Chicago Sister Cities International Program
Natalie Campbell
Phone: 312.744.2172
E-mail: natalie.campbell@cityofchicago.org
Lisa Xia
Phone: 312.744.9181
E-Mail: lisa.xia@cityofchicago.org
Chicago Helps to Launch First-Ever Electronic Library of Ukraine
Equal Access to Digital Information through
University Knowledge Centers for Ukraine’s Universities
Chicago-Kyiv Sister Cities Since 1991
(January 26, 2009) – The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Chicago-based Kyiv Mohyla Foundation of America will signed a partnership agreement to establish the Electronic Library of Ukraine (ELibUkr) today in Kyiv, Ukraine. For the first time Ukrainian academics and students will have access to world’s digitized network of academic and research information on an equal access basis through the Electronic Library/Knowledge Centers. 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 Kyiv 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, faculty from Northwestern University, the National University of Kyiv Mohyla Academy and other Ukrainian universities, ElibUkr, will provide unprecedented access to public and proprietary information for Ukrainian residents while allowing the rest of the academic world to benefit from the rich intellectual holdings of Ukraine.
“The Chicago and Kyiv Sister Cities relationship is the basis upon which this exciting project was developed,” said Marta Farion, Executive Committee Member of Chicago Sister Cities International. “I am proud to be part of a truly global project that will not only allow thousands of academics, students and universities to immediately gain access to a wide-range of information, but also will create new opportunities for generations to come.”
“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 International. “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 with the Kyiv Mohyla Foundation of America, the National University of Kyiv Mohyla Academy, the Association “Information-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.
**Please note: Phone interviews can be arranged with Marta Farion, Executive Committee Member of Chicago Sister Cities International and former U.S. Ambassador William Green Miller who has been very supportive of the project.
