Lviv-Alberta University Student Exchange

Funding for program sought as first participants arrive in Lviv and Edmonton

By Bohdan Klid

A recently negotiated exchange agreement between the Ivan Franko National University of Lviv (Lviv University) and the University of Alberta (U of A) went into effect this September, when two students arrived in Lviv and 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 academic year at  the U of A.

Olena Dudych says she applied for the exchange for a number of reasons. She notes the many course options at the U of A as one benefit. University  students 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 U of A, students can pick courses and even change programs.  In her first semester at the U of A, Dudych is taking an accounting course, something 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.

Another benefit that Dudych points to is that the exchange opens a door to another part of the world.

Although Dudych says she has found it somewhat difficult to adapt to the different assignment and examination systems, as well as to the faster rhythm of life, she says people she has met have been friendly and helpful in solving problems and answering questions. She has also noticed that barriers between professors and students do not exist at the U of A. There is, therefore, always someone available who can be approached who can offer advice and explain procedures.

Tim Starchuk, a U of A 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 and took a Ukrainian-language course at the U of A to refresh his skills, but says that before leaving for Lviv, his Ukrainian-language skills were weak.

He jumped at the opportunity to take part in the exchange and chose to study at Lviv University because he wanted to improve his Ukrainian-language skills. At Lviv University, Starchuk is taking courses in laws of the European Union, Ukrainian History, Ukrainian and World Culture, and the Fundamentals of Tourism. Although he says he is having some trouble understanding everything discussed in class, Starchuk notes that everyone is patient with him and that his Ukrainian has been improving rapidly.

While some aspects of day-to-day life are different in Ukraine, Starchuk stresses that he has been able to find everything to satisfy his daily needs in Lviv and that the cost of living is quite low compared to other European cities.  Accommodations for foreign students, he adds, are very good.

People in Lviv are friendly to foreigners, says Starchuk, which makes it easy to meet people and make friends.

To facilitate this student-exchange program, both the University of Lviv and the U of A have agreed to waive tuition fees for exchange students; participants only need to pay tuition at their home institutions. This is especially important for Ukrainian students, who are generally less likely to be able to afford U of A tuition fees.

Credits earned for courses taken at the partner university can be transferred so that they count toward a degree at one’s home institution.

The University of Alberta-International has facilitated this first exchange by granting scholarships to both Starchuk and 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. The U of A has committed to match donations for scholarships, so a sum of $100,000 would be enough to establish such an endowment.

The required amount could be reached with one donation by an individual or organization—in such a case, the endowment would be created in their name. It could result through numerous donations given over a period of time by many.

The U of A is also looking for people who could support the exchange program by offering a room to a visiting Lviv University student.

Please contact the director of CIUS, Dr. Zenon Kohut, by phone at (780) 492-2972 or e-mail at zkohut@ualberta.ca for more information about the exchange program or learn more about the program by visiting the website: www.international.ualberta.ca/studyabroad.php

In addition to organizing the newly inaugurated exchange program between Lviv University and U of A students, the U of A holds a summer course in Lviv.  The seventh annual Lviv Summer Course organized by the U of A’s Ukrainian Culture, Language and Literature Program will be held on May 14 to June 27, 2007. It is open to North American and European students. Information can be obtained at www.arts.ualberta.ca/%7eukraina/LvivCourse.html

Bohdan Klid is a Research Scholar and Assistant Director at the Canadian Institute of Ukrainian Studies at the University of Alberta.