CAMBRIDGE, Mass. - On June 18, the 2016 Harvard Ukrainian Summer Institute (HUSI) will open its doors to admitted students, continuing a tradition that spans nearly five decades. The seven-week summer program offers advanced undergraduates, graduate students, and professionals a unique chance to study intensive Ukrainian language and subject courses at Harvard University.
Offered jointly with the Harvard Summer School, the summer session allows students to earn academic credits and live on campus. As they converge on the banks of the Charles River, participates can take in the sights, sounds, and activities of Cambridge, a city steeped in history and opportunity. Enjoying a taste of life at Harvard, students also gain access to the University’s acclaimed libraries, museums, and instructional resources, while attending classes and events right on campus.
This year’s instruction includes Ukrainian for Reading Knowledge with Volodymyr Dibrova (8 credits), which is geared toward advanced students looking to develop the skills they need to conduct research and expand their educational horizons.
Two subject courses (4 credits each) offer an in-depth look at Ukrainian history, politics, art and literature:
Revolutionary Ukraine: Avant-garde Literature and Film from 1917 to the Euromaidan of 2014, taught by George G. Grabowicz, Dmytro Čyžes’kyi Professor of Ukrainian Literature, introduces the major developments in Ukrainian literature, film, and culture in the twentieth and early twenty-first century.
Society, Culture, and Politics in Modern Ukraine, taught by Serhiy Bilenky, Lecturer at the University of Toronto, looks at the history of modern Ukraine through the eighteenth century. Exploring topics such as multicultural life, economic cleavages, and major ethnic communities, the course provides a lens to analyze Ukraine’s development and current trajectory.
In addition to formal instruction, HUSI participants benefit from an array of formal and informal gatherings. Movie nights showcase significant films from Ukraine, while social gatherings give students the chance to spend time with their peers, converse with academic experts, and enjoy food and drink. It is because of this mix of serious academic instruction and enriching extracurricular activities that many HUSI alumni consider the program an invaluable summer experience, one that empowers them with the skills they need to continue research on Ukraine.
“My participation in the Harvard Ukrainian Summer Institute was definitely one of the most enriching experiences of my life,” said Vira Byy, a former HUSI participant. “As a young person from Ukraine, that experience was truly a door opener: it brought me right into a superior level of academia and international affairs, and also gave me a much deeper understanding of where Ukraine stands on the global map, in terms of its political activities, complex history, and abundant cultural heritage.”
Prospective students need to submit a full application, including a recommendation letter and an essay, by Thursday, May 12. The Harvard Summer School requires registration and full payment by Monday, May 16, to avoid paying extra fees for late registration.
Further information about the program and the application process is available on the HUSI website: www.huri.harvard.edu/husi.html. Additional questions may be directed to Serhiy Bilenky, HUSI program coordinator at 647-687-4953 or by e-mail at serh.bilenky@utoronto.ca.