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Music and Art at the Ukrainian Institute of America
Posted by Bohdan A. Oryshkevich on May 10, 2004 at 01:27:44:
In Reply to: J-1 visas: Prof. Oryshkevich's opinion? posted by Halya balovana on May 08, 2004 at 02:39:45:
I am not a professor. I am a physician who works in a clinic for poor New Yorkers.
I run the USA/USA Program on the side. You can read about it at www.ukrainianscholarships.org
A comprehensive analysis of a "brain drain" is beyond this post.
Different programs must have different rules and needs. Exchange students, scholarship winners and programs come in all sorts of varieties and age groups. So no one policy can hold.
I try to have a cohesive policy for our USA/USA Program. Our program is not an exchange program and it is not government run so we cannot and do not want to use sanctions. I personally believe in freedom and personal responsibility.
Our truly superior students have to find their own way. I often have to live by THEIR decisions. I am not always happy but I respect the principles I have set for the program that I have created.
I would also add that I have adapted the selection process for the USA/USA Program so that responsible behavior, cooperation and concern for Ukraine are more likely. Our program is beginning to reflect that adaptation. We already have 54 registrations (potential applicants) for our 10 places. We have yet to reach our deadline. We expect about 65 applications so we can afford to be selective.
In addition, Ukraine is past the transition stage. Students entering the program have spent their whole school education after independence and Ukraine is no longer seen as a sinking Titanic. This has been a pleasant surprise. Students are more likely to intertwine their personal dreams with the needs of Ukraine.
One has to look at the cycle of the whole life career pattern. A professional career can last over 30 years. So it is unfair to judge a recent alumnus/a as to his return. One of our alumni is dreaming up of sending a Ukrainian bond investment business in New York City. Such effort takes time.
Another talented student I helped (outside the USA/USA Program) swore he was not interested in Ukraine. In December, he went to Moscow to be the Vice Chairman of Delta Capital in Moscow, a bank founded by the US Russia Investment Fund. This is a bank created by the US Government. His next step may be Ukraine. He is barely over 30 years of age. He has the charisma, smarts, and persuasive skills to be the President of Ukraine.
I am working on turning USA/USA alumni and other qualfied Ukrainians into a brain trust that would work on the Euro-Integration of Ukraine from here in New York City (after all the UN is here and high level diplomats of all EU countries are based here. But we also hope to tap our alumni in Moscow, Kyiv, London, New York City, Chicago, and elsewhere to this purpose.
I am also waiting for entities related to Ukraine (government, business, and academia) to show an interest in Harvard, George Washington, Cornell, MIT, University of Pennsylvania, and Rockefeller Ph.D.s, Harvard, Northwestern, Wharton, Carnegie Mellon, Miami (Ohio), and other MBAs from our program.
People with talent and experience have a right to demand appreciation and respect by others. The record of the USSR and now of Ukraine is not good in that area.
We do not pay for the education of our students. They earn their own scholarships. So we have to respect their choices. This year four of our students have won full four-year college scholarships covering both scholarship tuition and room and board. This comes to about $418,000 total aid of which $12,000 will be loan.
Bohdan Oryshkevich
New York City
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