Recently, the University of Alberta made a decision to return an endowment to the family of Yaroslav Hunka, a Ukrainian veteran who served in a Nazi unit. This decision followed his recognition in the Canadian House of Commons during Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s visit to Canada. Hunka, at the age of 98, was honored in the House of Commons by former House Speaker Anthony Rota. However, it later emerged that he had fought in a Ukrainian unit that was established by Nazi Germany to combat the Soviet Union.
The fallout from Parliament’s recognition of Hunka has been widely criticized, with some dubbing it the most embarrassing international incident in Canadian history. Consequently, the University of Alberta initiated a review of a $30,000 endowment fund associated with the Canadian Institute of Ukrainian Studies (CIUS) in Hunka’s name.
Verna Yui, interim provost and vice-president academic at the Edmonton-based university explained the decision: “After careful consideration of the complexities, experiences, and circumstances of those impacted by the situation, we have made the decision to close the endowment and return the funds to the donor. The university recognizes and regrets the unintended harm caused.”
Yui also noted that the university is committed to addressing antisemitism comprehensively, including examining how the Holocaust continues to have relevance today. As part of this commitment, the university is currently reviewing its general naming policies and procedures, including those related to endowments, to ensure they align with their values.
The webpage that once described the fund has been taken down, but an archived version from earlier this year revealed that the Yaroslav and Margaret Hunka Ukrainian Research Endowment Fund was established to support research related to the Ukrainian Catholic Church. Preference was given to research related to the lives and work of Metropolitan Andrei Sheptytsky and Metropolitan (Cardinal) Josyf Slipyj, as well as the history of the underground church.
In response to the university’s actions, the Jewish Federation of Edmonton expressed its appreciation for the institution’s commitment to addressing antisemitism and reviewing naming policies and procedures. They issued a statement thanking the University of Alberta for its swift and unequivocal response in disposing of the endowment in Hunka’s name at the Canadian Institute of Ukrainian Studies.
Laurie Adkin, a political ecology professor at the university, raised questions about how the CIUS accepted an endowment in Hunka’s name, suggesting that the CIUS should have conducted a more thorough background investigation of proposed honorees. She posted her comments on X, formerly known as Twitter, and asked who was responsible for establishing the Hunka endowment fund.
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