Bohdan Hawrylyshyn

Biography

Bohdan Hawrylysyn was born Koropets village, Ternopil Oblast where spent most of his childhood on father's farm. During World War II in 1944, he was captured by the Nazis and displaced to Germany. After the war, he spent almost two years in a displaced persons camp, and afterwards moved to Canada as a lumberjack. While working at various jobs Hawrylyshyn was admitted at the University of Toronto. His admission received media coverage and public disrupt, as he was the first refugee to get admitted to the university in Canada. In 1952 he graduated with a BA and a MA in 1954 in engineering at the University of Toronto. From 1954 to 1960 Hawrylysyn worked as an engineer, researcher and manager at the various enterprises in Canada.

Hawrylysyn died on 24 October 2016 at the age of 90 in Kyiv, Ukraine.

Professional career

In 1960 Mr. Hawrylyshyn started his career in educational sphere. For eight years he had been supervising training programs at IMI Geneva (now International Institute for Management Development), teaching economics, global business environment, international operations management and public administration. In 1968 Bohdan Hawrylyshyn became the Director of the institute and remained its head for eighteen years. During his tenure at the Institute Bohdan Hawrylyshyn brought up a great number of top professionals for hundreds of companies all over the world.

At the same time Bohdan Hawrylyshyn carried out research work and fruitful public activities. In 1972 he was elected to the Club of Rome, in 1973 – to the International Management Academy, in 1975 – the World Academy of Art and Science. In 1976 Mr. Hawrylyshyn was awarded Doctorate of Economics of University of Geneva, Honorary Doctorate of Law of University of York (Canada) in 1984 and University of Alberta (Canada) in 1986. Later Doctor Hawrylyshyn received an award of the Engineering Hall of Distinction of University of Toronto (Canada). Bohdan Hawrylyshyn is a high-profile expert on issues of public administration and international business and cross-cultural relations, he has been a contributor, moderator and chairperson at international conferences and seminars in over 70 countries.

Published papers of the scientist include more than 100 articles in management, managerial education, economic and political environment. He is the author of two books, one of these “The road map to the future — to the most efficient society” has won international recognition and has been published in 9 languages.

Contribution to the development of Ukraine

Since 1988 Doctor Hawrylyshyn has committed his activity to Ukraine. He initiated establishment of the International Management Institute (MIM-Kyiv) by the Academy of Sciences of Ukraine and IMI-Geneva; it was the first institution in the former USSR which provided MBA program training.

In 1989 with active participation and organizational assistance of Dr. Hawrylyshyn an international charity "Vidrodzhennya" fund was set up in Kyiv, the institution is financed by George Soros. From the beginning of the fund activity to 1998 Bohdan Hawrylyshyn was the head of the Supervisory Board of this public organization, the purpose of which is to develop foundation of civil society in cultural, educational, scientific and social spheres.

In 1991 Dr. Hawrylyshyn created and became the head of the Council of Advisors to the Presidium of the Ukrainian Parliament that worked for seven years, was a member of the American-Ukrainian advisory board, an advisor to the first president of Ukraine, four chairmen of the Verkhovna Rada and three prime-ministers. Until his death he was a board member of the World Academy of Art and Science, the head of the National Organization of Scouts of Ukraine, a member of the executive committee of the Swiss International Policy Forum, the head of Supervisory Board of MIM-Kyiv. He also facilitated the establishment of the International Centre for Policy Studies and remained the head of its Supervisory Board up to 2006. In Ukraine the fruitful activities of Dr. Hawrylyshyn are highly appreciated by broad community of education, science and state officials. He was elected a foreign member of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine and was awarded an Order of Merit, he is a merited scientist of Ukraine, an advisor to the Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada, holds honorary doctorates of Ternopil Economic Academy, Stefanyk University in Ivano-Frankivsk and Fedkovych University in Chernivtsi.

Charitable work

In 2010 Dr. Hawrylyshyn founded Bohdan Hawrylyshyn Charitable Foundation, which main purpose is to encourage and promote new generation of professional, patriotic and correct Ukrainians who care about common values and goods, who are proactive in social and political life of the country and who can cooperate with each other. Dr. Hawrylyshyn believes, that these young Ukrainians will form a critical mass of people capable of transforming Ukraine. The endowment of the Foundation consists of private funds and Bohdan Hawrylyshyn.

The key program of the Foundation is called Young Generation Will Change Ukraine and is created in the form of international study-trip. According to it the selected groups of young people choose one of the effective European countries, i.e. Austria, Germany, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland or Poland, study their experience, make a short study trip to the country in question, then select "components" for political, economic, social "architecture" of future Ukraine and use that knowledge in their political or civil careers for transformation of Ukraine. The results of the studies will be presented in mass media and on different events and also will be contributed to the legislative process including drafting and amending national laws.

Groups usually focus their research work on different issues, including parliamentary system, social policy of the country, environmental policy, gender policy, mass media, the role young people play in the government of the country and in public sector.

Distinctions

Honorary Degrees of Doctor of Laws