Ukraine: Early Autumn School for International Students

Early Autumn School for International Students

"Ukraine Today: Social, Political and Cultural Change before and after the Orange revolution"

18 September - 2 October 2011 (Sunday arrival / Sunday departure)
National University of "Kyiv-Mohyla Academy", Ukraine

Websites:
http://dfc.ukma.kiev.ua/index.php?page=162
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=138303719571052

Summer School Director:
Larysa Chovnyuk, M. A., Head of the Department for Foreign Cooperation, National University of "Kyiv-Mohyla Academy" (NaUKMA)
http://dfc.ukma.kiev.ua/index.php?page=6

Academic Advisor:
Andreas Umland, Dr. phil., Ph. D., DAAD Senior Lecturer in Political Science, National University of “Kyiv-Mohyla Academy” (NaUKMA)
http://ku-eichstaett.academia.edu/AndreasUmland/

Application deadline:
1 June 2011

COURSE DESCRIPTION

Prerequisites
A strong interest in contemporary Ukrainian affairs. Good English language knowledge.

Course Organization
The course is oriented towards advanced under-graduate students (2nd year and above), although graduate, post-graduate, and doctoral-level students are also encouraged to apply. The course focuses on political and social issues, and is particularly suitable for students in the social sciences, humanities, and law, but open to all faculties. After completion of the course, students will be issued NaUKMA transcripts. The course combines in-class sessions (lectures and seminars, interactive presentations with discussion highly encouraged), guest visits, joint discussions with local NaUKMA students, and tours to interesting sites in and around Kyiv.

Course Aims and Contents
The objective of this English-language (late) summer school is to introduce students to the transformations that took place in Ukraine before and after the 2004 Orange Revolution from various perspectives: political, economic, social, and cultural. Additionally the course provides participants with a general idea of "post-Soviet society," its main features and development dynamics, thus establishing a framework for understanding other societies of this type.
The teaching will involve English-speaking political scientists, historians, economists, culturologists, and sociologists, mainly from the staff of the Mohyla Academy. The course will include lectures and workshops, in one way or another, related to the following topics:
- Ukraine between Democracy and Authoritarianism
- Ukraine's Path to and after the Orange Revolution
- Ukraine and Its Relationship to the European Union
- Ukraine and Its Relationship to Russia
- Ukraine's Transformation in Comparative Perspective
- Ukraine's Economy Before and After the World Financial Crisis
- Ukraine's Coming to Term with Its Past
- Ukraine's Post-Soviet Cultural Life
- Ukraine's Social Change and Modernization Since 1991
- Ukraine and the Question of Gender Equality
- Ukraine and the Challenge of Ecological Change
- Ukraine After Chernobyl
and, possibly, other similar topics.

In case of full attendance of these lectures/seminars and satisfactory presentations, students may obtain 2.5 ECTS points.

Students will attend ca. 3 classes per work day, and have organized trips within and outside Kyiv during the weekend. They will meet lecturers from the Mohyla Academy, and be assigned one of our Department for Foreign Cooperation collaborators as permanent supervisor. The Department for Foreign Cooperation will take responsibility for the two weeks' organization.

Two classes of survival Ukrainian are included into the program and in the below program fee.

Hours
60 in-class hours (lectures, presentations, discussions) plus 30 hours for course visits, meetings, group projects, project presentations etc.

Facultative Ukrainian-Language Course Work
Additionally, in parallel to the program, the students will be offered the opportunity to take a non-obligatory intensive course of Ukrainian, 1,5 ECTS each, one-two "pairs" per work day each, i.e. 14 x 2 = 28 hours. One course will be offered for those with no previous knowledge of a Slavic language, and one course for those with previous knowledge of a Slavic language (Polish, Slovak, Bulgarian, Serbian, Russian...). Additional fees for these language courses will be charged (170-245 Euro depending on the number of the students registered). Language classes will not overlap with the program classes.

Course Instructor(s)
As the school is designed as a mixture of different types of activities there will be two course supervisors who will ensure academic integrity and will take care of course logistics. External speakers, invited faculty experts etc. will be involved in course teaching as appropriate. For details please refer to the preliminary program to be published in due time.

Place:
National University of “Kyiv-Mohyla Academy”
Department for Foreign Cooperation
2 Skovorody vul. 04655 Kyiv
Ukraine
www.dfc.ukma.kiev.ua

COURSE FEES

The basic fee for the course is 462 Euro (please, note that a wrong earlier announcement stated 462 USD which was a type error).
This basic fee of 462 Euro includes tuition and selected cultural events only.
There may be additional, facultative cultural events suggested by the school to the students. Attendance of these non-obligatory events will be for moderate, separate fees.
Please, note that courses of Ukrainian language, international airfare, transfers, medical insurance, accommodation, meals, public transportation and other private expenditures are not covered by the basic fee.

SCHOLARSHIPS

German students may want to check the DAAD (German Academic Exchange Service) specialized stipend programme for the summer school attendance (1237 Euro per student) : http://www.daad.de/ausland/foerderungsmoeglichkeiten/ausschreibungen/16449.de.html
Please, note that you have to apply separately to the DAAD for this scholarship, before 1 June 2011. Note also that the DAAD has, unfortunately, only a limited amount of scholarships available for German students. Students who are able to cover their expenses and fees with other than DAAD funding or by themselves should indicate so in their application/s to the school, and DAAD.

GENERAL LOGISTICS

Arrival in Kyiv
Students are expected to arrive in Kyiv on Sunday, September 18. Pick-up service from Kyiv-Boryspil International Airport can be arranged by the school organizers upon request by the school organizers for additional payment.

Departure is Sunday, October 2. Transportation to the airport can be arranged upon request by the school organizers for additional payment.

Place
The National University of “Kyiv – Mohyla Academy” (NaUKMA) is located in the historic Podil neighbourhood of Kyiv. The campus is located on 3 city blocks stretching from Kontraktova Square to the Dnipro River.

The campus of NaUKMA is composed of a number of buildings, but most of the in-class sessions of the course will be held in the Department for Foreign Cooperation (Voloska vul. 8/5, Building 5, Auditorium 5-313). This location is a walking distance from all student apartments.

Please visit www.ukma.kiev.ua for more information about the University.

Accommodation
Three types of accommodation will be suggested to the summer school students by the school organizers.
• NaUKMA student hostel. The hostel is the least costly option, offers basic accommodation, and is located on Kharkivska street, on Kyiv's left bank. It takes about 35 minutes by public transport to get to NaUKMA from the hostel. The hostel is divided into accommodation units with 7 simple rooms, mostly double, in each unit. The rooms of one unit share a common kitchen and 2 bathrooms. Dorm rooms are furnished with a desk, chairs, and beds. Linens are provided. The dormitory offers laundry facilities as well. Summer school students can request single or double (a room shared with another school student) accommodation. Single accommodation – 500 UAH for entire school duration (2 weeks); double accommodation – 250 UAH for entire school duration (2 weeks);
• NaUKMA guest house. The official guest house is located inside the university campus, in the historical Podil region. NaUKMA Department for Foreign Cooperation can be reached in 2-3 minutes. The guest house has single or double rooms, every room has a bathroom attached (but there is no kitchen). Linens are provided. Summer school students can request single or double (shared with another school student) accommodation. Single accommodation – 500 UAH per day; double accommodation (one room shared by two students) – 250 UAH per day.
• Private apartment. Apartments are usually located in walking (up to 15 minutes) distance from the University and from each other. The apartments have typically 2 bedrooms, a kitchen, a bathroom and a toilet. All apartments are furnished, and include kitchen supplies, towels, utilities, and a local telephone (outgoing international calls not allowed). It is recommended for two school participant to share one apartment. Apartments may cost (if to be shared by two participants!) – around 250-300 UAH per night per person, depending on the quality of the apartment.
• If preferred, you can also arrange accommodation in Kyiv by yourself. We would recommend to rent either in the Podil district or close to it, in order to avoid using public transportation during rush hours.

Some of the above rents in UAH proceed from the UAH/USD/EUR exchange rate as of 25 March 2011, and may change in the case of currency rate developments, until September 2011.

Meals
Students are be responsible for their own meals.
They will be able to use the NaUKMA students canteen (25-30 UAH for lunch), the nearest Trapezna Cafeteria, located in one of the University’s buildings (up to 50 UAH for lunches) and many other options available in the University neighborhood.
A list of restaurants/cafes in Kyiv can be found on http://www.restaurant.ua/kiev/restoran/


Miscellaneous:
Applicants are asked to inform themselves extensively about living and travelling for foreigners in Ukraine. We would like to especially alert you to the danger of petty crime in Kyiv's public transportation, the presence of HIV/AIDS in Ukraine, and the necessity to boil water that you want to use for drinking or preparing meals. Yet, there are many other things to observe. You can find in the relevant information in the major travel guides, or/and at your Kyiv embassy's website.

APPLICATION PROCEDURE

Those interested in participation should submit a competed application form (http://dfc.ukma.kiev.ua/doc2/application_indian_summer_course_NaUKMA_2011.doc ) and other required documents (listed in the application form) by 1 June 2011 to the following e-mail address: larch@ukma.kiev.ua. Students will be notified of participant selection results by 10 June, and should confirm their participation by 18 June 2011. Course fee payments are due by 19 August 2011 (payment details will be provided upon receipt of confirmation of participation in the course).

Please, note that those interested in the DAAD stipend (http://www.daad.de/ausland/foerderungsmoeglichkeiten/ausschreibungen/16449.de.html ) should apply for it separately directly to the DAAD.

All questions about the course and the application procedure should be addressed to: Larysa Chovnyuk, larch@ukma.kiev.ua, tel. +38 044 425 77 70.

CONTACT

Head of the Department for Foreign Cooperation
Larysa Chovnyuk
National University of "Kyiv-Mohyla Academy"
Department for Foreign Cooperation,
2 Skovorody vul., Kyiv 04070, Ukraine
larch@ukma.kiev.ua
Tel: + 38 044 425 77 70
Fax: +38 044 425 50 16
http://dfc.ukma.kiev.ua/index.php?page=162
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Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=138303719571052

NOTE: Announcing your interest in this summer school at the Facebook site is insufficient. You have to submit the above application to NaUKMA, and, perhaps, also apply for a DAAD stipend. See the above DAAD website for details.

Ukrainians, Jews and the Holocaust

The newly published issue of Nationalities Papers: The Journal of Nationalism and Ethnicity (Vol. 39, No. 3, 2011) features a Special Section: Ukrainians, Jews and the Holocaust. Three brilliant articles by leading scholars in the field -

Marco Carynnyk, "Foes of our rebirth: Ukrainian nationalist discussions about Jews, 1929-1947"

The Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists, or OUN, came into being in 1929 as an “integral nationalist” movement that set itself the goal of driving Polish landowners and officials out of eastern Galicia and Volhynia, joining hands with Ukrainians in other countries, and establishing an independent state. The OUN defined Jews, along with Russians and Poles, as aliens and enemies. There was no need, wrote an OUN ideologist in 1929, to list all the injuries that Jews caused Ukrainians. “In addition to a number of external enemies Ukraine also has an internal enemy … Jewry and its negative consequences for our liberation http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifcause can be liquidated only by an organized collective effort”. The article examines archival documents, publications by OUN members, and recent scholarly literature to trace the evolution of OUN thinking about Jews from 1929 through the war years, when the German occupation of Ukraine gave the OUN an opportunity to stage pogroms and persecute Jews, and the prime minister of the state that the OUN proclaimed wrote that he supported “the destruction of the Jews and the expedience of bringing German methods of exterminating Jewry to Ukraine”.

John-Paul Himka, "Debates in Ukraine over nationalist involvement in the Holocaust, 2004-2008"

The article concerns debate about the memory of the Holocaust in Ukraine. It covers the period 2004-2008.

Aleksandr Burakovskiy, "Holocaust remembrance in Ukraine: memorialization of the Jewish tragedy at Babi Yar"

At the core of the debate in Ukraine about Babi Yar lies the Holocaust. Between 1941 and 1943 1.5 million Jews perished in Ukraine, yet a full understanding of that tragedy has been suppressed consistently by ideologies and interpretations of history that minimize or ignore this tragedy. For Soviet ideologues, admitting to the existence of the Holocaust would have been against the tenet of a “Soviet people” and the aggressive strategy of eliminating national and religious identities. A similar logic of oneness is being applied now in the ideological formation of an independent Ukraine. However, rather than one Soviet people, now there is one Ukrainian people under which numerous historical tragedies are being subsumed, and the unique national tragedies of other peoples on the territory of Ukraine, such as the massive destruction of Jews, is again being suppressed. According to this political idea assiduously advocated most recently during the Yushchenko presidency, the twentieth century in Ukraine was a battle for liberation. Within this new, exclusive history, the Holocaust, again, has found no real place. The author reviews the complicated history regarding the memorialization of the Jewish tragedy in Babi Yar through three broad chronological periods: 1943-1960, 1961-1991, and 1992-2009.

CfP: Patterns of Prejudice - Special Double Issue on Music and the Other

A special double issue of Patterns of Prejudice on music and the Other

I will guest edit a special double issue of the journal Patterns of Prejudice on the role of music in the demonization of the Other, to be published at the beginning of 2013.

Since the end of the nineteenth century, music has played an increasingly prominent role in constructing national identities and promoting various types of nationalist projects. Some of these projects turned to (largely re-invented) musical folk traditions as evidence of the rootedness and longevity of their nations. Later, music was often employed to show the grandeur of nation-states and empires. With the rise of illiberal nationalisms, many composers and performers contributed to the formation of ‘closed’, exclusivist concepts of national identity.

However, no matter how deeply involved particular composers or musicians might be in promoting illiberal social, cultural or political projects, music cannot, as such, be regarded as nationalist, racist or xenophobic. The racist or nationalist associations of a piece of music might arise from the lyrics that accompany it, but often are constructed from without, from the larger social, historical, political or cultural context. For example, the reasons why ‘Giovinezza’ is banned in Italy or Richard Wagner’s Der Ring des Nibelungen is rarely heard in Israel do not have much to do with the music itself, but rather with the memories these works evoke, the historical or cultural baggage they bring with them. The majority of punk fans don’t listen to the songs of Skrewdriver or Macht und Ehre, not because they are ‘bad’ punk rock but because the band members are racist.

This special issue will feature original research articles focusing on historical and contemporary instances of intersection of music and nationalism. We are particularly interested in contributions that address the following issues:

* musical works as lieux de memoires
* appropriation of folk music in nationalist narratives
* music and racial or ethnic conflict
* the role of music in the demonization or stigmatization of ethnic, racial or national communities
* xenophobic tendencies in contemporary musical genres such as Punk, Industrial, Hip-Hop, Neo-Folk, Dark Ambient, Black Metal and others
* the use of music by historical and contemporary far right movements, organizations and parties

Proposals for articles (500 words) addressing these and related issues should be submitted by e-mail before 15 June 2011. All final contributions must be the original work of the author/s; they will be subject to peer review and the editors’ decisions will be final. Please send proposals to Anton Shekhovtsov (anton.shekhovtsov@gmail.com) and Barbara Rosenbaum (b.rosenbaum@dsl.pipex.com).