Boston Seminar Room is Dedicated at Lviv's UCU
by Chrystyna Balko Slywotzky
LVIV – Room 306 in the new academicbuilding at the Ukrainian Catholic University(UCU) in Lviv is now officially the BostonSeminar Room. Funded by the BostonChapter of the Friends of UCU, the room wasdedicated on September 16, and a plaquewas unveiled acknowledging the support ofthe greater Boston community. Attendingthe event were students, professors and sev-eral representatives of the Boston Chapter.The visitors from the United States wereLiusia Hayda, Zenovij Prots (currentlyresiding in Lviv), Maria Saxe, ChrystynaBalko Slywotzky, Ulana Sos, AliciaSzendiuch and Tania Vitvitsky, who alongwith the UCU Development Office orga-nized the week-long trip.After the dedication ceremony, the visi-tors were guided through the three UCUcampuses: on Sventsitskoho, Khutorivkaand Stryiska streets.In the words of Ms. Szendiuch: ”Thenewest physical facilities on Stryiska Streethave a contemporary aesthetic that fits wellin the natural surroundings; the class-rooms, student dining room and dormitoryrooms are comfortable and well designed.The ‘bricks and mortar’ are in place for alarger number of students than currentlyattend the university. As one of the fewnon-government-funded universities inUkraine, UCU hopes to increase its enroll-ment and deems raising funds for scholar-ships a priority area.”Ms. Hayda compared the remnants ofUkraine’s past, for example, “some of thehorrible roads and tourist infrastructure,”with what she saw at the university. “Instark contrast,” she continued, “the tour ofUCU, particularly the journalism, IT andbusiness schools, demonstrated an envi-ronment for learning with a high, contem-porary standard… Even more impressivewas the energy, problem-solving skills andcan-do attitude among the students andstaff that is a clear break from anything Ihad previously experienced in Ukraine. Lviv(and UCU) are moving forward.”Ms. Sos expressed an ambitious wish: “Ihope that the UCU IT management trainingprogram lays a foundation for creating aSilicon Valley in Halychyna.”“The excitement and joy at UCU werepalpable and infectious,” commented Ms.Slywotzky. “Witnessing the creation of thisunique institution cannot but move its visi-tors and supporters. ”On the second full day of their visit, theBoston group began a busy schedule ofsightseeing in and around Lviv. Theyexplored churches, cathedrals, icon muse-ums, ancient garrisons and monasteries,among them the 16th century monastery inKrekhiv. During a two-day trip to Lutsk,they were treated to a tour of the LesiaUkrainka Estate Museum in the village ofKolodiazhne, a highlight of the trip.In addition to visiting historical, culturaland religious sites in the Lviv area, theBoston visitors met with the new rector ofthe university, the Rev. Bohdan Prach, Ph.D.,and dined at the residence of the universi-ty’s president, Bishop Borys Gudziak.Although he was in Rome at the time,Bishop Gudziak held a meeting with hisguests via Skype. He thanked them for theirsupport and asked for their feedback aftermeeting students and staff and seeing thethree campuses of UCU first-hand. “We think that the idea of the UkrainianCatholic University is very important forour people,” said Ms. Vitvitsky. “BishopBorys has been a good friend of ours sincehis student days at Harvard. He has inspiredus with his vision and his ideas. We areexcited by what we see here – the students,the scholars, the buildings – and so we willcontinue to support the university.”She added that she hopes the exampleset by the Boston Chapter of Friends willencourage other Ukrainian communities inthe U.S. and Canada to raise funds for UCU,and that soon more rooms at UCU will bededicated in acknowledgement of individu-al community support.For more information on the UkrainianCatholic University, readers may contactthe Ukrainian Catholic EducationFoundation in the U.S. at 2247 W. ChicagoAve., Chicago, IL 60622 (phone 773-235-8462); and in Canada at 263 Bering Ave.,Toronto, ON M8Z 3A5 (phone 416-239-2495). The UCEF website is www.ucef.org.
The Rev. Taras Kohut, a chaplain at the Ukrainian Catholic University, blesses theseminar room named in honor of the Boston Friends of the Ukrainian CatholicUniversity, while members of the Friends participate in the ceremony.Boston Chapter of Friends of the Ukrainian Catholic University with Profs. Jeffrey Wills and Ihor Skoczylas, along with English-language students at the Ukrainian Catholic University.
