UWE Bristol to host Ukrainian scholar at risk

The University of the West of England (UWE Bristol) is proud to announce it is one of only six UK universities to be awarded a fellowship for a Ukrainian scholar at risk.

The three-month fellowship, given by the Royal Historical Society and British Association for Slavonic and East European Studies, offers the scholar – Dr Oksana Klymenko – university office space, accommodation and opportunities to collaborate with departmental specialists at UWE Bristol and other regional academic groups.

Dr Klymenko, a Senior Lecturer at the National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy, was completing a fellowship in Vienna when Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, and was unable to return home to Ukraine due to the ongoing war.

The successful application means she will be hosted by UWE Bristol to enable her to continue her research and writing on ‘“The New Woman” in Soviet Ukraine: the Language and Memory of female workers in the 1930s’. This research will form a key part of her monograph. It will also enable her to continue teaching and offer support for additional funding applications, hopefully further developing her career.

Dr Klymenko said: “I am honoured to get this fellowship and continue my research at the University of the West of England. The issues I raise in my study are relevant to the mission and goals of the university. Given my expertise in Ukrainian and Soviet history, I am confident that my stay in Bristol will be productive for the writing of my book. Moreover, I hope to contribute to the discussions about the history of Ukraine and the Soviet Union.”

Her UWE Bristol mentor and senior lecturer in international history, Dr Elizabeth White, said: “I and others in the British Association for Slavonic and East European Studies are excited to have the opportunity to both support and learn from the research of a Ukrainian academic in 20th Century history here and show solidarity with Ukrainian colleagues.”

Lead applicant, Dr Sarah Ward Clavier, Associate Professor of Early Modern History at UWE Bristol said: “The UWE Bristol history department is excited to host Dr Klymenko for this fellowship. This was a team effort, and we are grateful for the support from the research, business, and innovation department, accommodation services, and immigration services department which meant that the application could be submitted quickly. We stand in solidarity with the people of Ukraine during this appalling war and though we wish we could do more, we are looking forward to working with Dr Klymenko and making her welcome in Bristol.”