LETTERS TO THE EDITOR (03/28/04)

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Paying for programs in Ukrainian studies

Dear Editor:

The idea that the Ukrainian community should not have to pay private universities to "teach their culture" has been suggested in commentaries, which have criticized the drive to raise funds at Columbia University ("My friend, George Kalbouss," "Persepctives" by Andrew Fedynsky, March 7; letter from George Kalbouss, November 30 2003). The "Introduction to Ukrainian History and Culture" course at Ohio State University is cited as an example of how faculty (Dr. Kalbouss) and Ukrainian community lobbying of legislators got the state university to offer and pay for a Ukrainian course.

Communities should certainly pursue this strategy and Prof. Kalbouss and Mr. Fedynsky are to be congratulated for their initiative. In arguing their case they could turn to the prominence given to Ukrainian studies by the chairs at Harvard and they could show that the field possessed a considerable literature published primarily by the Harvard Ukrainian Research Institute and the Canadian Institute of Ukrainian Studies Press. Hence, programs funded by the community (HURI totally, CIUS in part) have strengthened the case for those seeking state support.

Moreover, endowing funds at top private universities, such as Columbia, and public funding of courses at state schools are not mutually exclusive. Both have helped to advance Ukrainian studies. Even in Canada, where public money was once readily available, private donations and endowments have now become essential components of support for Ukrainian studies programs.

I must clarify several points in the commentaries. This spring is not the first time Ukrainian history was taught at Columbia. The history courses offered this year are the first funded by the new endowed fund established just last year as part of the expansion of the Ukrainian studies curriculum. More importantly, the Columbia expansion is not about establishing a course in a department. It encompasses a broad program that covers history, language, political science and other disciplines in different departments, institutes and schools at Columbia.

Arguing that Ukrainian studies should be funded by universities because they are wealthy or because they routinely fund Russian, German or French studies has not produced great results for us in our 46 years as advocates of Ukrainian studies. At a time when language and area studies are endangered, introducing new programs is difficult. The relatively weak international standing of Ukraine and the deplorable state of Ukrainian language and culture in Ukraine have not served to raise the prestige of Ukrainian studies to the degree we had hoped for since 1991.

Our goal must continue to include the initiation of programs in leading universities that recognize the value of a Ukrainian studies component in their humanities or international affairs curriculum. When we see this at an excellent university such as Columbia, we believe our organization and community should invest in it. And once the program at Columbia is established, it will be able to take advantage of the many resources the university offers, including government and private grants. I do hope that we shall be able to involve Prof. Kalbouss, as a Columbia alumnus and successful builder of the field, in our important endeavor.

Roman Procyk
New York

The letter-writer is manager of the Ukrainian Studies Fund.

U.S.-Russia relations show signs of cooling

Dear Editor:

Peter D. Senkiw's well-written and informative letter to the editor "Sen. John McCain deserves thanks" from (February 22), about the article written by William Safire (one of the rare friends of the young Ukrainian state) in The New York Times, shows that America's Russia-friendly foreign policy might be cooling off.

In a similar vein, the editorial "Mr. Putin's remarks" published in The Providence Journal on Tuesday, February 24, ("remarks" that were noticed in all major American newspapers) shows that most American journalists are well informed and have full understanding of present-day Russia and its government's neo-Soviet-revanchist political culture. Russian President Vladimir Putin, a former KGB agent, by calling the demise of the Soviet Union "a national tragedy on an enormous scale..." showed his true colors. Note the word "national" in this context, which refers only to Russia.

The editorial further comments "Russia now has military forces in Belarus, Georgia and Moldova - and secret agents throughout the former empire. For example: Viktor Medvedchuk, a likely candidate for president of Ukraine, is a former KGB colleague of Mr. Putin."

The question for all Ukrainians (during this year of presidential elections) is: Are people like Mr. Medvedchuk going to continue to lead and govern Ukraine in the future?

G. Miroslaw Burbelo, MD
Westerly, R.I.

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