In 2026, the Canadian Institute of Ukrainian Studies at the University of Alberta will mark the fiftieth anniversary of its founding.

To celebrate this milestone, CIUS will host an international symposium,

Recentring the Humanities: Ukraine and the World.

The symposium will (re)consider the place of Ukraine, Ukrainians worldwide, and Ukrainian studies in a rapidly changing global order, particularly in the context of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. It will examine the conceptual and epistemic shifts in scholarly discourse prompted by Ukraine’s heightened geopolitical and cultural visibility. Bringing together internationally recognized scholars, experts, and thought leaders and connecting several major international initiatives, this symposium will serve as a vital forum for critical debate on Ukraine’s role in shaping contemporary understandings of global history, society, and the humanities.