A minor in Ukrainian Language, Literature, and Culture would provide to students already engaged with the language an opportunity to expand their knowledge and understanding of Ukrainian culture in the broader context of European society as a whole. The minor in Ukrainian is a vibrant and multi-faceted program that integrates Ukrainian studies into broader intellectual and policy agendas, while pr
omoting research and scholarly work on contemporary Ukraine in the United States. Its curriculum will educate students on the history, language, literature, and politics of Ukraine. In addition, study of Ukraine brings an important comparative perspective to international and interdisciplinary studies at the University of Michigan, as the Ukraine has historically been viewed as a meeting place of several major cultures: East Slavic, Jewish, Austro-Hungarian, and others. This program could be of particular interest to undergraduate students in majors like Judaic Studies, History, the Program in the Environment, Political Science, and Sociology. Ukraine's highly educated population (seventh in Europe), natural wealth, size (second largest state in Europe), and location in the borderland between Europe and Asia and in between Poland and Russia, make it an important country both regionally and globally. With Ukraine's recent independence, it is an important time to introduce a broader audience the rich legacy of Ukrainian literature, history and culture. Ukraine now occupies a vital but often ambiguous strategic position as an independent country important to the security and stability of all of Europe. Ukraine's changing boundaries over the centuries gives us a completely different view of the culture of the post-Soviet years, and now in the expansion of the EU. The latest achievements of inner freedom and the recognition of a diversity of cultures in Ukraine have become the main means for fostering research and academic contacts between Ukraine and the U.S. Ukraine is engaged in the global processes of state building, creation of a market economy, and social changes. Ukraine's democratic "Orange Revolution" has led to closer cooperation and more open dialogue between Ukraine and the United States. The EU is seeking an increasingly close relationship with Ukraine, going beyond co-operation, to gradual economic integration and a deepening of political co-operation. NATO and the Ukraine actively cooperate in international peace-support operations and have developed practical cooperation in a wide range of other areas. In May 2008 Ukraine became a member of the World Trade Organization and has since engaged in negotiations for the establishment of a deep and comprehensive Free Trade Area. Interested in learning more about the minor program? Visit our Slavic Languages & Literature website at http://www.lsa.umich.edu/slavic/
We'd love to hear from you!
