Formerly a practicing lawyer in Ukraine, Dr. Chernovol came to Canada in the summer of 2022 after her life was upended by the Russian invasion of Ukraine earlier that year. Leveraging her experience as a scholar in law – she holds a PhD in Law from the V.M. Koretsky Institute of State and Law of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine – she made the decision to come to Canada to take up a position as a postdoctoral fellow at the Faculty of Law, continuing her life’s work in law. Dr. Chernovol’s primary research interests are concerned with the history of law and how it continues to be made. In particular, her work focuses on the analysis of the legal duties of citizens, theoretical models of legal provision and implementation and, most recently, anti-corruption policies. Her current work explores specific anti-corruption mechanisms in Ukraine, examining recent developments as well as the corruption risks that arose prior to the war. She aims to document the Ukrainian experience in an effort to provide helpful insights for Canadian policy makers as they evaluate how best to improve Canada’s current anti-corruption system.
The mission of the RSC College is “to gather scholars, artists and scientists at a highly productive stage of their careers into a single collegium where new advances in understanding will emerge from the interaction of diverse intellectual, cultural and social perspectives.” The RSC recently instituted a program for At-Risk and Displaced Academics and Artists, which invites applications for membership from those who have been “displaced through war, conflicts or threats of violence and who, prior to their displacement, were engaged in innovative and entrepreneurial activity, demonstrating a commitment to interdisciplinary collaboration, leadership and responsibility to communities, and who were making meaningful contributions to society.” Dr. Chernovol is one of two individuals to be elected though this program in 2024.
Dr. Chernovol’s fresh start as a postdoctoral researcher was facilitated by Dr. Jennifer Quaid, a leading expert in the fields of organizational criminal liability, and corporate accountability. As the principal investigator of a SSHRC Insight Grant-funded study in anti-corruption law, Dr. Quaid was able to sponsor Dr. Chernovol through a special tri-agency program created to assist displaced scholars from Ukraine. The nature of Dr. Quaid’s work on anti-corruption and economic crime made this a perfect fit for Dr. Chernovol, whose experience as a lawyer in Ukraine brings a valuable real-world perspective to this research. Her most recent publication, entitled “Anticorruption Policy in the Baltic-Black Sea Region”, offers a glimpse into her expertise in the perpetually relevant fields of organizational criminal liability and anti-corruption. Dr. Chernovol is based at uOttawa’s Human Rights Research and Education Centre (HRREC), and is supported by the Scholars at Risk (SAR) Network through a special fellowship support program that helps North American member institutions host threatened and displaced scholars from Ukraine.
“Research has the potential to inform policy decisions, improve practices, and ultimately benefit society,” says Dr. Chernovol. “By conducting research, I feel that I am contributing to the greater good and making a difference in the world.” The Faculty of Law congratulates Dr. Chernovol on this exceptional achievement and looks forward to seeing how she continues to make a difference.
Dr. Chernovol will be formally celebrated as a new member of the College at the RSC’s Celebration of Excellence & Engagement being held in Vancouver, British Columbia on November 7-9, 2024.