Anna Didenko and Anastaciia Desna are living through a Black Swan Event. The term, used here to describe Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, comes from Professor Robert Owen’s research that describes how impactful and unpredictable phenomena affect economic and social systems. Other examples include the COVID pandemic, the Fukushima energy disaster, and the sub-prime mortgage crisis. Didenko and Desna, students from the University of Kyiv, are finishing their terms working with Professor Owen through a research internship program funded by Mitacs.
The Globalink Research Award Program funded the pair’s valuable contributions to the project.
“From a faculty member’s perspective, it is particularly helpful to benefit from focused full-time research assistance during the academic year, when most U of T students are highly committed in terms of their overall activities,” said Professor Robert Owen.
Under normal circumstances, Mitacs’ Globalink Research Award program creates partnerships and signed agreements with specific research entities, or governments, in various countries to allow undergraduates in their last year of study to do research in Canada for the summer. The program was adapted for Ukrainian students upon the outbreak of war. [Read more…]
