Ukrainian PhD student pursues dream at TMU

Ukrainian Alissa Novitchkova had always wanted to come to Canada to complete her PhD - and had long set her sights on doing so in the Communication and Culture doctoral program at Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU).

“It was my childhood dream to get a PhD,” she said.

And thanks in part to a GoFundMe campaign launched by Professor Jeremy Shtern - Novitchkova is on her way to achieving that goal.

Shtern, who teaches in the School of Creative Industries and is director of the Joint TMU/York Graduate Program in Communication and Culture (ComCult), said that when Novitchkova was accepted into the program, he was inspired to “help her reach a more safe and settled place”. 

As part of the campaign, faculty, staff and students raised roughly $2,200- which covered the costs of Novitchkova’s travel to Canada. 

She is also receiving scholarship funding from the Yeates School of Graduate Studies (YSGS) over the duration of her four-year degree (as many graduate students do), and says she is also not paying the usual international student fee.

In addition, Novitchkova's PhD supervisor, professor Marusya Bociurkiw, who is of Ukrainian descent and is affiliated with the ComCult program, applied for additional federal government funding on Novitchkova’s behalf, which helps cover her research assistantship. 

“So happy” for TMU acceptance

Having lived in Kyiv for several years (she grew up in Kherson, a smaller city in the south), and working as a human rights advocate, Novitchkova said she became interested in the TMU program several years ago, and applied in December 2021.

While waiting to hear if she would be accepted, she continued working for the Human Rights House Foundation, which raises awareness of humanitarian issues in Ukraine and throughout Europe.

In February 2022 - as she was eagerly anticipating news about the PhD program - Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine.

“I was devastated,” she said. “There is no reasonable explanation.” 

“Ever since the rumours of the full-scale invasion began it was clear that Russia cannot get economical benefits, the occupation will never get the international recognition and the people of Ukraine will defend themselves. The only reason is ego and imperial ambitions. I did not really believe it until it happened,” she continued.

Soon after, she evacuated to Europe with her parents, where she continued with her human rights work - a calling that compelled her more than ever.

“I began to travel across Europe advocating about Ukraine - that we need support, we need ammunition, humanitarian aid,” she said.

Soon after, she received the news: she had been accepted at TMU.

“I was so happy,” she said, her voice perking up.

Around the same time, however, her parents decided to return to Kiev - making the decision to come to Canada an extremely difficult one.

But, after long talks with loved ones, friends and colleagues, Novitchkova decided to pack her bags.

“We saw that the conflict won’t end quickly, and that the destruction would be disastrous, and that we will have a lot of work to do to rebuild our society. So, I thought, ‘Okay, I can spend four years doing my PhD and then maybe I can return to the Ukraine,” she said.

When Shtern shared the news about Novitchkova’s decision, he said students, faculty and other members of the TMU community jumped at the chance to use the GoFundMe to make her journey to TMU a bit easier.

‘Community feeling’

On August 26, 2022, Novitchkova arrived in Toronto to begin her studies. She’s quick to praise the “community feeling” of the institution. 

“I like that it’s smaller than a lot of universities. People are super friendly and helpful. I have good relationships with my professors and the administration is great,” she said. 

“I’m happy to be part of a small community,” she said.

She also noted that she’s “in love” with TMU’s graduate student study space.

“You can meet people there and interact with them. And at Daphne Cockwell, there's a huge study room and smaller spaces for Zoom courses. I feel more connected working there. Plus I have access to a kitchen, and it gives me the chance to eat food I’m accustomed to,” she said.

As for her studies, the focus of her work is on narration and communication. Initially, she planned to study “what narrations empowered women for actions in the eastern Ukraine region, close to the frontline established in 2014”. The inspiration for this focus came from work she did with various charities once located in the region - “but now that’s a battlefield,” she said.

Reflecting on her former colleagues, she said, “I’m afraid some now might be killed.”

Given the impact of the war, Novitchkova has pivoted her studies to involve “how to narrate stories that empower people, especially women, to action, and the concept of dignity which is fundamental for human rights”.

“I’m now in the process of figuring out the representation of women in memes, flash mobs, etc. I wanted to use non-conventional methods of research - like drawings and poetry, workshops in Ukraine and maybe in Europe with protected persons who escaped Ukraine, to see how they perceive this concept of dignity and whether it gives them empowerment to act and fight for their rights.”

Beyond her academic experience, worry weighs heavily. 

The fall semester kept her busy, she explains, but as the end of the term came near, her focus shifted even more to home.

“I started to realize how worried I was,” she said. “I’m super worried about my parents, and also my aunt and my brother, and I have a nephew too,” she said of her family who, except for a brother and his family in Wales, are now all in Kiev. “You never know.”

“If you live in this tension always, it eats you up. I’m trying to tell myself to calm down,” she said, noting that before she left Kyiv, her mom assured her they were “responsible adults” and not to worry. 

When asked if her parents would ever leave Ukraine again, she says when her parents evacuated to France, it wasn’t easy - neither her mom nor dad speak French. So, after a few months, when they saw that their house had survived the bombing, they decided to return home - and despite the war, they don’t want to leave.

Her aunt was also adamant to remain in the country.

“She’s lived there since she was 4, so she said, ‘Why should I leave, I’m an elderly woman, I don't think they’ll be targeting me. And somebody should stay here and prove it’s our territory,’” Novitchkova said.

While she says everyone at TMU is “mega friendly” and she’s grateful for opportunities to meet with others in her cohort, making friends has been hard.

“With my studies, I don’t have much interaction with people. Sometimes I think I have depression because I don’t want to do anything. Motivation is tough,” she said, adding that studying in English - her third language - is another challenge.

“I’m better at presenting, but I do struggle with writing in English,” she said. 

One bright spot is yoga, she notes, and occasionally, she’ll go to the swimming pool, which can help.

Using her voice

Thinking ahead to the future, her voice perks up again as she says she wants to teach in a university in Ukraine.

“I used to teach in the field of human rights, just one course per year. I would like to return full-time to university,” she said.

“I’m very good with students. Many of my former students are working in the Ukraine civil society sector, and in journalism and administration. I’m still in contact with some of them,” she added.

As for her time in Canada, she’s thankful to be pursuing her dream at TMU, and hopes she can use her voice while she’s here to draw attention to the conflict at home.

“If Ukraine falls and Russia begins to expand, the next country could be Poland, Latvia or other Baltic states. It could be a precedent for China to occupy Taiwan,” she said. “It’s not just Russia and Ukraine - it’s also a very dangerous precedent for the international security system - which is why this work is so essential.”