An interview conducted by Dr. Clara Mavellia | Cultural Entrepreneurship Institute Berlin

We are excited to share the new interview with Prof. Dr. Kateryna Karpenko, a leading scholar in the fields of gender studies and ecofeminism. She is a Professor and Head of the Department of Philosophy as well as Director of the Centre for Gender Studies at Kharkiv National Medical University in Ukraine. She is also a Fellow of MSCA4Ukraine and has participated in over 150 international conferences worldwide.

In her interview, she discusses the challenges faced by Ukrainian female scholars during the war against the Russian invasion and highlights the profound impact on the research landscape, particularly in the areas of ecofeminism and gender medicine.

Watch the full interview on the YouTube channel of the Cultural Entrepreneurship Institute Berlin: Prof. Dr. Kateryna Karpenko Interview.

Karpenko was also a co-organizer, alongside Prof. Dr. Ruth E. Hagengruber, of two conferences at the Center. These conferences brought together some prominent international voices, including speakers such as Oksana Zabuzhko (recipient of France’s Legion of Honour), Tetiana Gardashuk, and many other committed scholars. The exchange among participants emphasized the need for strengthened international academic cooperation, particularly in support of women in science.

2022: Voices from Ukraine: History of Women Philosophers and Scientists in the Situation of War
The conference took place from May 27 to 28, 2022, and was organized by Prof. Dr. Kateryna Karpenko and Prof. Dr. Ruth Edith Hagengruber. The goal was to create a scientific platform for exchanging stories and perspectives of women in science during the war. The conference also focused on issues of gender parity in scientific ethics and the environmental consequences of the war. The discussions delved into how the position of women in the social and human sciences has been exacerbated by the war.

2023: Voices from Ukraine: Women Philosophers and Scientists Against War and Ecocide
The 2023 conference took place from October 27 to 28 and built upon the themes of the previous event. The main focus was on discussing the ecological destruction (ecocide) caused by the war and the role of women scholars in addressing this crisis. The importance of ecofeminism and the ethics of care was emphasized as a framework for reflecting on the war’s impact on the environment and society.

Interested? All information about the conferences can be found here. The individual talks are available on our YouTube channel.