JU student broadcasts news in Ukrainian for refugees

Karl Volkohon is studying in his second and final year of the master's program Sustainable Communication at the School of Education and Communication (HLK) at Jönköping University (JU). Karl is from Ukraine and came to Jönköping and JU to start his education in August 2020. Now he broadcasts Swedish news in Ukrainian to fellow Ukrainians living in Sweden.

In addition to studying at JU, Karl Volkohon has been broadcasting news on Swedish Radio (Sveriges Radio) – for its Radio Sweden Ukrainian channel since 2 May. He and his colleagues usually broadcast three news programs a day which are then published on Swedish Radios website and on their Facebook page.

“About 30,000 refugees have already migrated from the war in Ukraine to Sweden. Some do not understand either English or Swedish, so it is important that they get to hear news in Ukrainian,” says Karl.

Of the three programs every day, two of them are usually "regular" news programs about what is happening in Sweden and around the world. The third program is about how it is to live in Sweden and gives various tips and information for Ukrainians who have sought asylum in Sweden.

“It can be about a little of everything possible, for example how to get a driver's license in Sweden or if you can get a Swedish social security number or if the refugees have the right to medical care. Tips and information to simply make life a little easier for the refugees,” he says.

Journalism is nothing new for Karl. Before he moved to Jönköping to study, he worked as a t.v. reporter in Ukraine.

"It's so fun and above all important"

The work at Swedish Radio is a full-time job that Karl spends about eight hours on every day. At the same time, he is at the end of his master's education at HLK, where he is now writing his master's thesis.

“It's about planning my time well. I work on the radio for about eight hours a day and my master's thesis about three to four hours a day. Sure, sometimes it can be a bit much, but I think it's so fun and above all important so that is okay,” says Karl Volkohon.