MONCTON, NB – Crandall University experienced a unique opportunity on Thursday afternoon as a result of the quick thinking of one of their Management professors, who, upon seeing a post on the Ukrainian Club of Moncton’s Facebook page, decided to reach out.
Assistant Professor of Management Don Moore is well-known for his affinity for guest speakers in his classes, but his most recent guest speaker, Maria Shkurat, might be one of his most interesting yet. Dr. Shkurat and Prof. Moore connected when Maria, who arrived in Canada on June 7th from her home in Kyiv, Ukraine, introduced herself to the Ukrainian Club of Moncton via their Facebook page. In her post, Maria noted her PhD in Public Management and Administration, as well as four other degrees in international economics, education, engineering, and information security. Don, recognizing her leadership experience, promptly invited her to speak to his class.
Although English is not Maria’s first language, she came prepared with well-written answers to Prof. Moore’s questions on the topic of leadership. When asked about what leadership means to her, Maria broke the concept down into three categories: content, style, and nature of activity, going on to explain many of the concepts the class had recently discussed, including democratic and authoritarian leadership.
Later, Maria shared that some leaders that she admires include Elon Musk, going on to explain that he has helped to provide her home country of Ukraine with Starlink stations and satellite internet access, which have become an important part of the country’s defense in the conflict with Russia.
Continuing to reference her home, Maria stated that another leader she currently admires is Volodymyr Zelensky, the current President of Ukraine, saying “President Zelensky is a symbol of the heroism of the Ukrainian people who are fighting for their sovereignty.”
The graduate-level class, comprised of students from all over the world, was excited to listen to and interact with Maria. Several students took the opportunity to thank her for her courage, commend her for her well-spoken lecture, and one even shared of his pleasant experience travelling in Kyiv and just how amazing his interactions with the locals were.
