Ukrainian students settle into university life at Western’s Ivey Business School

For six Ukrainian students, a peaceful classroom at Western University is a world away from the war in their home country.

“I feel safe here,” said Sofiia Shulga, 21, who is in London, Ont. as part of an exchange.

The six are all enrolled at Western’s Ivey Business School MBA program.

“Everyday we have air alarms in Kyiv and my family's in Kyiv, and that is kind of scary for me,” said Shulga, who phones her mother every day. “She said she loved me. She hoped that I'm okay.”

Six Ukrainian students — five women and one man — were welcomed to Ivey on May 13 with a variety of orientation activities to prepare them to join the MBA program on exchange so they can receive credits for their home institutions.

Anastasiia Nesterenko, Sofiia Shulga, Ulyana Kulchytska, Oksana Kosendiak, Yehor (Egor) Zavortniak, Maksym Savchyn and Alina Byshynska. (Source: Western Ivey Business School)Alina Byshynska and her six-year-old son Yehor (Egor) Zavortniak had to flee with her husband remaining in Ukraine.

All six of them say they are lucky to have their tuition fees waived by the university, as they would never have been able to afford an MBA program.

“We just thought it would be really important to take our role as global citizens and support other students and academics in Ukraine,” said Adam Fremeth, the Ivey MBA director.

The university is raising money through the Academic Shelter Fund to help with additional expenses. The Academic Shelter Fund aims to raise $350,000 to support the Ukrainian exchange students and other students fleeing conflict in the future.

“It is aimed at providing tuition support, housing and anything else they may need,” said Fremeth.

Ulyana Kylchytska was forced to separate her family during the war. Her husband remains working in Lviv, Ukraine, and her children are staying with friends in Switzerland.

Six Ukrainian Students take in an orientation class at Western University’s Ivey Business School MBA Program on May 17, 2022. (Source: Brent Lale/CTV News London)The 45-year-old with human resources experience hopes to return with leadership skills.

“So I will take back knowledge how to build people relations based on values,” says Kylchytska. “To me, this war, it's about values. So I think it will support a lot of things in Ukraine.”

Shulga was a marketing student in Kyiv, specializing in fast moving consumer goods (FMCG).

“I'm looking for FMCG market in our country,” says Shulga. “We tend to focus on the agriculture FMCG market and I want to work to help people eat properly, help people find their healthy way, and to find their love and passion in food.”

The six students will soon be joined by five others and will stay in London until the MBA program finishes in March 2023.