Established in 1661, the Ivan Franko National University of Lviv is one of the oldest educational institutions in Ukraine. Its motto, “Patriae decori civibus educandis,” remains valid today. Since its early days, the University has become an important player in shaping the minds of the community. Its academic staff and alumni played a crucial role in boosting academic thought in different spheres: world-known is Banach’s mathematics school, such former University students as Hersch Lauterpacht, Rafal Lemkin, and Luis Bruno Sohn contributed to contemporary international law with the ideas of human rights protection, prohibition of genocide and modern regulation of the law of the sea.
Following the outbreak of war on 22 February 2024, the Ivan Franko National University of Lviv, like the city of Lviv, swiftly transformed into a humanitarian hub. The University, along with individual departments, mobilized to assist Ukrainians who were forced to flee the hostilities. In response to the challenges and needs of Russian aggression against Ukraine on April 1, 2022, the University established the Center for Social Development and Civic Initiatives as its structural unit (https://lnu.edu.ua/structure/subdivisions/general-university-units/center-of-social-development-and-public-initiatives/).
The Center stands out because of its comprehensive assistance model based on the single-window service center for war-affected people. This model aims to support veterans and military personnel in returning to civil life (professional development, employment facilitation, opening of own business, psychological and legal support, support for family members, and helping with community integration). The Center assists internally displaced persons with a special focus on their integration into new communities and serves as the basis for preparing university personnel for dealing with war consequences. The Center puts immense attention and effort into steadily offering quick, effective, and comprehensive support for any war-affected person in the long run. With its complex and thorough approach toward the integration of veterans, IDPs, and members of their families, the Center is unique because it was established at a classical university and covers the essential educational needs of these stakeholders, which are crucial for their successful integration into communities and return to civil life. It established already a remarkable network of international and local partners engaged in diverse projects and initiatives (e.g, Ministry of Veterans Affairs of Ukraine, the Parliamentary Commissioner for Human Rights, IOM, Malteser HIAS Ukraine, Malteser Ukraine, Charitable Foundation “UNBROKEN” and many others).
