War in Ukraine – A Grave Miscalculation

Zoom Webinar

In late February, Russian President Vladimir Putin sent Russian troops into Ukraine, sparking the greatest land conflict in Europe since World War II. He declared on state television that the military assault was for the “demilitarization and denazification” of eastern Ukraine.

Announcing the attack was “unprovoked and unjustified”, the United States government has since issued severe sanctions in coordination with European allies. In addition to removing Russian banks from the global SWIFT financial messaging system, the U.S. has banned imports of Russian oil and natural gas.

Since the start of the war, the Kremlin has severely restricted news and free speech, blocking access to social media platforms, Western media, and independent news sites in the country. A law to punish the spread of “false information” with a 15-year prison sentence has also been enacted.

Professor Konstantin Sonin, John Dewey Distinguished Service Professor of UChicago Harris School of Public Policy, was on sabbatical leave in Russia and left ten days after the war began. Professor Sonin will join us and share his personal first-hand observations and insights on the impact of the crisis in Ukraine. Professor Sonin will help the audience understand:  the current environment in Russia and what Russians know and think about the war? What will be the economic consequences of the war on Russia and its citizens? And, how the conflict is reverberating across the world?

March 31, 2022
9:00pm               Japan | South Korea
8:00pm               Hong Kong | Beijing | Singapore
5:30pm               Delhi
2:00pm               Paris
1:00pm                London
7:00am               Chicago

Speaker

Professor Konstantin Sonin
John Dewey Distinguished Service Professor
Harris School of Public Policy
The University of Chicago

Moderator

Mark Barnekow (MBA '88)
Executive Director
The University of Chicago Francis and Rose Yuen Campus in Hong Kong

About Director’s Pick

From current news, STEM, to arts and history, The University of Chicago Hong Kong Campus Faculty Director and Executive Director share a broad range of interests. The Director’s Pick series catalogs an array of webinars covering various topics that our directors wish to share with our audience. Read More