Access to Digital Information through University Knowledge Centers a Chicago – Kyiv Initiative

(January, 2009) – The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Kyiv Mohyla Foundation of America will sign a partnership agreement to establish the Electronic Library of Ukraine (ELibUkr) on January 26, 2009, in Kyiv, Ukraine. For the first time Ukrainian academics and students will have access to world’s digitized network of academic and research information through the Electronic Library/Knowledge Centers, which will be linked nationwide. Slated to launch later in 2009, the ELibUkr Project is an investment in Ukraine’s future and will expand to include Ukraine’s main universities within three years.

Realizing that access to academic and research information was nearly non-existent in Ukraine, Marta Farion—president of the Kyvic Mohyla Foundation of America and Chicago attorney on the Executive Committee of Chicago Sister Cities International—initiated the project in 2007. With the support and collaboration of electronic library organizations, Northwestern University, the National University of Kyiv Mohyla Academy and other Ukrainian universities, ElibUkr, will provide unprecedented access to public information for Ukrainian residents while allowing the rest of the academic world to benefit from the rich intellectual holding of Ukraine.

“Through their 17 years as Sister Cities, Kyiv and Chicago have shared numerous exchanges spanning education, culture, medicine and government,” said Leroy Allala, Acting Executive Director of Chicago Sister Cities. “Chicago Sister Cities is proud to support the ELibUkr Project, and it is the perfect example of how the Sister Cities relationship builds vital links between partner cities that bring about projects that have global impact, benefiting residents both in Chicago and abroad.”

Since the signing of an official Sister City agreement in 1991, Kyiv, Ukraine, and Chicago have developed a strong partnership based on a shared vision of promoting arts, culture, business and education. The Kyiv Committee of CSCIP has played host to several high-level delegation visits and organized numerous cultural, educational and social service exchanges.

ELibUkr is sponsored by USAID in partnership the Kyiv Mohyla Foundation of America, the National University of Kyiv Mohyla Academy, the Association “Informatio-Consortium,” the Center for Technology Innovation Management (CTIM) at Northwestern University, the Y. Fedkovych National University of Chernivtsi, and the V. Karazin National University of Kharkiv and a consortium of Ukrainian universities.