The Ukrainian Research Institute at Harvard University is pleased to announce a distinguished new prize that recognizes outstanding works of scholarship on Ukraine. The Omeljan Pritsak Book Prize in Ukrainian Studies was approved by the Association for Slavic, East European, and Eurasian Studies (ASEEES) to join its annual book prize program starting in 2019.
Sponsored by HURI, the Pritsak Prize recognizes a noteworthy book in any discipline on any aspect of Ukrainian affairs that was published in the previous calendar year. The Pritsak Prize carries a cash award and will be presented annually at the ASEEES Convention.
The primary founder of the Institute and the Ukrainian studies program at Harvard, Omeljan Pritsak recognized the need to establish an academic program of the highest caliber to advance accurate knowledge of Ukraine through research and teaching. He was the first Mykhailo S. Hrushevs’kyi Professor of Ukrainian History at Harvard and an esteemed scholar of broad scope and erudition. This prize both honors and continues his legacy by raising the profile of scholarship on Ukraine.
HURI will work with ASEEES over the coming months to finalize the details of the prize, including the complete rules of eligibility. Official information will be made available on the ASEEES book prize web page, and the committee responsible for selecting a winner for the Pritsak Prize will be chosen by the ASEEES board.
In today’s geopolitical climate where Ukraine is embroiled in conflict and misinformation is rife, the establishment of such an award is particularly timely. Honoring works pertaining specifically to Ukraine will help raise the profile of Ukrainian studies and, by extension, help advance accurate knowledge of Ukraine. HURI is grateful to the ASEEES Executive Committee and Board for their careful consideration of the proposal and for their decision to support Ukrainian studies in this manner.