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A new Ukrainian Centre opens up on campus
About 83,000 people living in Edmonton—l3 per cent of the population—consider themselves to be of Ukrainian descent. To recognize the tremendous contributions of the early Ukrainian settlers who made their homes in Alberta, the University recently opened the Canadian Centre of Ukrainian Culture and Ethnography—the only centre of its kind in North America.
Located in the Arts building, the CCUCE will study Ukrainian culture in Canada with a focus on projects that help bridge contemporary North American social sciences with the established disciplines of ethnography and folklore in the Ukraine, says Brian Cherwick, '92 MA, '99 PhD, assistant director of the CCUCE.
Other strategic priorities for the CCUCE include developing the Ukrainian folklore program, sponsoring Ukrainian studies, and establishing learning resources for the Internet. The CCUCE will house an extensive archive collection and conduct fieldwork research. It will also support a number of scholarships and awards as well as offer community outreach services.
"We've been a leader in the field of Ukrainian studies for a long time," says Ken Norrie, U of A dean of arts. Norrie speaks highly about the outstanding work that has been done in this area by the Ukrainian language program and the Canadian Institute of Ukrainian Studies. Established in 1976, the CIUS is dedicated to the development of Ukrainian studies in Canada and internationally, and, through the CIUS Press, more than 110 scholarly books have been Published.
With the addition of the Ukrainian Centre on campus, Norrie says, "I'm Sure we'll continue to be the leaders now that we've built this complete centre that will benefit our students and the greater community for many years to come."
Published Autumn 2001. |
