The images are searing. Scenes and stories from Ukraine as Russian forces continue to wage war have gripped the globe.
For Takeo Suzuki, the executive director of the Center for Global Education at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, a firsthand account from a former student about the dire situation in her home country was a call to action.
“Yes, the reaction was quick, and the decision seemed very clear, that we can do something assist,” Suzuki said in a phone interview earlier this week.
So Suzuki and the Mocs powers that be redirected the UTC Global Response Assistantship to Ukraine applicants. The UTC program offers full tuition, room and board and a $600 monthly stipend for two students who are pursuing their master’s in public administration, business administration, computer science or engineering management.
The hope is that those two future master’s degree holders will take their knowledge back home and help Ukraine with the arduous tasks of rebuilding the war-torn country.