This summer, Ukrainian Catholic University (UCU) hosted “Ukraine in the World,” a new Ukrainian Studies Conference, marking a historic event for Ukraine and the many academic partners that support Ukrainian studies at their institutions.
The conference brought together over 250 participants, with 210 attending in person and an additional 40+ joining online. Attendees included scholars and representatives from universities and academic centers in 38 countries worldwide. The program covered a range of topics and featured more than 55 panels, research labs, roundtables, and book launches.
Representing Notre Dame were Michael Pippenger, vice president and associate provost for internationalization; Grant Osborn, executive director of the Nanovic Institute for European Studies; and Rory Finnin, Notre Dame Collegiate Mission Chair in Ukrainian Studies and Global Affairs in the Keough School of Global Affairs and the new director of Notre Dame's Ukrainian Studies Hub at Nanovic.
Finnin comes to Notre Dame from the University of Cambridge, where he launched the Cambridge Ukrainian Studies program in 2008. By the end of his tenure at Cambridge, he had curated and organized more than 40 exhibitions and cultural events, advancing public understanding of Ukraine’s language, history, and society in the UK and beyond.
During the conference, Finnin received the Ukrainian Studies Distinguished Award for Personal Contribution to the Development of Ukrainian Studies for his work building the Cambridge Ukrainian Studies program and his role in promoting Ukrainian and Crimean Tatar studies abroad.
Ultimately, the conference was designed to consolidate a growing network of Ukrainian Studies programs and centers around the world. While this marked one of the first gatherings of its kind, it will not be the last. The conference is meant to be a recurring event, with its presence at UCU, a Ukrainian university in Lviv, sending an intentional message about Ukraine’s central role in shaping one of Europe’s most urgent and vital fields.
Pippenger emphasizes the significance of UCU’s participation and partnership: “Notre Dame and UCU are united by our faith, by our commitment to preserving the cultural identity of Ukraine, and by a shared desire for the common good. This solidarity has led to the shared research projects that we are currently undertaking that promote resilience and innovation. It also calls us to continue to be together in person, as we were in Lviv, to be in scholarship and fellowship with one another. This conference was an opportunity to celebrate that and discuss how we can strengthen and build on our support for UCU and Ukraine overall.”
Related articles:
- Ukraine in the World: Inside the First Global Conference of Ukrainian Studies
- Ukraine in the World: UCU Hosts International Conference on Ukrainian Studies
- Keough School welcomes five new faculty and Visiting Professors of the Practice
- Why Ukraine: Notre Dame's Vision for a Vital Field
- Notre Dame announces new research collaborations with Ukrainian Catholic University