Help for people supporting Ukrainians in Northern Ireland launched by OU

The Open University (OU) has launched a new free online course for people housing, caring for or working with Ukrainians in Northern Ireland and across the rest of the UK. The course focuses on Ukrainian culture and language and has been developed specifically for UK residents hosting refugees, and service providers working with people who have arrived from Ukraine.

Providing an insight into Ukrainian language, food, housing, and healthcare as well as other cultural elements, the course is hosted on the OU’s popular platform, OpenLearn. Learners on the course will also have a chance to chat in the forums provided, to find out more about supporting Ukraine’s struggle and other Ukraine-related topics.

Alongside the new course, the OU has also translated into Ukrainian its package of free online resources for the almost 600 Ukrainian refugees in Northern Ireland including courses from English language to articles on writing a CV.

Course lead, Dr Mirjam Hauck, Director of the OU's Open Centre for Languages and Cultures, said:

“So many people in the UK have reached out and opened their homes to people fleeing from the war in Ukraine. We hope this free course will be invaluable in helping them support their guests and understand Ukrainian culture, heritage and language."

“As well as supporting people in learning some basic Ukrainian, through the course you will also be able to find out about what Ukraine was like before the invasion, its geography, healthcare and education systems, history, and ethnic and religious diversity.”

Michael Bower, Assistant Director for Student Success at the OU in Ireland, commented:

“As the appalling situation in Ukraine and the plight of those whose lives have been upended due to the conflict sadly continues, the OU is further enhancing our package of support."

“Across The Open University, we will continue to seek ways to mobilise our efforts as a university to support people from Ukraine as they find refuge in Northern Ireland.”

Previously, the OU announced a package of support for Ukraine including:

• Fee waivers for existing students from Ukraine in the 2021/22 academic year/
• An opportunity to apply for one of 12 scholarships amounting to £240,000, complete with study starter pack and access to careers and employability services.
• Potential job roles posted on the dedicated sites for refugees JobsForUkraine.net and Talent Beyond Boundaries.
• A commitment to continued working with local and national partners, including The Executive Office, Home Office, Universities UK and Cormack Consultancy Group on how best to support refugees arriving in the UK, as well as supporting the Ukrainian HE sector, their academics and students.