Events | Speakers | Music | Exhibits
Ukrainians Students Learn How to Get in and Survive Graduate School in the U.S.
On December 20, 2007, PA Kyiv intern David Yesilevskiy spoke to a dozen young Ukrainians on how to get into and survive graduate school in the United States. After spending some time discussing how to write personal statements, David spoke about the qualities that admissions officers desire from applicants, such as previous work experience, grades, undergraduate education, personal background, recommendation letters and tests. The second part of the lecture addressed how to survive graduate school, including choosing the right workload, support groups, avoiding plagiarism and participating in extracurricular activities. Throughout the lecture, students posed questions about financial aid, personal statements, life in America, and housing. Students found the lecture useful, and several stayed afterward to ask individual questions.
Political Officer Addresses Human Rights Conference
Political Officer Mark Wood spoke December 7, 2007 at the Conference on Human Rights Protection in the Contemporary World, organized by the International Law Department of the National Aviation University. As a member of a panel that included representatives of universities and think-tanks, Wood discussed the importance the U.S. Government places on human rights, as well as its efforts to protect them. He also stressed the need to search for common ground in resolving human rights issues. Wood used the forum as an opportunity to correct misperceptions and respond to student questions on U.S. democracy, foreign policy and its actions in the war on terrorism.
Political Officer Speaks to 75 students at the Kharkiv Humanitarian Institute "Ukrainian People's Academy"
On November 26, 2007 Political Counselor Kent Logsdon spoke to 75 students at the Kharkiv Humanitarian Institute "Ukrainian People's Academy" on U.S.-Ukrainian relations. Questions from students ranged from the implications of NATO membership to U.S. views on democratic developments in Ukraine to work/study possibilities in the U.S. Students were eager to converse with a native English speaker; although most were studying English as part of a course of study to be trained interpreters and translators, few had experience in travel to the U.S. or interaction with English-speakers.
Ukrainian Fulbright Alumna conducts course on American Independent Cinema
From November 2 through December 7, 2007 Ukrainian Fulbrighter alumna and instructor at the National Shevchenko University, Mariya Ustymenko conducted a six-seminar course on the early history of American independent cinema at the PA-sponsored English Teaching Resource Center at Kyiv-Mohyla Academy. Each thematic seminar focused on different representatives of the independent American Cinema in 1940-1960, including "mother of the avant-garde" Maya Deren, Amos Vogel and his "Cinema 16" film club, as well as Andy Warhol's life and film-making career. The participants also watched and discussed films such as "At Land" and "Meshes of the Afternoon" by Maya Deren, "Etoile de Mer" by Man Ray, "Menilmontant by Dmitri Kirsanoff, and "Andy Warhol: The Complete Picture." This program exemplified the important sharing of information and U.S. experience that the Fulbright program strives for. About 100 students and educators from different institutions, including Kyiv-Mohyla Academy, National Polytechnic University, National Pedagogical University, Pedagogical College, and teachers from Kyiv schools and gymnasiums, attended Mariya Ustymenko's presentations and learned about an area of American culture. Based on the success of this program, Mariya has agreed to develop a seminar on the life and works of Emily Dickinson, the topic of her research during her Fulbright year. The seminar series will be offered next spring.
Political Counselor Participates in NATO Seminar
Political Counselor Kent Logsdon participated in a NATO-Information Center supported seminar on "International Security in Eastern Europe, NATO-Ukraine Relations: Modern State and Future Trends at Karazin National University of Kharkiv on November 27, 2007. About 30 students participated in an event organized by a local student group despite opposition from the university's leadership. Logsdon presented U.S. views on Ukraine's relationship with NATO and then fielded questions from the seminar participants for more than an hour. Reflecting their close proximity to Russia, participants were very concerned about issues of Ukrainian sovereignty within the Alliance, Russian views toward Ukraine and NATO and the costs and benefits of membership for Ukraine. Participants noted difficulty in obtaining basic practical information about how the Alliance makes decisions and conducts military operations. At the end of the seminar, one participant said she had come to the event opposed to future Ukrainian membership in the Alliance, and left the seminar not necessarily convinced of the need to join, but certainly better-informed and more open to the possibility.
Fulbright Lecturer Promotes Journalism Ethics
Prof. Linda Gray, American Fulbright Lecturer at the Dnipropetrovsk National University, visited Zaporizhzhia State University on November 3, 2007 to share her journalism experience with undergraduate students of the Department of Journalism. During the meeting with more than 100 Ukrainian students, Prof. Gray told the students about her own experiences as a journalist and elaborated on ethics in American journalism, highlighting that American journalists strive to be unbiased and cannot be bribed. Ms. Gray also conducted a seminar using case studies to demonstrate how to develop creative and critical thinking in choosing topics for the news. The students we able to voice their vision of the personal and professional qualities journalists should have, and discuss journalism as a career in Ukraine.
Embassy Officer Discusses U.S. Elections at National Security Academy
On November 19, Deputy Political Counselor Robert Scott met with 30 cadets from the National Security Academy to discuss the U.S. electoral process. The presentation focused on the intricacies of the Electoral College, state primaries and party conventions, and prospects of various candidates for the 2008 Presidential race. The cadets were especially interested in the differences between Ukraine's multi-party parliamentary system and the two-party dominated process in America. Discussion also covered funding political races and citizen involvement.
Janos Enyedi Discusses Art, Promotes Mutual Understanding
From October 23-25, Janos Enyedi, a Washington D.C.-based artist featured in the Arts in Embassy Program at the Ambassador's Residence in Kyiv, visited Ukraine, giving presentations and interviews throughout the country. During his stay, he held events in Dnipropetrovsk, Odesa and Kyiv discussing his work and 30-year career.
IIP Speaker Discusses Tolerance with Crimean Museum Specialists
From October 15-17, IIP Speaker Carolyn Rapkieivan from the National Museum of American Indians trained 30 Crimean museum directors and specialists. With tolerance as the overarching theme of the three day series, specific presentations included "Working in American Museums: Theory and Practice," "The National Museum of the American Indian and the Future of Museums in the 21st Century" and "Museum Collections in the United States: Taking Care of the Physical Objects, Research, Exhibitions and Programs." CAO Courtney Austrian also briefed the participants on Kyiv PA programs for museum specialists, and IRC Director Valentyna Pashkova gave a presentation on "Websites of American Museums."
NASA Astronaut Meets with Ukrainian Students at National Aviation University
On October 17, NASA Astronaut Captain Heidemarie M. Stephanyshyn-Piper visited the National Aviation University in Kyiv and talked to students about the STS-115 Space Flight. During her presentation, Captain Stephanyshyn-Piper described the crew's preparation and mission, her own spacewalks, and the future of NASA's space program. She was very warmly received by the students and administration who were proud to host a "live legend of contemporary space exploration." On October 18, the university broadcast a recording of her presentation throughout the university to 42,000 students.
IIP Speaker Encourages Student Leadership
On September 20, 2007 American Speaker Veronica Owles met with representatives of ten NGOs working with students in the area of student government in Lutsk. The meeting was organized by the local NGO called Association of Young Reformers, one of 14 organizations in the DemCom funded Student Initiative Network. Ms. Owles spoke on student activism and leadership and shared her experience as a student government advisor of student government at Florida International University. Later the same day Ms. Owles conducted a seminar for 150 student activists and leaders of Lutsk State University. The seminar participants discussed the state of student government in Ukraine and the United States. Among other topics, Ms. Owles touched upon legislation enabling student government, cooperation with administration and faculty, and honor codes at American universities.
IIP Speaker shares U.S. Student Government Experience with Ukrainian Students
On September 20, 2007 American Speaker Veronica Owles met with representatives of ten NGOs working with students in the area of student government in Lutsk. The meeting was organized by the local NGO called Association of Young Reformers, one of 14 organizations in the DemCom funded Student Initiative Network. Ms. Owles spoke on student activism and leadership and shared her experience as a student government advisor of student government at Florida International University. Later the same day Ms. Owles conducted a seminar for 150 student activists and leaders of Lutsk State University. The seminar participants discussed the state of student government in Ukraine and the United States. Among other topics, Ms. Owles touched upon legislation enabling student government, cooperation with administration and faculty, and honor codes at American universities.
IIP Speaker Lectures in Lviv
On September 21, 2007 American Speaker Veronica Owles took part in a roundtable on "Problems and Prospects of Student Government Development in Lviv Oblast." The event was organized by the local NGO Student Unions Support Committee, one of the organizations in the Student Initiative Network. The roundtable participants represented 15 NGOs and student groups working with student government in Lviv. They discussed the state of student government in Ukraine and best practices of student governments in the United States and Lviv, in particular the Student Government Council of Lviv Catholic University.
DCM Pettit Kicks Off the U.S. Election Campaign with Lviv Students
120 students from Ivan Franko University in Lviv crowded into a large conference room at the University on September 15 to hear DCM James Pettit talk about the upcoming U.S. presidential elections. The DCM introduced the audience to the U.S. system of primaries and caucuses, and talked about the range of candidates and their campaigns in this early stage of the U.S. campaign.
Fulbright Lecturer Promotes Journalism Ethics
Prof. Linda Gray, American Fulbright Lecturer at the Dnipropetrovsk National University, visited Zaporizhzhia State University on November 3, 2007 to share her journalism experience with undergraduate students of the Department of Journalism. During the meeting with more than 100 Ukrainian students, Prof. Gray told the students about her own experiences as a journalist and elaborated on ethics in American journalism, highlighting that American journalists strive to be unbiased and cannot be bribed. Ms. Gray also conducted a seminar using case studies to demonstrate how to develop creative and critical thinking in choosing topics for the news. The students we able to voice their vision of the personal and professional qualities journalists should have, and discuss journalism as a career in Ukraine.
Embassy Officer Discusses U.S. Elections at National Security Academy
On November 19, Deputy Political Counselor Robert Scott met with 30 cadets from the National Security Academy to discuss the U.S. electoral process. The presentation focused on the intricacies of the Electoral College, state primaries and party conventions, and prospects of various candidates for the 2008 Presidential race. The cadets were especially interested in the differences between Ukraine's multi-party parliamentary system and the two-party dominated process in America. Discussion also covered funding political races and citizen involvement.
Janos Enyedi Discusses Art, Promotes Mutual Understanding
From October 23-25, Janos Enyedi, a Washington D.C.-based artist featured in the Arts in Embassy Program at the Ambassador's Residence in Kyiv, visited Ukraine, giving presentations and interviews throughout the country. During his stay, he held events in Dnipropetrovsk, Odesa and Kyiv discussing his work and 30-year career.
IIP Speaker Discusses Tolerance with Crimean Museum Specialists
From October 15-17, IIP Speaker Carolyn Rapkieivan from the National Museum of American Indians trained 30 Crimean museum directors and specialists. With tolerance as the overarching theme of the three day series, specific presentations included "Working in American Museums: Theory and Practice," "The National Museum of the American Indian and the Future of Museums in the 21st Century" and "Museum Collections in the United States: Taking Care of the Physical Objects, Research, Exhibitions and Programs." CAO Courtney Austrian also briefed the participants on Kyiv PA programs for museum specialists, and IRC Director Valentyna Pashkova gave a presentation on "Websites of American Museums."
NASA Astronaut Meets with Ukrainian Students at National Aviation University
On October 17, NASA Astronaut Captain Heidemarie M. Stephanyshyn-Piper visited the National Aviation University in Kyiv and talked to students about the STS-115 Space Flight. During her presentation, Captain Stephanyshyn-Piper described the crew's preparation and mission, her own spacewalks, and the future of NASA's space program. She was very warmly received by the students and administration who were proud to host a "live legend of contemporary space exploration." On October 18, the university broadcast a recording of her presentation throughout the university to 42,000 students.
IIP Speaker Encourages Student Leadership
On September 20, 2007 American Speaker Veronica Owles met with representatives of ten NGOs working with students in the area of student government in Lutsk. The meeting was organized by the local NGO called Association of Young Reformers, one of 14 organizations in the DemCom funded Student Initiative Network. Ms. Owles spoke on student activism and leadership and shared her experience as a student government advisor of student government at Florida International University. Later the same day Ms. Owles conducted a seminar for 150 student activists and leaders of Lutsk State University. The seminar participants discussed the state of student government in Ukraine and the United States. Among other topics, Ms. Owles touched upon legislation enabling student government, cooperation with administration and faculty, and honor codes at American universities.
IIP Speaker shares U.S. Student Government Experience with Ukrainian Students
On September 20, 2007 American Speaker Veronica Owles met with representatives of ten NGOs working with students in the area of student government in Lutsk. The meeting was organized by the local NGO called Association of Young Reformers, one of 14 organizations in the DemCom funded Student Initiative Network. Ms. Owles spoke on student activism and leadership and shared her experience as a student government advisor of student government at Florida International University. Later the same day Ms. Owles conducted a seminar for 150 student activists and leaders of Lutsk State University. The seminar participants discussed the state of student government in Ukraine and the United States. Among other topics, Ms. Owles touched upon legislation enabling student government, cooperation with administration and faculty, and honor codes at American universities.
IIP Speaker Lectures in Lviv
On September 21, 2007 American Speaker Veronica Owles took part in a roundtable on "Problems and Prospects of Student Government Development in Lviv Oblast." The event was organized by the local NGO Student Unions Support Committee, one of the organizations in the Student Initiative Network. The roundtable participants represented 15 NGOs and student groups working with student government in Lviv. They discussed the state of student government in Ukraine and best practices of student governments in the United States and Lviv, in particular the Student Government Council of Lviv Catholic University.
DCM Pettit Kicks Off the U.S. Election Campaign with Lviv Students
120 students from Ivan Franko University in Lviv crowded into a large conference room at the University on September 15 to hear DCM James Pettit talk about the upcoming U.S. presidential elections. The DCM introduced the audience to the U.S. system of primaries and caucuses, and talked about the range of candidates and their campaigns in this early stage of the U.S. campaign.
DCM Pettit Introduces Kirovograd to the U.S. Elections
On September 10, 30 members of the English language club at the Kirovograd Window on America and six Peace Corps volunteers met with DCM James Pettit to discuss elections in the United States and Ukraine. The DCM spoke briefly about elections in the United States and the importance of free and fair Rada elections. He then fielded a variety of questions from the audience ranging from elections to questions about American sports.
U.S. Speaker Discusses Energy Efficiency in Kyiv and Vinnytsya
On May 21-23, IIP Speaker Brian Castelli of the Alliance to Save Energy visited Ukraine and participated in discussions on energy saving and energy security. During his lectures at the Academy of Municipal Management and at the Institute of Municipal Activity of National Aviation University, he talked about designing and implementing energy-efficiency policies and programs, links between energy saving and energy security and ways energy-saving technologies influence people's lives and environment. On May 22, Mr. Castelli traveled to the city of Vinnytsya where he gave a presentation to heads of energy companies and representatives of municipal management systems. During his remarks, Mr. Castelli stressed the importance of finding non-traditional ways of financing energy saving measures, such as third-party financing or energy service companies (ESCOs), which proved to be a new concept for the city officials. While in Ukraine, Mr. Castelli also provided interviews to the television program, "Dilovyi Svit" (Business World) and "Delo," a business weekly.
Arkansas Professor Encourages Ukrainian Students to Pursue Legal Education in the U.S.:
On December 12, 2006 Associate Professor of Law Christopher Kelley, from the University of Arkansas School of Law, gave a presentation on undergraduate and graduate education in the U.S., with a focus on the study of law, at the Kyiv Student Advising Center. In addition to questioning Kelley about jurisprudence programs in the U.S., the audience asked why the U.S. offers so many opportunities to foreign students, how U.S. students acquire practical skills and experience, how students finance their educations, what career opportunities exist for graduates, and about the difficulties that foreign students have in adjusting to U.S. educational facilities.
U.S. Expert advises Ukrainians on Historic Preservation:
Historic Preservation specialist Mr. Vincent Michael, of the Art Institute of Chicago, was a featured speaker at the conference, “The Training of Specialists in the Preservation and Management of Cultural Heritage Resources (Architectural and Archaeological) in Ukraine: An Assessment and Recommendations for the Future,” which was held in Kyiv November 16 – 19. Following the conference, Mr. Michael traveled to the Carpathian mountains to consult with the director and staff of the newly created Tustan State Historic and Cultural Reserve located near the village of Urych in the Lviv oblast. The ruins of the 9th-13th century Tustan wooden fortress is situated on a cliff in a protected reserve area. When it was built, the fortress was the height of a modern four-story building. Natural 40-meter cliffs formed the base of the fortification, making Tustan virtually inaccessible. The fortress was a part of the Carpathian (Hungarian) line of defense line on the southwestern borders of Kyivan-Rus and later of the Halytsko-Volynske principality. The director of the reserve Mr. Vasyl Rozhko demonstrated to Mr. Michael, Fulbright Director and historic preservation scholar Myron Stachiw, and British experts the impressive preservation work conducted in the last year, and showed them the ruins of the fortress and the museum. The presentation was followed by lengthy consultations, during which the visiting experts advised the director and staff how best to preserve this historical site and attract funds, as well as visitors.
IIP Speaker Liebe Geft Promotes Tolerance in Ukraine:
Liebe Geft, Director of the Museum of Tolerance in Los Angeles, visited Ukraine from October 30-November 3 as a guest speaker through the IIP Strategic Speaker Initiative. She led an intensive program in the cities of Simferopol (Crimea) and Kyiv, which included lecturing at Tavricheskiy Vernadsky National University, Crimean Judicial Institute (CJI), and Kyiv National Taras Shevchenko University; several media interviews; and participation in roundtable discussions.
U.S. Speaker Helps to Bolster Gender Equality in Ukraine:
From November 14-17, Deputy Executive Director of the League of Women Voters of the United States and Director of Global Democracy Programs Zaida Arguedas took part in a series of events sponsored by PA Kyiv. On November 14, she opened the Embassy-sponsored Women in Governance conference and conducted a training workshop for 30 female elected officials from 20 Ukrainian regions on enhancing gender equality in their areas. On November 16, Ms. Arguedas led a discussion with over 20 representatives from women's NGOs, government agencies, Kyiv universities, and USG exchange program alumni, addressing strategies to encourage women to be elected into offices, bolster women voters' lobbying for women's interests, enhance young women’s activism in social and political processes, and further Ukraine’s progress in accomplishing the UN’s Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Ms. Arguedas described best practices for the promotion of equal opportunities for men and women, drawing from her personal experiences in the United States. On November 17, Ms. Arguedas participated in a roundtable in Lviv organized by the Women’s Perspectives NGO, in which over 20 women activists, local elected officials, and representatives from 16 NGOs discussed the role of women voters in the latest U.S. election, ways to raise awareness of the MDGs, and steps to encourage greater women’s involvement in decision-making processes.
IIP Speaker Peter Brookes Explains U.S. Views on Global Security to Ukrainians:
Peter Brookes, Senior Fellow on National Security Affairs and Policy Studies at the Heritage Foundation's Asian Studies Center, visited Ukraine from November 12-17 to speak to student groups, think tanks, and journalists. An interview with Mr. Brookes was published in the popular Ukrainian newspaper Den’ on November 21. Kyiv-Mohyla's student radio station Molode Radio also interviewed Mr. Brookes. In Kyiv, Mr. Brookes met with International Relations, East Asian Languages, Political Science, and Journalism students at Shevchenko State University and Kyiv-Mohyla Academy; lectured at Ukraine's Diplomatic Academy; and participated in a roundtable on “Global Security Challenges and Strategies” with journalists and think tank leaders. In Luhansk Mr. Brookes delivered a speech on journalism at the plenary meeting of the conference “Communicative Aspects of Journalism and Book Publishing,” participated in a student run talk show at the educational television studio on the Dal’ Eastern Ukrainian University campus, and led a discussion group on U.S. Foreign Policy at the Window on America Center in the Luhansk Oblast Central Library.
Dr. Hortense Simmons
On November 28 and 29, Dr. Hortense Simmons, a U.S. Fulbright lecturer in American
literature, gave presentations on the work of Langston Hughes and Gwendolyn Brooks at
two venues in Kiyv, the Alumni Center and the English Teaching Resource Center. After
the discussions with teachers, students, and alumni of USG-sponsored programs,
Dr. Simmons gave an interview to the Kyiv-based "Ukraine" radio company.
Dr. Philip Acree Cavalier
To mark International Education Week, the English Teaching Resource Center at
Kyiv-Mohyla Academy hosted a seminar on Herman Melville for some 30 teachers,
Ph.D. students and researchers from throughout Ukraine. The November 17 roundtable was
organized by the Center for American Literary Studies and featured Dr. Philip Acree
Cavalier, a Fulbright lecturer in American literature in Kyiv as keynote speaker.
During the discussion, the participants drew parallels between the Melville's
metaphorical battle between good and evil and the current struggle against
totalitarianism and terrorism.
Emory Elliott
Emory Elliott, Distinguished Professor of English at the University of California
and one of the leaders of efforts to broaden the American literary canon in the last
20 years, gave the keynote address "Enduring Myths, Disturbing Realities: the U.S.
Meets the 21st Century" at the Third International Conference on American Literature
at Shevchenko National University October 3 - 5. The conference, held in Kyiv from
October 3-5 and supported by the U.S. Embassy in Ukraine, brought together over 40
scholars, professors, and post-graduate students from America and Europe, as well as
U.S. Fulbright scholars currently working in Ukraine. During the last day of the
conference, the participants met to consider setting up a Center for American Literary
Studies in Ukraine, affiliated with the Institute of Literature of the National Academy
of Sciences of Ukraine.
Swanee Hunt
On November 4, former U.S. Ambassador Swanee Hunt, the creator of "Vital Voices"
and Director of the Women and Public Policy Program at Harvard's Kennedy School of
Government, led a workshop on message management for media and policy advocacy for
local women leaders at an event organized by Public Affairs Kyiv. The lecture, followed
by lunch, brought together female professionals, activists, researchers, business owners,
and government employees from Kyiv, Poltava, Rivne, Lviv, and Lutsk. Many were alumni
of USG exchanges, including TEA, JFDP, FSA Undergraduate, Muskie, and Open World.
Lecture participants discussed the challenges women speakers face in the public arena
and considered how women could lead more effectively by expressing themselves with
power and passion. Later that day, Amb. Hunt joined alumni from Ukraine, Belarus,
Russia and Central Asia in the Q&A "Women's Leadership in Post-Communist Europe and
Eurasia" on the State Alumni website. The participants touched on the role of women in
post-communist Europe; good governance, the transition to a civil society; women's
increased involvement, women's leadership dilemmas, and NGO experiences of promoting
awareness about women's and children's issues. That evening, Ambassador Hunt
joined prominent Ukrainian business women and NGO leaders for a dinner to discuss the
challenges facing Ukrainian women as they take on more prominent roles in politics and
business.
Edward Kelly
On June 22, American Fulbright Professor Edward Kelly spoke to university officials on
university advancement and educational funding at the Public Affairs Section.
Professor Kelly was active in fundraising and development efforts at two large
universities in the United States and shared success stories on how to implement the
program in Ukraine. Models of how Indiana University manages a $15 million dollar
endowment for a University in Krygystan and other institutions were provided for
participants. A lively discussion ensued in which challenges in Ukraine institutions
were raised. Participants learned about 501c3 corporations and how university
administrators address specific educational needs.
Dean Koldenhoven
Mr. Dean Koldenhoven, a 2002 winner of the John F. Kennedy "Profiles in Courage" Award
for standing up to religious intolerance directed against Muslims while he served as
mayor of the town of Palos Heights, Illinois followed his trip to Russia with a one-day
speaker program to Kyiv, Ukraine. In a morning session with mid-career civil servants
at the Academy of Public Administration, Mr. Koldenhoven stressed that public officials
had a responsibility to do what they think is right, even if it's not the most
politically popular choice. The key to bridging mistrust and misunderstanding is
focusing on what we all have in common. Later that day, he addressed on audience of
NGO representatives and journalists, many of whom had come from towns far outside of
Kyiv to hear him speak. With this group, he noted what he felt were the roots of
intolerance (fear) and the definition of patriotism (the support of freedom). He noted
that dialogue and facilitation were the only meaningful responses to ethnic and
religious understanding. In both programs, he also gave audiences a better
understanding of the mechanisms of local government in the U.S. and the important role
of volunteers in delivering social services in society. Mr. Kodenhoven's interview for
the daily newspaper "The Day" will be published next week.
Walter Mead
Noting that American foreign policy is not the province of a powerful single actor,
but instead is the product of the interplay of multiple groups, interests, and regions,
U.S. Speaker Walter Mead of the Committee on Foreign Relations opined that the
seemingly counter-intuitive success of American foreign policy may be a result of the
democratic nature of the policy formulation process which ultimately allows the
strongest to prevail. In his lectures to students and faculty at the Institute of
International Relations (the country's leading international relations school), the
Diplomatic Academy (the training program of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs), and the
Kyiv Mohyla Academy, as well as in a discussion with some leading foreign policy
thinkers, Mr. Mead outlined what he saw as the three key dimensions of U.S. foreign
policy: security (a monopoly on the western hemisphere and a balance of power in other
regions of the world); economy (a global trade system sufficiently attractive to other
countries to avoid war); and ideology (liberalism over authoritarianism). Since 9/11,
the most striking change in U.S. priorities had been in its attention paid to different
regions of the world; if before 9//11, they could roughly be ranked as Europe, Asia,
the Middle East, after 9/11, that ranking would be the Middle East, Asia, and then
Europe. Result: Mr. Mead's programs provided our audiences with an excellent "big picture" view of American foreign policy, helping Ukrainian scholars to see where their interests fit into the larger scheme of U.S. priorities. At the same time, he also reassured audiences that although a "democratic" foreign policy (like Ukraine is trying to build) may seem messy; in the long run, it will serve the country better than one bu> ilt on a closed group of decision-makers
Terrence Young
From October 27 to November 1, 2005 Terrence Young, a leading authority in school library
administration from New Orleans, visited Ukraine as part of the U.S. Speakers Program.
During four program days in Kyiv and Mykolaiv, Mr. Young spoke to groups of librarians,
library science students, and school administrators on "Libraries and the Net
Generation", "School Libraries Today: History and Trends", and
"School Libraries and Student Academic Achievement." In total, Mr. Young's
sessions drew an audience of over 300. Building on Post's "Windows on America
for Future Leaders" initiative, this speaker program was designed to provide
Ukrainian youth librarians and school administrators with models of successful programs
and strategies used by their counterparts in the U.S. to actively promote their services
and facilities to young people.
Photo gallery
Randy Ingman, Joe Mielczarek, and Tetyana Kharkovska
Three U.S. experts from North Central Technical College in Wassau, Wisconsin visited Dniprpetrovsk and Kyiv September 20-25 to present workshops and lectures on American approaches to working with people with disabilities. The three U.S. experts -- Randy Ingman (who is blind), Joe Mielczarek, and Tetyana Kharkovska -- led a seminar at the Dniprpetrovsk Metallurgical Academy for representatives of local universities, non-governmental organizations, and libraries. They also gave presentations at the Ostrovsky Republican Library for the Blind and at the State Academy for Management of Culture and the Arts in Kyiv, and met with leaders of the Ukrainian Society of the Blind. In connection with their visit, which grew out of a U.S. Government - funded Community Connections program between Wassau and Ukraine, the experts arranged a donation of 16 sets of software for the blind to libraries around Ukraine. These software packages will allow those with disabilities access to information and the Internet.
Stephen Farnsworth
In July 2004 Dr. Stephen J. Farnsworth, Associate Professor of Political Science at Mary Washington College and Visiting Professor in Communication, Culture, and Technology at Georgetown University, gave a series of presentations on "The Role of the Professional Journalist During an Election Campaign: Lessons from the US" in Odesa, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhya, Simferopol and Kyiv. He spoke about his journalistic experience and research on reporting American election campaigns in front of diverse audiences of journalists, academics and NGO representatives involved in election process in Ukraine. He stressed that, in the long run, even-handed and reliable reporting of political issues is much more profitable for news outlets than is biased and unfactual news coverage. Dr. Farnsworth came to Ukraine on joint invitation from the IREX U-Media and the U.S. Embassy.
Gary Nordlinger
Noted American campaign consultant Gary Nordlinger gave presentations to audiences of journalists, students, voters groups, and political professionals in Kyiv, Chernihiv, and Lviv in February 2004. Drawing on his experiences in dozens of campaigns in 23 countries, he remarked on the importance of reaching out to voters with a practical message and connecting with voters one-on-one. Noting that television and the mass media are not usually the best way to connect with voters, Mr. Nordlinger emphasized the value of door-to-door campaigning and learning from and listening to voters.
Christian Ostermann
Christian Ostermann, Director of the Cold War International History Project at the Woodrow Wilson Center for Scholars in Washington, DC visited Ukraine October 1 -9, 2003 to discuss the CWIHP's work in collecting and translating documents related to the Cold War era. Mr. Ostermann met with directors of national archives, librarians, and students and scholars of the Cold War Era in Kyiv and Lviv. He also spoke at the Council of Europe Symposium on 1945 held in Livadia, Yalta on October 2 - 4, 2003.
Anders Aslund
Anders Aslund, senior associate at the Carnegie Endowment and one of the leading experts in post-communist economic transformation, visited Ukraine in August 2003 to meet Alumni of US-sponsored programs. Anders Aslund discussed economic transformation of the NIS: achievements and problems, and presented his new book "Building Capitalism: The Transformation of the Former Soviet Bloc".
Public Affairs Section (PAS)
Counselor for Public Affairs: Christopher Fitzgerald
Cultural Affairs Officer: Courtney Austrian
Press Attache: Nancy Pettit
Contact: 380-44-490-4026/4042 -- 490-4050 (fax)
4 Hlybochyts'ka St.
Kyiv 04050 Ukraine
