CIUS Newsletter 2006 1 From the Director volume, comprising 15,000 entries, ship and cooperative ventures with CIUS: 30 Years and the Internet Encyclopedia of the Institute of Historical Research Ukraine has already posted some at the Ivan Franko National Univer- of Excellence 2,000 entries. sity of Lviv; the Ivan Krypiakevych Institute of Ukrainian Studies at the Th is year the Canadian Institute of • CIUS has become the leading West- National Academy of Sciences of Ukrainian Studies marks the thirtieth ern centre for the study of Ukrainian Ukraine; and the Mykhailo Hru- anniversary of its founding. In the history. Th is has been achieved shevsky Institute of Ukrainian course of these three decades, CIUS has through several major projects: the Archaeography and Source Studies gained a reputation for excellence based translation, editing, and publica- at the National Academy of Sciences on accomplishments that have helped tion of four volumes of Mykhailo of Ukraine. It has close ties with a defi ne the direction and pace of devel- Hrushevsky’s classic ten-volume group of scholars, organized as the opment of Ukrainian studies in North History of Ukraine-Rus΄, the devel- America, Europe, and Ukraine. Some Association of Researchers of Central of the highlights are the following: and Eastern Europe, who are striv- ing to adopt leading-edge Western • CIUS has awarded approximately methodology (mostly postmodern- 64 undergraduate scholarships, 55 ist), as well as with more traditional scholarships in support of M.A. scholars in the Institute of History at theses, 68 fellowships for Ph.D. the National Academy of Sciences. candidates, and nearly 500 post- Th e shaping of Ukrainian studies in doctoral fellowships and research eastern Ukraine has been the pri- grants, enabling several generations mary focus of the Kowalsky Program of students and scholars to pursue for the Study of Eastern Ukraine. Th e Ukrainian studies in a wide variety of Program’s Kowalsky Eastern Institute disciplines. Th e recipients have come of Ukrainian Studies, housed at the from many countries, including Vasyl Karazyn National University of Canada, Ukraine, the United States, Kharkiv, has developed and carried Poland, Russia, France, Romania, out a number of long-term research Moldova, Germany, China, England, and organizational projects. Th ese Israel, Korea, and Japan. Currently, include the establishment of a branch CIUS distributes more than $100,000 in Zaporizhia; the publication of a per annum to students and scholars. scholarly journal titled Схід-Захід (East-West), now considered one • CIUS has become the Western Zenon E. Kohut, director of CIUS world’s leading publisher and devel- of the best scholarly publications oper of publications in Ukrainian opment of a new Historical Diction- in Ukraine; the arrangement of an studies, having produced more than ary of Ukraine (issued in 2005), the annual Kowalsky student research 150 books, 65 research reports, and publication of fundamental works on paper competition; and the organiza- 30 issues of the Journal of Ukrainian Russo-Ukrainian relations, and the tion of annual international confer- Studies. participation of CIUS scholars in the ences, symposia and seminars. national and international develop- • CIUS has assisted Ukraine in its • Th e CIUS Ukrainian Language ment of Ukrainian historical studies. Education Centre has developed, democratic transition by means of published, and distributed an out- • CIUS is a leader in Ukrainian-Cana- two large-scale projects funded by standing second-language acquisi- dian studies. Its major project in this the Canadian International Develop- tion program that provides school fi eld is a comprehensive three-vol- ment Agency. In the fi rst, more than systems with cutting-edge methodol- ume interpretive history of Ukrai- 400 Ukrainian offi cials took part in ogies, as well as student and teacher nians in Canada, the fi rst volume of twelve seminars in the parliament resources, for acquiring the Ukrai- which has been published. of Ukraine that were attended by Canadian experts, with more than 43 nian language. CIUS has helped shape the emer- • seminar papers presented on legisla- gence of post-communist Ukrainian • CIUS has published the fi ve-volume tive themes. Over 100 senior offi cials studies in Ukraine. Th e Institute has Encyclopedia of Ukraine, as well as from Ukraine took part in study established a close working relation- a supplementary index and errata tours to Canada ranging in length 2 2006 CIUS Newsletter From the Director from two weeks to two months. In has been defi ned by the second cor- a university vision. For thirty years, the second project, 90 senior par- nerstone—the discovery, preservation, CIUS has rendered vital services to the liamentary, government, and other and dissemination of knowledge and, university, academia, educators and Ukrainian participants travelled to in our work with Ukraine, the interna- students, life-long learners, govern- Canada and gained broad knowledge tional development of civil society and ment, business, the Ukrainian-Canadi- of Canadian public-policy approach- democratic institutions. an community, and Ukraine itself. It is es and processes. Th ere were 20 By bringing Ukrainian studies a commitment to academic excellence formal follow-up programs with 804 and knowledge about Ukraine into and service that I believe will secure participants. In addition, the Ukraine the North American and European for CIUS and the University of Alberta Transparency and Election Monitor- scholarly mainstream, CIUS has not a position of even greater prominence ing Project (UTEMP), funded by MP only connected academic communities in the future. Borys Wrzesnewskyj’s family foun- but also helped give the University of dation (Dopomoha Ukraini – Aid Alberta a national and international Ukraine), was launched in Septem- presence and reputation. By develop- ber 2004. Th e UTEMP project sent ing a primary-school curriculum, Canadian Institute of Canadians to Ukraine to give semi- CIUS has connected communities of Ukrainian Studies nars on election laws, policies and primary and secondary school teach- 450 Athabasca Hall procedures for local election offi cials; ers, students, parents, school admin- University of Alberta they also acted as international elec- istrators, and Alberta Education. Edmonton, AB, Canada T6G 2E8 tion observers. And in helping develop a student and Telephone: (780) 492–2972 FAX: (780) 492–4967 E-mail: [email protected] CIUS Web site: www.cius.ca CIUS Newsletter Reprints permitted with acknowledgement ISSN 1485–7979 Publication Mail Agreement No. 40065596 Editors: Bohdan Klid and Myroslav Yurkevich Ukrainian translation: Mykola Soroka Design and layout: Peter Matilainen When examining these achieve- academic exchange program between ments, one is struck by the similarity of the University of Alberta and the Ivan To contact the CIUS Toronto Offi ce Franko National University of Lviv (Internet Encyclopedia of Ukraine Project, their basic principles to those recently Journal of Ukrainian Studies, CIUS Press, announced by President Indira Sama- that encompasses all disciplines, CIUS or Peter Jacyk Centre), please write c/o: rasekera in the Dare to Discover visionvision is connecting academic communities beyond Ukrainian studies. 20 Orde St., Room 125 for the University of Alberta. Her four University of Toronto cornerstones for a great university are: Finally, since its inception, the Toronto ON M5T 1N7 1) talented people, 2) learning, dis- Canadian Institute of Ukrainian Stud- ies has sought to attract the necessary Telephone: (416) 978–6934 covery, and citizenship, 3) connecting Fax: (416) 978–2672 communities, 4) organization and sup- fi nancial and organizational resources E-mail: [email protected] port. Naturally, our accomplishments to achieve its mission. While we are would not have been possible without continuing to draw funds from vari- A very special thank you talented, hard-working, and generous ous sources (the university, grants and is extended to the Ukrainian people—academics, administrators, projects, and individual contributions), Canadian Benevolent Society support staff , community supporters, special eff orts have been and continue of Edmonton for their generous and donors. Our staff has been ex- to be made to build an adequate en- donation towards the costs of ceptionally ambitious, inventive, and dowment base. the production and publication versatile in balancing so many projects As we look back, we realize that our of this special 30th Anniversary and priorities, while our expanding current strength derives from basing edition of the CIUS Newsletter. donor pool has been both loyal and our work on the four cornerstones generous. Our institute’s very being long before they were codifi ed into CIUS Newsletter 2006 3 Interview Thirty Years with CIUS: A Conversation with Roman Senkus In this conversation with the direc- tor of the CIUS Toronto Offi ce, Dr. Frank E. Sysyn, Roman Senkus looks back at three decades of a career that has taken him from managing editor of the Journal of Ukrainian Studies to director of publications at CIUS Press. Could you describe the general climate of the years in which CIUS began its work? Generally speaking, those involved in Ukrainian-Canadian community politics were excited about the cre- ation of CIUS, as it had been long in the planning. It was the heyday of multiculturalism in Canada and of Ukrainian political infl uence in this country. Of course, people directly (L-R) Roman Senkus