Canadian Foundation for Ukrainian Studies holds annual meeting (08/17/97)

Canadian Foundation for Ukrainian Studies holds annual meeting

CALGARY - The Canadian Foundation for Ukrainian Studies (CFUS), created to help establish the Canadian Institute of Ukrainian Studies (CIUS) and subsequently raise money to promote the development of Ukrainian studies in Canada, held its annual general meeting in conjunction with the biannual convention of the Ukrainian Canadian Professional and Business Federation here on August 1-2.

The foundation is primarily known for its support of the Encyclopedia of Ukraine. The CFUS not only paid for its publication, but has devoted much effort to promote the sales of the encyclopedia.

It is less widely known, however, that the CFUS also supports work on the Nova project, devoted to the preparation of modern teaching aids for elementary-level teaching of Ukrainian. The CFUS has also established the "Presidents' Award" to encourage students to study Ukrainian at the university level, and presents the Bubniuk Award in Journalism to encourage students to pursue a career in media. The CFUS gives publication subsidies to scholars publishing in Ukrainian studies. It gave the initial $50,000 subsidy for publication of the first volume of the translation of Mykhailo Hrushevsky's monumental history of Ukraine-Rus'.

The CFUS also recognizes Ukrainian scholars for their outstanding contribution to Ukrainian studies. Among past recipients are: Volodymyr Kubijovych, George Shevelov, Omeljan Pritsak, Manoly Lupul, Wolodymyr Janiw, Danylo Husar Struk and Arkady Zhukovsky.

Now the CFUS has established a new award to honor non-academics for their contributions to the development of Ukrainian studies. The first such award was presented by the outgoing president, Myroslaw Diakowsky, at the banquet of the UCPBF convention in Calgary to Petro Savaryn, a long-time indefatigable supporter of Ukrainian studies in Canada. Henceforth this award will be known as the "Petro Savaryn Award for Outstanding Contribution to the Development of Ukrainian Studies."

Recently the CFUS has established the Robert Franklin Clark (CFUS) Graduate Fellowship in Ukrainian Language and Literature at the University of Toronto and the Robert Franklin Clark (CFUS) Endowment Fund for the support of the Canadian Ukrainian Studies Program at the CIUS in Alberta.

The CFUS also administers the Neporany Post-Graduate Fellowship. The 1997-1998 fellow is Dr. Catherine Wanner of the department of anthropology, Pennsylvania State University. Dr. Wanner will use the award to introduce a new course on cultural politics in post-Soviet Ukraine and also complete a book titled "Burden of Dreams: History, Myth and the Making of National Identity in Post-Soviet Ukraine."

At the CFUS annual general meeting the following directors were elected to represent the foundation in all regions of Canada: British Columbia - George Brandak, Yaromyr Koropecky, Julia Stashuk; Alberta - Daria Porochiwnyk, Michael Savaryn, Stephania Schmidt; Saskatchewan - Mary Chemeskey, Jane Paluck, Bernie Trishuk; Manitoba - Myroslav Shkandrij, Myron Spolsky, Michael Tarnawecky; Ontario (where the CFUS home office is located) - Olya Kalymon, Christine Stodilka, Roman Tyckyj, Peter Zakarow, Eugene Zaraska; Ottawa-Hull - Julia Woychyshyn; Quebec - Walter Kowal; the Maritimes - Olya Williams.

The new executive of the CFUS consists of: Christine Stodilka, president; Olya Kalymon, first vice-president; Eugene Zaraska, second vice-president; Peter Zakarow, secretary; Roman Tyckyj, treasurer; and Mr. Diakowsky, past president. The administrative assistant is Lesia Winnicki. The current president of the UCPBF, the director of the CIUS, and the editor-in-chief of the Encyclopedia of Ukraine are members ex-officio.

The work of the foundation needs support. Those who wish to contribute to the CFUS itself or to specific projects (please note which program you wish to support) should send their donations to: CFUS, 2336A Bloor St. W., Toronto, Ontario M6S 1P3.

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