Ukrainian studies specialists to speak in Chicago (03/19/06)

Ukrainian studies specialists to speak in Chicago

by Diana Howansky

NEW YORK - As discussions about Ukraine's relations with the rest of Europe continue in political circles and the media, the Ukrainian Studies Program at Columbia University has organized a roundtable on Ukraine for the upcoming 15th International Conference of the Council for European Studies. The conference will be held in Chicago from March 29 to April 2.

In addition, the Ukrainian Business and Professional Group of Chicago will sponsor a separate event featuring conference participants on April 1.

The council is considered one of the leading U.S.-based academic organizations for the study of Europe. The roundtable on Ukraine, titled "Culture and Identity in Contemporary Ukraine," is to bring the field of Ukrainian studies to the forefront of the council's research interests. It will discuss religious, political and linguistic issues in Ukraine and feature two Columbia University Petro Jacyk Visiting Scholars, Prof. Frank Sysyn (University of Alberta) and Mykola Riabchuk (National University of Kyiv Mohyla Academy), as well as Columbia's full-time lecturer of Ukrainian language and culture, Dr. Yuri Shevchuk.

Prof. Sysyn will focus on the problem of religion and "civilizational spheres" in contemporary Ukraine, specifically the premise that Ukraine is divided into Catholic and Orthodox zones. Dr. Riabchuk will address issues of coherence and consistency in Ukrainian post-Communist government policies at home and abroad, while Dr. Shevchuk will analyze the pressure from the Russian language upon the Ukrainian language community in key spheres of communication.

The roundtable on Ukraine will take place the morning of Friday, March 31, at Chicago's Drake Hotel, and is being sponsored by the Harriman Institute at Columbia University and the Ukrainian Studies Fund, Inc. To attend the conference, individuals should first become council members and register for the conference. Forms for membership ($60) and conference registration ($95) can be found online at www.councilforeuropeanstudies.org.

While in Chicago, roundtable participants will also speak before the Ukrainian Business and Professional Group of Chicago at 7 p.m. on Saturday, April 1. This panel, sponsored by the Ukrainian Business and Professional Group of Chicago, the Ukrainian National Museum in Chicago and the Ukrainian Studies Fund Inc., is open to the public ($10 for members of the UBPGC or the museum, $15 for non-members). The event, which will take place at the Ukrainian National Museum, will be a special opportunity to meet individuals from the new Ukrainian Studies Program at Columbia University.

For details about the Ukrainian Business and Professional Group of Chicago and the April 1 event, contact Anna Mostovych at [email protected].

For more information about the Ukrainian Studies Program at Columbia University or the Council for European Studies conference, contact Diana Howansky at [email protected] or 212-854-4697.

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