Dear Dr. Olha Cherepiekhina ,

The vitality of knowledge in education and research rests on its ability to inspire transformation, not merely transmission. To keep it alive, we must nurture the intangible qualities that breathe life into learning—curiosity, attunement, and the relational dynamic between teacher and student. Epistemological humility is also central, as it invites us to embrace the limits of what we know while fostering a shared pursuit of wisdom. Across disciplines, mutual vulnerability and interdisciplinary dialogue can build bridges where academic wisdom flourishes, transcending generational divides. Sustaining this vitality demands intentionality and an openness to co-creating spaces where knowledge thrives in dynamic, living forms.

Dear Len Leonid Mizrah,

Thank you for your thoughtful and resonant reflection. I deeply appreciate your articulation of the living essence of knowledge - not as a mere artifact to be transmitted, but as a dynamic field that thrives through mutual curiosity, attunement, and relational presence.

Your emphasis on epistemological humility particularly speaks to me. I often think of it as a kind of "silent companion" to real learning -a force that reminds us that what we know is always provisional, always becoming.

I also love your invocation of interdisciplinary dialogue as a bridge — not only between disciplines but between generations, cultures, and ways of knowing. It raises a beautiful question: What kinds of academic ecosystems are needed today to truly nurture such living spaces for knowledge?

I would be delighted to continue this exchange and learn more about your perspective.

Dear Dr. Olha Cherepiekhina

Here are a few ingredients that could foster such living academic ecosystems:

Flexible Curricula: Allowing students and educators to explore intersections between disciplines without rigid boundaries.

Mentorship as Dialogue: Cultivating relationships where knowledge flows both ways—between generations, cultures, and traditions.

Community Integration: Engaging academic institutions with their local and global communities to ensure the relevance and reciprocity of their knowledge.

Diversity of Thought: Valuing different ways of knowing—oral traditions, experiential learning, artistic expression, and scientific inquiry—equally.

Spaces of Reflection: Creating forums where humility in epistemology thrives, acknowledging that knowledge is ever evolving.

Some of that may resonates with you.

Dear António José Rodrigues Rebelo

Thank you very much for your thoughtful contribution and for reminding us of Jean Piaget's important work.

I fully resonate with your emphasis on the operationalization of knowledge - the ability to bring it into life, into processes, into meaningful action.

Indeed, knowledge that remains purely theoretical risks becoming inert, while knowledge that can be embodied, adapted, and applied retains its living force.

I also find it fascinating to reflect on how, even today, in a world of exponential complexity, Piaget's idea of dynamic construction remains so relevant. Perhaps the question we now face is:

What new forms of operationalization are needed in an era where knowledge, technology, and human experience are evolving simultaneously and unpredictably?

I would be very interested to hear your thoughts on how the principles of knowledge construction might adapt to our current realities.

Thank you again for enriching this discussion!

Dear Len Leonid Mizrah,

Thank you for such a thoughtful and generous extension of this conversation.

Your proposed "ingredients" deeply resonate with my own experience and reflections. Especially your point about mentorship as dialogue - it highlights the relational essence of knowledge transmission that often gets overlooked when education becomes too transactional.

I also appreciate your emphasis on diversity of ways of knowing. In our rapidly evolving world, I believe that honoring multiple epistemologies - scientific, experiential, artistic, communal - is not just a matter of inclusivity, but of resilience and innovation.

Your idea of spaces of reflection is particularly close to my heart. In my work with future educators and psychologists, I have often witnessed that deep, lasting learning emerges in moments where humility, presence, and open-ended inquiry are allowed to flourish.

It would be wonderful to explore further how such living academic ecosystems could be intentionally cultivated - across disciplines, cultures, and generations.

Thank you again for enriching this dialogue so meaningfully.

Dear António José Rodrigues Rebelo

Thank you for this profound and meticulously articulated reflection.

Your integration of psychological warfare, operant conditioning, and the humanitarian dimensions of conflict presents a deeply balanced and ethically sensitive perspective.

I fully resonate with your point that psychological strategies must be employed not as reckless escalation tools, but as instruments of strategic resilience and survival, used with discernment, proportionality, and a profound respect for human dignity.

Your reflections also highlight an essential truth: knowledge in its living form is never neutral it demands ethical orientation, especially when deployed under the pressures of war.

I appreciate your reminder that the psychological toll extends beyond soldiers to civilians, refugees, and future generations. Psychological resilience must be cultivated both as a defense mechanism and as a seed for eventual recovery and peace.

I would be honored to continue this important dialogue. Your perspective greatly enriches the depth and responsibility of this conversation.

With deep appreciation, Dr. Olha A.

Dear António José Rodrigues Rebelo

Thank you for such a thoughtful and historically grounded reflection.

Indeed, Ukraine's struggle is not only geopolitical - it is deeply cultural, existential, and civilizational. You rightly highlight a pattern: domination often comes not only through weapons, but through the long-term erosion of cultural identity and narrative sovereignty. I especially resonate with your observation that Ukrainians have survived through adaptability. But I would add: our adaptability is no longer just about survival - it is about agency. The modern Ukrainian identity is not built in reaction to someone else’s empire. It is built in pursuit of something profoundly human: freedom with dignity, resilience with memory, and a future shaped not by external powers, but by internal alignment. Support from Europe must go beyond sympathy - it must include shared responsibility. After all, Ukraine’s fate is not peripheral to Europe’s security or values - it is a living mirror of them.

Thank you for standing in reflection and solidarity.

Dear António José Rodrigues Rebelo

Thank you for your continued and thought-provoking contributions. Your reflections open an important layer in our discourse: the interplay between knowledge and sovereignty - cultural, political, and psychological.

Indeed, knowledge becomes truly “alive” when it serves as both mirror and compass for a society in flux. In Ukraine's case, we witness how education and science do not merely observe reality but actively shape national resilience and identity.

In times of crisis, knowledge transforms from static content into a force of meaning-making, a shelter for values, and a site of resistance. To preserve its vitality, we need to foster spaces where knowledge does not detach from the emotional, ethical, and existential dimensions of human experience.

Let us continue building an academic culture where knowledge is not only aboutthe world - but for it.

Universities urged to be agile in age of massive disruption

Universities need to become more flexible, adaptable and agile to ensure that students are prepared for a fast-moving, disruptive world impacted by evolving technologies such as artificial intelligence, sweeping trade disruptions, and significant demographic changes...

“Education is no longer a one-way knowledge transfer. Instead, professors are now expected to work to discover knowledge together with students and guide them in how to judge and comment on the information they have acquired.”

https://www.universityworldnews.com/post.php?story=2025051417271346

Dear Ljubomir Jacić

Thank you for sharing this insightful article from University World News. I found the quote especially powerful:

“Education is no longer a one-way knowledge transfer...”

It beautifully supports what we’re discussing here the transformation of teaching into a co-creative, dialogic process. I believe this shift not only reshapes classroom dynamics but also calls for a different kind of academic identity :one where the educator embraces uncertainty, curiosity, and shared vulnerability alongside the student.

Do you think current institutional structures are ready to support this kind of agility?

Or are we still trying to fit a living, adaptive model into a rigid academic frame?

Dear Prof. Olha Cherepiekhina ,

Your question forced me to think about how necessary or redundant any knowledge? For instance, civilization could indeed survive without music—on a technical level, it doesn’t fulfill a biological necessity like food or shelter. But would it truly thrive? Music is an integral part of human experience, shaping emotions, culture, and even cognitive development. It has been present in every known society throughout history, suggesting it serves a profound, perhaps even evolutionary, purpose beyond simple entertainment.

The question about the necessity of certain human creations—what must exist versus what can be removed without harm—touches on something deeply philosophical. Some inventions, like scientific advancements, seem essential for survival. Others, like art, poetry, and music, shape our souls. What if survival alone isn’t the benchmark, but rather the richness of experience? Perhaps human civilization, even without music, would persist, but at the cost of losing an entire dimension of emotional depth, shared expression, and beauty.

It reminds me of the saying: “Without music, life would be a mistake.” Maybe not a fatal mistake, but certainly a loss of something irreplaceable.