Programs

Even though it was not my first time studying in the USA, I was astonished by Harvard University and the Harvard Ukrainian Research Institute in particular during this 7-week program.

HURI is the place where world-known intellectuals and scholars, along with students thirsty for knowledge, discuss the issues Ukraine is facing through the lenses of history, political science, economics, sociology, and other related disciplines.

Because of its brand association with Harvard, HUSI’s instant credibility sets it apart from similar programs. Having world-renowned professors like Bilenky, Grabowicz, and Plokhii at your fingertips is a life-changing experience. In addition to interacting with Professor Plokhii over the summer and fall, being able to collaborate on potential Ph.D. dissertation topics was so valuable in getting applications ready for Ph.D. programs. I also made lifelong friends and still interact with my HUSI peers.

Participating in HUSI is a great way to expand your knowledge about Ukraine over the summer. The Ukrainian for Reading Knowledge course with Dr. Dibrova is structured in such a way so as to build on your prior linguistic knowledge, as most members of the class had background in Slavic languages, but had never formally studied Ukrainian. The course materials are focused on building important vocabulary and keying in on grammatical features of Ukrainian, within the context of engaging readings in a congenial classroom environment. 

Ukrainian for Reading Knowledge, under Dr Dibrova, motivated me to get out of bed every day the summer of 2016!

This was a course where life experiences and world affairs expressed in Ukrainian lent new perspective through the unique freedom and flexibility of the language. I learned Ukrainian from my parents many decades ago, but I never knew its nuance and humor or all the ways it could be used until I enrolled in Dr Dibrova's course. Yet it's done with the simplest and fewest of rules, which is the secret to its elegance!