On August 28-29, a two-day course "Social Psychology for Wartime Practitioners" was held at the AUK campus, led by Dr. Jaïs Adam-Troïan, a Doctor of Psychology, Assistant Professor at Heriot-Watt University, and behavioral science consultant.
The course is designed as an indispensable resource for those who want to influence important social processes during wartime. Although the course focuses on psychology, the training turned out to be more multifaceted as it was based on the specifics of communication.
Participants learned to understand the mechanisms of persuasion and effectively counter disinformation. Olga Chumak, a course participant, noted,
“For me, this course served as a reminder: communication is about influence, responsibility, and trust, especially in wartime. It is crucial to identify whose side the influence is on – whether it's an ally or an enemy. We must counter and neutralize the enemy, and often this can be done using their own words and techniques. Thank you for this learning experience!”
Elina Bodzhek, also a course participant and an AUK graduate, emphasized,
“The course has a great theoretical component; the professor has a deep understanding of research and case studies. Regarding the practical part, I would suggest adding even deeper training, since due to the intensity of events in Ukraine, we know most of the theory. However, this depends on the level of "seniority" of the students and the topic. In this topic, Ukrainians are already "seniors" in a certain sense:) Overall, my colleagues and I really enjoyed the course; we marked it as useful and are sincerely grateful to the university for the organization.”
Thank you to all participants for your engagement and contribution to this important course!