience takes time, effort, and the right technique, says management professor Kyle Brykman.

He and co-authors describe five ways entrepreneurs can become more psychologically resilient in an article published Wednesday in the Conversation, which shares news and views from the academic and research community.

1. Cultivate a growth- or learning-orientated mindset. Adopting a healthy mindset about adversity can change how you respond to inevitable bumps in the road.
2. Proactively learn from others. Invest time in reading about how other entrepreneurs overcame adversity while launching and accelerating a business.
3. Develop strong social support networks. Social support is critical to overcoming adversity. Find people and organizations you can lean on.
4. Focus on your core strengths and capabilities to achieve success. Passion is the fuel that keeps entrepreneurs motivated and committed to learning, despite obstacles.
5. Participate in local entrepreneurship programs. Essential resources, including specific knowledge and industry connections, can help you bounce back when adversity strikes.

“Even if you weren’t born with an inherent ability to weather every storm that comes your way, you can still learn to become more mentally tough and adaptable,” the authors advise.

Read the entire piece in the Conversation.

The Windsor-Essex County Health Unit will provide vaccination against COVID-19 free to the public during two pop-up clinics coming to the UWindsor campus.

Vaccines will be available to anyone five years or older in the Education Gym from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. or while supplies last on the following dates:

• Monday, May 30
• Wednesday, June 29

No appointment or health card required. Find more information about eligibility and recommended intervals between doses on the health unit website.