Confirming their long-standing partnership, MacEwan University and the Ukrainian Foundation for College Education (UFCE) have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) that will lead to enhanced cooperation in years to come.
The MOU builds on the success of the current relationship and will chart a path for an increased level of collaboration while also supporting post-secondary education and Ukrainian scholarship well into the future.
“MacEwan has been working alongside UFCE for 30 years,” said Dr. Annette Trimbee, MacEwan’s president and vice-chancellor. “To have such a strong partnership with an upstanding community organization is vitally important to the university. We thrive on diversity and we hope members of the diaspora always feel welcome on our campus.”
For more than three decades, the UFCE has supported MacEwan and the Ukrainian Resource and Development Centre (URDC). This MOU ensures the continued growth and success of many programs supported by UFCE, including the Peter and Doris Kule Chair in Ukrainian Community and International Development and the Chair of International Health, both of which advance research related to Ukrainian-Canadian issues, and the Gene Zwozdesky Artist in Residence program. UFCE’s support also established six endowments totalling approximately $12.6 million.
“The work being done by the URDC at MacEwan is a shining example of how to bring more awareness to Ukraine and Ukrainians that study at the university,” said Dr. Olenka Bilash, president of the UFCE Board of Directors. “Together, UFCE and MacEwan have advanced international scholarly and educational activities and strengthened resources connected to Ukraine and its diaspora. By signing this MOU, we have laid the foundation for even more cooperation and opportunities for students, faculty and the broader community.”
This MOU is the latest in a series of agreements MacEwan has signed with organizations in the greater Edmonton region, including the Oilers Entertainment Group, Edmonton Elks, Edmonton International Airport, Edmonton Public Library and Boyle Street Community Services.