New free online course examines the Holodomor as genocide

A new online course, Famine as Genocide: The Holodomor in Ukraine, is now available free of charge on Coursera. The course was produced by the Holodomor Research and Education Consortium (HREC), a project of the Canadian Institute of Ukrainian Studies at the University of Alberta.

The course comprises 13 modules, which can be taken as a full programme or assigned individually. It takes an interdisciplinary approach, drawing on famine studies, global history, colonial and genocide theory, and memory studies. Topics covered include the lived experience of Famine survivors, Soviet indigenisation policy in Ukraine, the applicability of the concept of genocide, the failure of international aid efforts, and how knowledge of the Holodomor has been preserved over time.

HREC developed the course with established scholars including Olga Andriewsky, Andrea Graziosi, Taras Koznarsky and Lynne Viola, alongside a younger generation of researchers, among them Kristina Hook, Karolina Koziura, Henry Prown, Iryna Skubii and John Vsetecka.

Each module includes archival photographs, historical footage, custom animations, interactive maps, data visualisations and survivor interview videos, along with knowledge checks, source citations and suggested readings.

Frank Sysyn, Chair of HREC’s Executive Committee, said the course was “an engaging teaching resource grounded in scholarly research” and encouraged educators to consider incorporating it, or individual modules, into their teaching. He also pointed to the wealth of additional resources available on the HREC website.

The course is available at this link.