The Russo-Ukrainian War: Insights from Systemism in a Pedagogical Setting

This article is intended to facilitate, via the systemist method, more effective communication about the Russo-Ukrainian War for individuals both familiar and unfamiliar with the subject. Diagrams based on systemism, a graphic approach toward the exchange of views with origins in the philosophy of inquiry, will demonstrate how analysis of the Russo-Ukraine War can be carried out in an accessible way for scholars and students alike. This capacity, in turn, should promote constructive dialogue about an intense subject. Work will be carried out in seven stages. Stage one provides an overview of the article. The second stage will focus on the meaning and value of systemism. Stage three will introduce the concept of a flipped classroom – an innovative approach toward learning that is compatible with brainstorming and holds implications beyond campus life. The fourth stage provides an example of a flipped classroom in International Relations, with student groups in January and February of 2022 producing systemist diagrams that depict events that eventually developed into the Russo-Ukrainian War. Section five shows how the diagrams became more sophisticated across iterations and combine to set an example for how area work can implement active learning. The sixth section focuses on how systemist graphics can contribute to New Area Studies in a more encompassing way. Seventh and last is a section that sums up what has been accomplished and provides an outlook to the future.