Distinguished Slavic scholar Giovanna Brogi has been awarded honorary professorship of the Kyiv Mohyla Academy

Giovanna Brogi-Berkoff is one of the most respected authorities in the Slavic studies field in the West. She is Polish, Russian and Ukrainian studies scholar, Director of the Institute of Languages and Literatures of Eastern Europe at the University of Milan, Chairwoman of the International Committee of Slavic Studies’ Commission on Slavic Studies History, and Chairwoman of the Italian Association of Ukrainian Studies’ Regulations Committee. The scholar is actively engaged in publishing, chairing the Biblioteca di Studi Slavistici (Library of Slavic Studies) series’ scholarly advisory committee. She lectured at universities of Warsaw, Krakow, Wroclaw, Poznan, Kyiv, Lviv, Bonn, Paris, Moscow, Harvard, Yale, New York, and Montreal, and organized eight international symposia on Ukrainian problems. The latest three symposia were especially important, as they greatly improved prospects of Ukrainian studies in Italy, and their topics were “Ivan Mazepa and His Followers: State Ideology, History, Religion, Literature and Culture,” “The European Reintegration of Ukraine: A Current Historical, Historiographical and Political Problem,” and “Kyiv and Lviv: The Cultural Text.” Brogi is now organizing the conference “20 Years of Ukrainian Independence: Culture, Economy, and Society,” while working on a book about Shevchenko at the same time.

On September 1, 2011 Brogi has been awarded honorary professorship of the Kyiv Mohyla Academy. “Dear colleagues and students,” Brogi said in Ukrainian. “Let me express my affection and gratitude for the great honor to join the Mohyla community. I am happy to be among you and be allowed to launch this academic year that is so special because of the anniversary you are celebrating now!” [The university was established in 1991, the same year that Ukraine gained its independence. – Ed.]

Aside from this speech, the Kyiv Mohyla Academy’s new professor gave a lecture in English concerning the question, “Is There the Canon for Ukrainian Literary Baroque?” and answered numerous questions from students.