CSC forms relations with Ukraine university

The group was hosted by the National Agricultural University of Ukraine at Kiev, the country’s capital city some 5,400 miles from Chadron.

At the conclusion of the group’s nine-day visit, the institutions formed a memorandum of collaboration, the first formal step in the partnership.

The memorandum of collaboration calls for Chadron State and NAUU to explore areas of cooperation, including student and faculty exchange programs, joint educational programs and research projects.

Dr. Janie Park, Chadron State president, joined the group during the last portion of the trip and signed the agreement with NAUU’s chief administrator, Dr. Dmytro Melnychuk.

The project was the brainchild of Dr. Gary White, dean of CSC’s School of Business, Economics, Applied and Mathematical Sciences. White’s relationship with NAUU goes back a long time as he was the first American faculty member to visit the campus in 1990 after the collapse of the Soviet Union. An educator at Iowa State at that time, he wrote and received a grant for a student exchange program.

White’s goal in organizing CSC’s envoy was for faculty members to realize the potentials of expanding CSC’s international endeavors. He chose to renew his relationship with NAUU because of his previous positive experiences with its faculty and administration.

“They’ve always lived up to and exceeded my expectations,” he said. “For this trip, they provided in-country transportation, lodging, and the equivalent of $100 for each of us. It’s pretty hard to find a deal like that when you’re traveling overseas.”

White believes the journey to eastern Europe could be the start of something special.

“Everyone gained a new appreciation for the Ukraine culture, and I am confident that faculty saw how they could benefit by working with an institution from another country,” White said.

In less than a week after returning, White said he’d heard from three CSC faculty members interested in doing joint research with NAUU and two other CSC educators interested in presenting abroad. He’d also received two e-mails from Ukrainian students interested in studying at Chadron.

In addition, the possibilities of online ventures with NAUU were affirmed when five CSC faculty members were able to conduct online classes via a wireless Internet connection in their Ukrainian hotel. “Chadron State has long been a leader in distance education, but this surely was the farthest away from campus that any of our faculty members have been while teaching a class,” White said.

White is hopeful that a partnership between CSC and NAUU will cut the cost of study abroad efforts for both institutions.

NAUU operates 22 campuses with a total enrollment of about 35,000 with, as the name implies, an emphasis on agriculture. About 20,000 of the students attend the campus at Kiev, which is Ukraine’s largest city with more than 3.5 million inhabitants.

CSC’s faculty members noted similarities and many differences between the Ukrainian and United States’ educational systems. CSC business professor Dr. Rick Koza noted that much of a Ukrainian student’s fate is determined by test scores. At age 16, students complete public school and, depending on the test results, enroll in college or attend a trade school.

“They do not have a liberal arts form of education,” Koza said. “If you are in the business tract, you take business classes. If you wish to take classes in music or art, you go to a cultural college.”

Park sees a lot of possibility in the partnership, and said some short-term student exchanges may be the first step.

“If students are just looking for a European vacation, this likely wouldn’t be their cup of tea. But this would be a great opportunity for a student of history or political science,” Park said. “The people of Kiev are very warm and friendly and it’s a great opportunity to witness the dramatic evolution of a country.”

The faculty members who hadn’t previously been to the Ukraine noted the country’s dilapidated facilities and infrastructure. White said, however, the country has made incredible improvements since he visited in the early 1990s.

“They still have a long ways to go, but they’ve made so many significant improvements,” White said.

White said the transition from Soviet dictatorship to independent democracy hasn’t been without difficulty.

While some of the “growing pains” faced by the country can be attributed to a shift in responsibility from a centrally controlled system to an open market, White said there are other more indirect factors.

For instance, many of the nation’s roads are in disarray. White was told that there was an average of only one car for every 25 families in Ukraine at the end of the Cold War. Now, not unlike the United States, households are believed to average two vehicles each.

Chadron State’s faculty members said the visit was a valuable eye-opening experience

“We were busy for 16 hours every day,” said Dr. Jamie Waldo, another member of the CSC business faculty. “I certainly wouldn’t call it a vacation.”

Dr. Art Borgemenke, CSC assistant education professor, said he has a better feel for what can be accomplished through a partnership with a foreign university. He said he was overwhelmed by the hospitality of the hosts.

“Everyone over there was unbelievably warm and welcoming,” he said.

Park said that Melnychuk, the university’s leader whose official title is “rector,” is a highly respected figure in the community and appears to be highly involved in the political fabric of the country. Melnychuk was appointed by former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev. Park spent about half of her time in Ukraine with Melnychuk, who served as her tour guide.

During a visit to one of the campuses, Dr. Margaret Crouse, CSC dean of Education, Human Performance, Counseling, Psychology, Social Work and Graduate Studies, was presented a decorative loaf of bread by three young women in traditional dress. As part of the formal welcoming ceremony, visitors must kiss the bread and taste it.

In addition to meetings with local dignitaries and educators, the group took part in a wealth of cultural experiences, including a performance by the National Opera of the Ukraine, tours of Kiev, and a boat ride down the Dnieper River which flows through the city.

Some even got a feel for the local sports scene by attending a soccer game, which also served as a symbol of the developing country’s struggles. A riot erupted among the fans of the two teams, who, Waldo said, were as much of opposing political mindsets as they were opponents of the game.

This fall, the Chadron State community will be treated to a taste of Ukraine. In mid-October, a 22-member NAUU cultural group plans to visit and perform at Chadron State and other points in the central United States. The performers will be hosted by Chadron State and Dickinson State University of North Dakota.

Chadron State faculty members who participated in the trip to the Ukraine are Koza, Waldo, Borgemenke, Deane Tucker, Luke Perry, Barb Limbach, Augie Bruehlman, James Koehn, Jerry Haugland, Chuck Butterfield and Joel Schreuder. Members of the administration were White, Crouse, Park and Steve Taylor.