On Thursday 10 May at 7pm at the UKRAINIAN COMMUNITY CENTRE, South Brisbane, the Ukrainian Community of Queensland Inc. hosted a meeting with Dr. SERHIJ KVIT, President – Rector of the National University of “Kyiv-Mohyla Academy"(KMA) in Ukraine with members of the Ukrainian Community of Queensland.
Dr Serhij Kvit is in Australia meeting with Ukrainian communities and Australian Universities.
Serhij is an activist in Ukraine who has his finger on the pulse and has through his University pushed the Ukrainian authorities to the hilt.
Dr Kvit spoke about Academic reform in today's political situation in Ukraine and the role of the KMA University in media reform, to a full meeting room in Brisbane's "Narodnij Dim".
The “Kyiv Mohyla Academy” National University (NaUKMA) is one of Ukraine’s most highly regarded universities.
The university, its staff and students have been vigorous advocates of academic freedom and university autonomy, as well as of human rights and the democratic process. Dr Kvit can address, among other themes the challenges faced by his university in the complex political and cultural environment of today’s Ukraine.
Serhij Kvit is president of Ukraine’s Media Reform Centre and head of Ukraine’s Consortium of University Autonomy.
He graduated in journalism and holds a doctorate in philology. At NaUKMA Dr Kvit founded the School of Journalism (2001) and held the post of professor and dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences and Social Technologies (2002-2007) prior to becoming the University President. His research focuses on mass communication, university management and philosophical hermeneutics.
He is the author of more than 100 publications, including the books Hermeneutics of Style (2011) and Mass Communication (2008).
Serhij Kvit was a Fulbright Scholar (2006) at Ohio University, Kennan Institute Scholar (2009) at the Woodrow Wilson Center, and DAAD Scholar at the University of Cologne (2010).
On Wednesday afternoon 9 May 2012 Dr Kvit arrived in Brisbane and met with the Ukrainian Catholic parish priest Father Jarko Pasok who conducted the interview that evening on local Ethnic Radio station 4EB with assistance from Ostap Kurlak, Nick Dmyterko, Marta Hupalo and Lyudmila Kelloway.
On Thursday 10 May 2012 a meeting took place with the Dean of the University of Queensland Graduate School Professor Zlatko Skrbis and President of the Ukrainian Community of Queensland Stephan Chomyn and committee member Ostap Kurlak. The meeting was very positive and a link has been established between the two universities.
That evening Dr Kvit came to the Ukrainian Community centre in South Brisbane and addressed members of our community. All the participants listened attentively to every word of Dr Kvit.
A new member of our local Ukrainian community Artem Polyvyanyjy graduated from the National University of “Kyiv-Mohyla Academy"(KMA) in 2004 and was so pleased to be at the meeting with his wife Anna.
Here are some photos from the radio interview and the community meeting.
If you would like to donate to the National University of “Kyiv-Mohyla Academy"(KMA), the Australian Federation of Ukrainian Organisations AFUO has organised an account with Dnister Ukrainian Credit Union Australia where you can deposit your donations.
Any donation relating to Dr Kvit should be deposited into the account below with a narration:
KMU- …name of donating depositor..
BSB – 704-235 (Dnister)
Account No. 02802418
Account name: AFUO
The interview with Dr Kvit can be heard on Sunday 13 May 2012 at 1:45pm on Radio 4EB 98.1FM.