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research institute of that country as a basic minimum. This is essential as it will foster the strengthening of Ukrainian relations, of the Ukrainian standing and image. Furthermore, each of these areas should develop Ukra inian language cum some other discipline — a remedial measure, as Ukrainian has to be re-instated as the national language even in Ukraine, after so many cen turies of language planning and ‘bilingualism’. ‘Bilingua lism’ in the case of Ukraine, as in all other republics of the FSU, was the language planning policy of adopting Russian as a lingua france, and displacing and eventually substituting the national languages by Russian. Despite the vehement warning of T. Shevchenko, O. Potebnia and others in the last century, we saw Ukrainian limited to a few narrow areas of activity and a gradual loss of the prestige of the Ukrainian language in Ukraine. As a matter of fact, the state and status of Ukrainian Studies in Ukraine is very crucial. There has been a dramatic increase of what I have systematically described as ethnographic studies or ethnographic material. One example of this is a funny subject with a funny name ( narodoznavstvo ) created to replace the former politics lessons. Yet one should never forget that ethnographic material is not national material in a nation-state. Many people have researched much of the Ukrainian intellec tual history, but unfortunately, much of this has not become part of the knowledge of the national past and culture. The systematic ideological cleansing of texts by censors has also generated a vast ‘unofficial’ history which has to be unveiled yet and made available to the public at large before it becomes part of the national consciousness. This transition period is one which offers limitless opportunities for Ukraine to become a leading nation of the FSU, using the well-educated population on a large area in Europe and with a very old tradition. However, it is equally riddled by the challenges of many dangers of complacency and inability or lack of self-critical eva luation. Priorities in Ukrainian Studies should be detailed and policies drafted in a commensurate manner to the needs of both the present and future. Funding for the implementation and development of Ukrainian Studies must be secured at every institution and for every indi vidual who decides to pursue them. A metaphor from economy: in a market economy, the enterprise of Ukra inian Studies should create products which should bring capital gains. However, the guarantee of a marketable product is its quality. In an increasingly more sophistica ted and competitive market, any successful enterprise ensures the maintenance of the highest possible interna tional standards of its products in order to survive. In the world of education and culture almost univer sally there has been a marked loss of good old traditional values and attitudes towards responsibility and ac countability. Those who have advocated high culture, high education have often been scorned and ridiculed. The truth is that high culture and education require much more effort, dedication and time. When quality is resisted, when the scrutiny of academic and research work performance becomes a form of punishment, when the pursuit of the highest possible parameters loses its significance, mediocrity sets in and ghettos are genera ted. Indeed, such ghettos perpetuate various forms of censorship of knowledge, of creativity and initiative. Furthermore, last but not least, a less palpable but a fundamental element has to be considered in the re definition of Ukrainian studies universally — the ethical component. The ethics of healthy academic and research practice should be pursued. Issues such as pseudo academic activity, distortion of original texts or data to serve some specific end, unacknolwedged use of ideas, hindrance and censorship of knowledge are some of the topics related to the ethics. The ideal that human knolwedge is only advanced by a regular scrutiny and confrontation of knowledge should remain. We can be better people if we know ourselves and aspire for constant self-development and self-improvement — inspired perhaps by principles such as those one finds in Skovoroda’s aphorisms. To conclude, I should like to reiterate what I have said — firstly that Ukrainian Studies have to remain as the main priority of educational and cultural policy makers, secondly that a redefinition of what Ukrainian Studies should encompass is essential for the moderni zation of Ukrainian Studies. Thirdly, that many more resources (human and material) have to be allocated to ensure the development of Ukrainian Studies internatio nally, and last but not least that Ukrainian Studies should be developed within the framework of parameters of highest international quality with the necessary under lying ethical principles. Nadia Kerecuk 31 May, 1993 * If you would like to suggest a story idea for the Eng lish section of this magazine, or have a written story to submit, please call or send your manuscript to: Halyna Kuzyszyn c/o Our Life 108 2nd Avenue New York, N.Y. 10003 Phone: (212) 674-5508 Fax: (212) 254-2672 22 ’’НАШЕ ЖИТТЯ", ЛИСТОПАД 1993 Видання C оюзу Українок A мерики - перевидано в електронному форматі в 2012 році . A рхів C У A - Ню Йорк , Н . Й . C Ш A.
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