Employees of Kharkiv National University of Internal Affairs took part in an online TED talk by Daniel Aldridge, an international expert, Director of the Resilience Studies Program, and Professor of political science and public policy at Northeastern University. The topic of the meeting was “The Importance of Social Capital and Social Infrastructure in Times of Upheaval and Crises.”

The event, organized by the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine, was moderated by Andriy Kostyuk, a representative of the Department of Psychological Support of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Inna Yashchuk, State Secretary of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, delivered a welcoming speech, emphasizing the importance of psychological resilience of society in conditions of full-scale war and studying international experience.

Daniel Aldridge spoke about how social ties help people and communities overcome the consequences of crises. He noted that not only housing, schools, hospitals and other facilities are important for recovery, but also spaces for communication and interaction - libraries, sports and community clubs, cafes, etc. “Social ties are more important than concrete walls,” the expert emphasized.

According to him, strong social capital helps communities pool resources, coordinate joint actions and recover faster after stressful events. The expert also emphasized the importance of cooperation between communities and authorities and called for using available resources to strengthen the psychological resilience of the population.

Daniel Aldridge also shared his impressions from a recent visit to Kyiv, noting the high level of resilience of Ukrainian society in the conditions of war.