Mykhailo Arych
Fellow 2025/2026
Economics/Marketing/Management
National University of Food Technologies
Volkswagen Stiftung
mykhailo.arych@gmail.com
Bio
Dr. Mykhailo Arych is an Assistant Professor at the Institute of Economics and Management, National University of Food Technologies (Ukraine). In 2012, he graduated from the Bucovina State Finance and Economic University (since 2016 included in the Yuriy Fedkovych Chernivtsi National University) with a master's degree in Finance and Credit (Economics). In 2015, he obtained a Ph.D. in Economics from the National University of Food Technologies (2015). His primary research interests include insurance markets, genetic testing and discrimination in insurance. He was also a co-investigator of the research grant funded by the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine for the research entitled 'Comprehensive assessment of the insurance market and development of recommendations for improvements of competitiveness of Ukraine's insurance in the context of European integration' (2017 - 2019). Dr. Arych is a co-author of a book entitled 'Competitiveness of the insurance market of Ukraine in the conditions of intensification of globalization processes: a collective monograph' (2020). Since 2013, he is a member of the organizing committee of the annual international scientific conferences at the National University of Food Technologies. Since September 2019, he is also a member of the Academic Council of the Institute of Economics and Management. In June 2020, Dr. Arych received the Fellowship of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine for young scientists. Since 2021, he is a member of the international expert panel of the Genetic Discrimination Observatory (non-governmental organization, Centre of Genomics and Policy, McGill University in Montreal), sitting for Ukraine (since 2021), and he is volunteering here to updating the situation of genetic discrimination in Ukraine (including in insurance), as well as making a research on genetic discrimination and the existing protection mechanisms.
Ethical, Legal and Social Implications of Applying Genetic Information for Risk Assessment in Life and Health Insurance in Ukraine
The aim of the research is an assessment of the genetic discrimination risks’ in access to personal insurance in Ukraine via surveying of the doctors (geneticist) and genetic counsellors; insurance underwriters; general population in Ukraine. The research is designed to elicit information whether insurance companies interact with institutions that have a license to carry out genetic testing in Ukraine, and if so, what kind of genetic information do they ask about future policyholders?
According to the aim of exploring the ethical, legal and social implications of applying genetic information for risk assessment in life insurance in Ukraine, currently we are conducting on planning a new interdisciplinary research in the context of genetic discrimination risk’s assessment, that involves a survey of doctors (geneticist), genetic counsellors, insurance underwriters, and general population in Ukraine.
We are going to apply REDCap software for the survey, Institutional Review Board has already approved our research. Also, the list of questions for the survey of geneticist insurance underwriters have already agreed with prof. Yann Joly (Centre of Genomics and Policy, Department of Human Genetics, McGill University). In addition, the list of questions for survey the general population were agreed with Prof. Anya Prince (College of Law, The University of Iowa). These scholars are one of the most cited in the world in the field of insurance and genetics.
In general, this study will provide further understanding about the professional practice across the Ukrainian doctors (geneticist), genetic counsellors, and insurance underwriters regarding the risks of genetic information implications for insurance purposes.
Based on these research results, it will be possible to assess whether there is a need for an explicit non-genetic discrimination law in Ukraine, and better understand the main ethical, legal and social implications of applying genetic information for risk assessment in life insurance in Ukraine, and how explicitly aligning Ukraine’s legal framework with that of many of its European partners. Additionally, the research achievements will help to estimate the nature of ethical, legal, and social implications of genetics in insurance.