The Joint Visiting Fellowship in Political Science and International Relations was established by Victoria University in partnership with the University of Warsaw in Poland in 2022. The Fellowship enabled a displaced Ukrainian scholar to continue their work at the University of Warsaw.
The $25,000 needed to launch the Fellowship was realised through generous contributions from alumni, staff, and the University itself.
The Fellowship was awarded to Associate Professor Oksana Krayevska from Ivan Franko National University of Lviv, Ukraine. During the Fellowship, Associate Professor Krayevska delivered courses on Ukraine in International Relations, EU-Ukraine Relations and International Integration and Globalisation to Erasmus students at the University of Warsaw.
She says the Fellowship provided a valuable opportunity to deepen academic cooperation and mobility between Victoria University and the University of Warsaw.
“The Fellowship significantly enhanced my research and teaching skills and allowed me to share the Ukrainian perspective with an international academic community. Such programmes are essential for supporting scholars from non-EU countries and contribute significantly to the internationalisation and modernisation of academic practices.”
The idea for the initiative came from Victoria University’s Emeritus Professor Rob Rabel, who was based at the University of Warsaw on a visiting professorship in early 2022 when Ukraine was invaded. Emeritus Professor Rabel was motivated by the realisation that Victoria University could provide a meaningful gesture of academic solidarity to support scholars affected by the war.
Associate Professor Krayevska says it was an honour to meet Emeritus Professor Rabel and his wife Kathie Rabel soon after her arrival in Warsaw.
“The lives of all Ukrainians changed dramatically on February 24, 2022, when Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
“I am deeply grateful to Emeritus Professor Rabel and Kathie for the solidarity and support they have extended to me, my family and all Ukrainians. It was an honour to work with them during our stay in Warsaw.”
Associate Professor Krayevska says she is enormously grateful to Victoria University’s community for their generous support and firm commitment to academic solidarity.
“I am very proud to have received this scholarship and to have had the opportunity to carry out my Visiting Fellowship in such an enriching academic environment.
“The Fellowship not only enabled me to continue my academic work during an incredibly challenging time but has also provided me with a platform to contribute to international dialogue.
“Your solidarity and support means a lot to us, and I deeply appreciate the commitment of Victoria University of Wellington and its community.
“Thank you again for this extraordinary opportunity. I will carry this experience with me as a lasting source of strength and inspiration, and look forward to building further bridges between our academic communities.”