Under the theme "Resilience and Renewal: Shaping Ukraine's Future", the Ukrainian Cultural Center of Chicago hosted a charity banquet in honor of the 410th anniversary of the National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy. The event brought together representatives of the Ukrainian community in the United States, diplomats, scholars and friends of the Academy from around the world.
This was reported by the Kyiv Mohyla Foundation of America.
The event was organized by the Kyiv Mohyla Foundation of America, a non-profit organization that has been supporting Mohyla Academy, its faculty and students for more than three decades: funding scholarships, equipment, projects for veterans, and providing international support.
Among the honored guests at the event were NaUKMA President Serhiy Kvit, Foundation Chairwoman Marta Farion, Bishop Venedykt Aleksiychuk of St. Nicholas Ukrainian Catholic Cathedral, Ambassador's Counselor Kateryna Smagliy, Foundation Program Director Maria Klimchak, and numerous alumni, patrons, representatives of the Ukrainian diaspora, church leaders, and artists. The evening was graced with performances by Ukrainian artists, including singer Valeria Vovk, and representatives of the Ukrainian diaspora. The audience heard not only music, but also words of support and gratitude.
Ukraine's Ambassador to the United States, Oksana Markarova, was unable to attend in person, but joined the celebration online. She received an award from the Foundation "For Service and Dedication to Ukraine" and in her speech thanked the entire Mohyla Academy team and the Foundation for their contribution to the development of modern Ukrainian education. In particular, he thanked the founding president of NaUKMA, Viacheslav Bryukhovetskyi, whose vision and dedication ensured the revival of Mohyla Academy as a leading university in Ukraine.
"Mohyla Academy is the institution that most organically combines our ancient history and respect for our roots with modern innovation and constant change for the better. Because time is fleeting, and Mohylianka is eternal," Markarova emphasized.
Motria Melnyk, President of the Ukrainian Institute of Modern Art, emphasized that the celebration of such a significant anniversary is a clear indication of the important role of education in the future of Ukraine, and that the Academy's graduates hold key positions around the world.
"I am honored to be part of the Kyiv-Mohyla Academy Foundation in America and to support this historic university. Thank you to everyone who is with us - education is power, education is victory," remarked she.
On the eve of the anniversary celebration, President of the Kyiv Mohyla Foundation of America Marta Farion reminded, that the academy was founded thanks to a female philanthropist, Halshka Hulewiczewicz, an example of early female leadership in history. Petro Mohyla, after whom the university is named, was not only a church reformer, but also a visionary who laid the foundations for independent thinking.
"The history of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy, which is 410 years old, is a mirror of Ukrainian history. Everything that happened in Ukraine was reflected in one way or another in the fate of this educational institution... Today we continue this history - not only to celebrate, but also to act. Mohyla is an institution that is a bridge between Ukraine and the world. We are building the future and we invite everyone to join us," Farion said.
All donations collected during the banquet will be directed to the scholarship program "Individual Leader's Trajectory" for children of fallen Ukrainian defenders, IDPs and victims of occupation. This program is implemented jointly with the Kyiv-Mohyla School of Professional and Continuing Education. The Foundation also actively supports the Center for Leadership of the Defenders of Ukraine, where war veterans study, and assists displaced teachers and students, including those from Donbass and Crimea. Plans include the opening of a new faculty of international relations and regional studies and the strengthening of the scientific infrastructure.
According to Marta Farion, the foundation has worked particularly hard to support the Mohyla Academy during the last three years of the war.
"We have raised funds for generators, equipment, scholarships... Classes are now held in the basements, which have been turned into bomb shelters. There are inclusive programs, robotics and IT research are developing. Kyiv today is a city of students, women and children. And a city based on courage and knowledge," the president of the foundation is convinced.
Farion also emphasized that the reopening of NaUKMA after its closure in Soviet times was made possible thanks to the efforts of the Diaspora.
"It was only after independence, in 1991, thanks to the efforts of Viacheslav Bryukhovetsky and people who cared, that the Academy was literally rebuilt from the ground up. People in Chicago, in New Jersey, in Canada all came together to help rebuild it... Just over 30 years have passed since then. And during this time, Kyiv-Mohyla Academy has not only been reborn, it has become one of the best universities in Ukraine... Education is the foundation of Ukraine's future, and we are a part of it, even here, across the ocean," Farion concludes.
Photo: Peter Koutun
Author: Inna Mikhno