First Lady of Ukraine Olena Zelenska, during her visit to the United States, met with representatives of the academic community of Columbia University in New York. The sides discussed Ukrainian studies, academic exchanges, and different countries’ experiences of resilience.
This was reported by Olena Zelenska.
During the conversation, the First Lady spoke separately about the history of studying Ukraine at Columbia University. Linguist and literary scholar Yuri Shevelov worked there for more than 20 years, while the university offers courses on the Ukrainian language and history.
Zelenska also spoke about American scholar Mark von Hagen, who began studying Ukraine after his colleague Alexander Motyl suggested that he do so. According to her, von Hagen later learned Ukrainian and became one of the scholars researching Ukraine in the United States.
“Perhaps this is the best explanation of why universities are needed: so that what we do not know about another country or people does not remain a blank spot in our understanding of the world,” Zelenska said.
A year ago, Columbia University joined the Global Coalition of Ukrainian Studies. According to Zelenska, more than 100 institutions in different countries have already joined the initiative. The coalition works to promote the study of Ukraine among students and scholars.
The meeting also addressed resilience and different countries’ experiences in responding to crises. Zelenska presented the Global Vocabulary of Resilience to the academic community, bringing together practices and experiences from 38 countries collected during the sixth Summit of First Ladies and Gentlemen.
“This is how knowledge works. It empowers us. It makes both individuals and entire societies more resilient. Universities, libraries, translations, and academic exchanges are outposts of resilience of our minds against fakes, manipulation, and lies – the favorite weapons of dictatorships and aggressors. Therefore, knowledge is a form of resilience that is greatly needed by everyone right now,” Zelenska said.
Photo: Olena Zelenska.
Author: Danylo Pievchev