INTERVIEW: Dr. Frank Sysyn on the future of Ukrainian studies

NEW YORK - Dr. Frank Sysyn, director of the Peter Jacyk Center for Ukrainian Historical Research at the University of Alberta-Edmonton, was invited recently by the Ukrainian American Professionals and Businesspersons Association of New York and New Jersey to speak on the history of Ukrainian studies in the United States and Canada and the potential of establishing a program of Ukrainian studies at an academic institution in New York City.

Dr. Sysyn, who received his Ph.D. in history from Harvard University and was one of the early members of the student fund-raising effort to raise money for the Harvard Ukrainian Studies Fund, spoke on April 25 at the Ukrainian Institute of America and also gave an interview to Irene Jarosewich of The Ukrainian Weekly.

Q: This spring you were on sabbatical from the University of Alberta and were here in New York City at The Harriman Institute as the Petro Jacyk Visiting Professor of Ukrainian Studies at Columbia University. Can you please explain a bit about this position?

A: The Petro Jacyk Visiting Professor of Ukrainian Studies at Columbia is based on a $500,000 donation by Mr. Jacyk, a Ukrainian Canadian businessman, to Columbia University. The position is administered by The Harriman Institute, but a professor from any field can be invited as a visiting professor of Ukrainian studies. I was the first professor to be brought to Columbia under this program and taught a course in Ukrainian history and gave several lectures. The visiting professor position is intended to expand upon existing Ukrainian studies efforts at Columbia by bringing in specialists in a variety of fields for short periods to give instruction in Ukrainian studies.

Ukrainian studies at Columbia includes the teaching of Ukrainian literature and language in the Slavic Department, the sponsoring by Harriman of conferences on topics related to Ukraine, hosting Fulbright scholars and other visitors from Ukraine, and this position of visiting professor. However, most of this hinges on the efforts of individuals. For example, the current director of Harriman, Prof. Mark von Hagen, is very interested in Ukraine, as was the associate director, Alex Motyl. However, Dr. von Hagen's term ends in two years, and Dr. Motyl left for a professorship at Rutgers University. In order to ensure a continuing presence, Ukrainian studies should be institutionalized at Columbia. The Jacyk donation is a move in that direction.

Q: Why was Columbia chosen for the Jacyk endowment?

A: The potential in New York City for Ukrainian studies is tremendous, and an excellent location is Columbia. Columbia's School of International and Public Affairs is one of the largest in the United States; it is important for Ukraine to have a presence here. During the academic year, between 15 and 20 people from all over the world come through daily with lectures and presentations. There are a substantial number of presentations on Ukraine annually. At the recent Association for the Study of Nationalities conference, co-sponsored by Harriman and held at Columbia, there were more than 40 topics related to Ukraine. Prof. George Shevelov, now professor-emeritus, taught at Columbia for many years. Columbia also has top graduate centers in many fields. So Columbia has a great deal to offer.

Columbia has shown its willingness to use its own resources to expand into Ukrainian studies. However, once again, there is no permanence to many of these efforts and steps should be made to take advantage of the opportunities at Columbia to develop a permanent program.

Q: What sort of program do you envision?

A: It's best, of course, to endow permanent faculty, but this is much more expensive. It is, therefore, important to at least have sessions and courses and a variety of scholars, even if for a short period. In general, the Ukrainian studies program needs to be more broad and flexible than a chair in a particular department.

Barring major donations to fund chairs, the sensible strategy would be endowments or contributions to a program of Ukrainian studies. Courses in language, literature, history are always basic to any program of Ukrainian studies, but also can branch out into other fields, such as sociology and political science.

The program can provide administrative assistance to traveling scholars. Furthermore, scholars come here to do research, but they are also a resource that can be used by a program.

It is important to train people, this will have long-term impact. For example, students studying for a master's degree in international affairs should take a course in Ukrainian studies for perspective, even if they do not intend to become Ukraine experts. There should be support for those who do plan to become Ukraine experts, as well.

We saw for example, at the ASN conference, policy analysts appointed by their respective governments - one from Finland immediately comes to mind - who study Ukraine because that is their job. With an independent Ukraine, suddenly every government needs to have Ukraine experts. Many come not only to Washington, but to New York City, and there should be an organized academic resource available to them.

It is important to instruct scholars who are not necessarily Ukraine scholars - to keep them informed. And, ultimately, a program should be able to provide positions for scholars and research opportunities.

Q: So are you appealing to the Ukrainian American community to raise funds for a Ukrainian studies program at Columbia?

A: Well, I am not appealing as much as I am offering the suggestion that, as a scholar, I believe it is necessary that a more comprehensive and permanent program of Ukrainian studies be established in New York and that I believe that Columbia is the ideal institution to have such a program.

My major commitment is the Peter Jacyk Center at the Canadian Institute of Ukrainian Studies and the Hrushevsky Translation Project, both of which have considerable support from our community. As I am frequently asked to give presentations, I often suggest that the community consider establishing a Ukrainian studies program in New York. I have no specific suggestions about which community organizations could or should undertake the effort, I am simply proposing the idea. For example, I am addressing the New York and New Jersey professionals, which has already shown initiative in fund-raising for a Ukrainian studies program at Columbia.

Ukrainian scholarship is important and significant for our community and our stated goal to reach out into the world. Given that this is the New York metro area, this is a very important city for scholarship and research, for networking and training, for opportunities. Columbia already has a relationship with the Ukrainian Academy of Sciences in New York and the Shevchenko Scientific Society here, and is offering more access to mainstream academia for these organizations. In turn, these organizations have depth and history and, practically speaking, archives to complement Columbia. So there already is a connection with the institutions established by our community.

Q: How would a fund-raising structure be organized?

A: Columbia doesn't have a fund-raising structure for Ukrainian studies comparable to those at the Canadian Institute for Ukrainian Studies or the Ukrainian Studies Fund at Harvard. Therefore, some group or groups would need to take the lead to raise funds to develop this program. Fund-raising in the Ukrainian community is very specific. It requires trust and a hands-on approach and networking. I'm not sure that Columbia could do this on its own. So, I hope that more organizations get behind this idea and hope there still are a considerable number of people who would consider this project to be important.

Harvard, as the university with the largest Ukrainian studies program in the United States, has done a tremendous amount for the development of the field. However, Ukrainian studies is expanding. There are entire new areas for research and scholarly work in Ukrainian studies. Therefore we can only greet the new initiatives such as those at Yale and the University of Kansas.

With an endowment already established at Columbia, Ukrainian studies has a long-term future at the university. Of course, I would like to see the Jacyk endowment become part of a thriving and multi-faceted endowed Ukrainian studies program at Columbia.

Copyright © The Ukrainian Weekly, June 20, 1999, No. 25, Vol. LXVII

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