One way to make Ukraine “visible” to the world
National frontiers, as a factor of the total delimitation of countries, started becoming obsolete in the 21st century, while retaining their importance only in economic and geopolitical terms. Such trends help expand international cooperation on the intergovernmental level and create numerous organizations “without frontiers” that unite representatives of various spheres, like physicians, journalists, or scientists. In addition, the creation of numerous international exchange programs are having a considerable impact on the process of globalization by allowing Ukrainian students and researchers to acquire an education abroad, enrich their experience, acquire practical skills, or simply experience and analyze the particular features of life in other countries.
One such educational project is the Fulbright Academic Exchange Program, which recently held a presentation and scholarly conference at Ostroh Academy National University. Ostroh was chosen as the meeting place for officials from the program’s head office in Kyiv and US Fulbright scholars in Ukraine because this program has collaborated with Ostroh Academy for some time. Several students and lecturers from this university have taken part in the program, and at one time four American professor taught courses at Ostroh Academy.
Dr. Myron Stakhiv, Fulbright Program director in Ukraine, noted that most university students have a fluent command of English and thus do not have any problems listening to reports delivered by US researchers and taking part in scholarly discussions with them.
The Fulbright Program was founded in 1946 by Senator J. William Fulbright in order to promote world peace. He believed that if people could visit other countries and learn about other cultures, they could feel empathy with them as well as revulsion to destroying each other. The program is active in 150 countries and is one of the world’s oldest and best known scientific exchange programs.
The Fulbright Program began collaborating with Ukraine in 1992. Since then some 300 Ukrainian students, young lecturers, and senior research fellows have visited the US, while over 180 American scientists and students have come to Ukraine to hold special seminars and conduct research. The Ukrainian intellectual elite has won a very good reputation in the US, so the American side is interested in enhancing cooperation with our country, as evidenced by an increase in the program budget in Ukraine, while in most other European countries program budget allocations are shrinking.
Although the humanities were priority majors in the past, this year a new trend has appeared, geared to people working in the exact sciences. This year the number of Ukrainian participants has grown to 32 students and young lecturers along with 22 senior research fellows, who will represent Ukraine in US scientific circles.
Dr. Stakhiv pointed out that after completing the program, 95 percent of the Ukrainian participants work in our country, demonstrating considerable progress in their respective fields of research and working with leading research centers and civic organizations. Olena Dzhedzhora, a former Fulbright scholar, noted that this program “is stealing researchers not from but for Ukraine,” as a number of US scientists, after first visiting Ukraine, make repeat visits. Some even apply for permanent residence. Many of the latter are Ukrainian Americans, who can learn more about the land of their forefathers, their language, and culture.
Dzhedzhora believes that the main reason for this trend is that “American researchers in Ukraine can handle subjects that are dead in Western society, which is extremely well established and where there is nothing left to discover...It is precisely in Eastern Europe, particularly in Ukraine, that science has a future.” She also believes that the practical value of the Fulbright Program for Ukraine has three aspects: first, it unites academic Ukraine through numerous trips and presentations; second, it is making Ukraine “visible” to the world by sharing information about our scientific circles and their achievements with the international community; and third, this program has an impact on participants’ individual progress by giving them more confidence and providing them with an incredible amount of knowledge.
Even after completing the program, people continue to cooperate through the Fulbright Association, which helps researchers organize presentations, generate personal Web sites, publish their papers and scholarly works, and place information about their studies and career growth.
Borys Potiatynyk, another Ukrainian Fulbright scholar, said that “such ideologically neutral programs give researchers freedom,” allowing them to develop themselves and Ukrainian science in general. This is precisely why initiatives meant for the good of our country, particularly such scientific exchanges, should be regarded without any skepticism but be assisted in every way.
