First exchange students arrive at universities in Lviv and Alberta (10/29/06)

First exchange students arrive at universities in Lviv and Alberta

by Bohdan Klid

EDMONTON - A recently negotiated exchange agreement between Ivan Franko National University of Lviv (Lviv University) and the University of Alberta went into effect this academic year, when one student arrived in Lviv and another in Edmonton to begin their academic programs.

Lviv University student Olena Dudych, who is majoring in English philology at the Faculty of Foreign Languages, is planning to spend the whole academic year at the University of Alberta.

Ms. Dudych gave a number of reasons why she applied for the exchange. She noted that students entering university in Ukraine are required to follow an educational plan approved by the country's Ministry of Education that restricts their choice of courses. At the University of Alberta students can pick courses and even change programs.

Ms. Dudych is currently taking an accounting course, which she probably would not have been able to do back home. She is also taking courses in advanced German, second language acquisition, linguistics and political science during her first semester.

Another benefit that Ms. Dudych pointed to was that the exchange opens a door to another part of the world for Ukrainian students. In her view, it is important for Ukraine's students today to experience study at a university abroad, especially a North American one.

Although she said she has found it somewhat difficult to adapt to the different assignment and examination systems in Alberta, as well as to the faster rhythm of life, Ms. Dudych has also said that people she has met at the University of Alberta have been very helpful and friendly in solving problems and answering questions. She also observed that the border between professor and student did not really exist at the University of Alberta. Therefore, Ukrainian students thinking of applying for the exchange to the University of Alberta from Lviv University should not be concerned, as there will always be someone available to ask for advice and explain procedures.

Tim Starchuk, a University of Alberta student majoring in marketing in the School of Business, is spending the 2006 fall semester at Lviv University. He attended a Ukrainian bilingual elementary school in Edmonton, but did not do much reading or writing in Ukrainian thereafter. While Mr. Starchuk did take a Ukrainian language course at the University of Alberta to refresh his skills, he admitted before leaving for Lviv that his Ukrainian language skills are weak.

Mr. Starchuk said that he jumped at the opportunity to apply for the exchange, as friends had told him that going on an international exchange had been one of their best experiences while at university. Mr. Starchuk chose to study at Lviv University because he wanted to improve his Ukrainian language skills. He also noted that the cost of living in Lviv is quite low, compared to other European cities.

At Lviv University Mr. Starchuk is taking courses in laws of the European Union, Ukrainian history, Ukrainian and world culture, and the fundamentals of tourism. Although he is having a bit of trouble understanding everything that is discussed in class, Mr. Starchuk notes that everyone is patient with him and that his Ukrainian has been improving rapidly.

While some things in day-to-day life are different in Ukraine, Mr. Starchuk stressed that he has been able to find everything to satisfy his daily needs. Settling into the normal rhythm of life in Lviv has also been quite easy, he noted. He attributes this in part to his observation that people in Lviv are friendly to foreigners, which makes it conducive to meeting people and making friends.

He also noted that living accommodations for foreign students were very good at Lviv University and are actually better than some of his friends' dormitory rooms at the University of Alberta. He has also found that his fellow students in Ukraine are very similar to their Canadian counterparts.

In addition to the benefits mentioned by the first two exchange students, the exchange agreement offers other advantages. Both universities have agreed to waive tuition fees for exchange students: participants pay tuition at their home institutions. This is especially important for Ukrainian students, who are generally less likely to be able to afford University of Alberta tuition fees. Moreover, earning credits for courses taken at the partner university is easily arranged and counts toward a degree at one's home institution.

The University of Alberta International has facilitated this first exchange by granting scholarships to both Mr. Starchuk and Ms. Dudych to help defray their expenses. However, in the long run, to sustain the academic exchange, a dedicated endowment fund needs to be established.

A capital base of $200,000, for example, would provide two scholarships annually of about $4,000 each - enough to pay for international travel and help defray other expenses. As the University of Alberta has committed itself to match donations for scholarships, the sum of $100,000 would be enough to establish such an endowment. This amount could be reached with one donation by an individual or organization - in which case the endowment would be created in their name-or it could be the result of the sum total of numerous donations given over a period of time by many. Offering a room to a Lviv University student would also help support this exchange.

Readers my contact the director of the Canadian Institute of Ukrainian Studies, Dr. Zenon Kohut, by phone, 780-492-2972, or e-mail, [email protected], for more information.

University of Alberta students can access information on the study abroad program at Lviv University by visiting the website of the University of Alberta International at http://www.international.ualberta.ca/studyabroad.php.

The seventh annual Lviv Summer Course organized by the Ukrainian Culture, Language and Literature Program at the University of Alberta will be held May 14-June 27, 2007. It is open to all students in North America and Europe. Information can be obtained at http://www.arts.ualberta.ca/%7eukraina/LvivCourse.html.

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