University of Amsterdam to offer courses in Ukrainian

The University of Amsterdam (UvA) in the Netherlands will be offering two courses in the field of Ukrainian language and culture starting from September 2023. The teaching will be given by linguist Oksana Kononchuk, who fled from Kyiv to Amsterdam last year and is now a guest researcher affiliated with the Russian and Slavic studies department at the UvA, reports NL Times.

Ellen Rutten, the head of the department offering these courses, told NL Times that the idea came before 2022. However, she admitted that it was financially challenging to get funds. The urgency for these courses became more evident following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine on 24 February 2022. “We understood it was no longer just a good idea, but also very urgent,” she said.

The professor of Slavic literature and cultures explained that the main goal is not political but societal. The goal is to address the pressing demand for Ukrainian language proficiency that has surged since February 2022. The flow of Ukrainian refugees in Europe, as well as humanitarian help, media reporting, international diplomacy, and the rebuilding of the country, require a knowledge of the language.
Full report on the NL Times site