A Ukrainian academic whose work focuses on the historic ties between her homeland and Poland has joined Aberdeen University’s history department as part of the Scholars at Risk programme for Ukraine.
Natalia Gromakovaand is drawing on modern day connections between the two countries and is settling into Aberdeen after fleeing the ongoing war.
She fled her home in Bucha, around 12 miles north-west of Kyiv, with her daughter on March 11, with her husband remaining behind to support those defending the country.
Fellowship recipient
Mrs Gromakovaand is one of seven recipients of a fellowship from the Royal History Society and academic partner organisations to take up a position in a UK or European university, with the host matching the contributions for the scholarship.
She said: “I was delighted to be selected and to have the opportunity to come to Aberdeen. It has long been a dream of mine to study and work in Scotland, although the circumstances are not those I’d have chosen.
‘Connections with the Polish community’
“The connections with the Polish community in Aberdeen have also made it much easier to integrate. There is a real feeling of solidarity with Ukraine here and that has made me feel very welcome.
“I am looking forward to the time I will be able to return home, but this is a very good opportunity for me to develop my academic research within a centre where my focus on the history of western Ukraine complements the work of other Aberdeen academics.”
Aberdeen University professors, Karin Friedrich and Robert Frost said: “We are delighted to welcome Natalia to Aberdeen so that she can continue her research work in safety. She will be an asset to the work of the centre and is already preparing a paper for a future seminar series.”
