Viktor Savchenko came to Balliol under the British Academy’s Researchers at Risk Fellowship scheme, in association with Cara (the Council for At-Risk Academics) and the Oxford Uehiro Centre for Practical Ethics. That Viktor was able to come to Balliol is thanks to the support of those in the Balliol community – Old Members, Fellows, students and friends – who generously contributed to the Balliol Ukraine Crisis Appeal: thank you.
Viktor is an Associate Professor in Civil Law at Kharkiv National University. Having completed a PhD and a Masters in Law, he is now working to become a Doctor of Laws, for which he must complete a substantial piece of research.
When Russia invaded Ukraine, work at Kharkiv National University continued but life was dangerous, and with many buildings destroyed and bombs falling Viktor knew he must find somewhere to complete his research and a safe place for his wife and two young children. Connecting online with Professor Tom Douglas (Professor of Applied Philosophy based in the Oxford Uehiro Centre for Practical Ethics), he found that Professor Douglas’s research is close to his own. He applied to the Cara scheme and Professor Douglas is now Viktor’s supervisor.
‘My research is freedom of will in civil law, so I want to understand the autonomy of humans and freedom of will in the context of legislature. He does something like this in the context of philosophy,’ Viktor says. ‘We understand that law and philosophy are very close, and with my research it is important to understand the grounding it is based on – and that is always found in philosophy.’
Despite the traumatic circumstances that brought him here, Viktor loves Oxford, describing it as ‘like a unicorn for scientists, like a fairy tale! You can’t believe that you can actually be here and be part of this place, it is like another world.’
‘We are so thankful to everyone who gave to this appeal – we are only here with your protection and support. Oxford is a very quiet place for rehabilitation after our situation. It is a very good place for my work; Oxford is the best place for researchers because you have everything that you need and you can cycle between places!'
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