National Tempus / Erasmus+
Office in Ukraine

February 10, 2011 round table “Higher Education Future in Ukraine” took place in the Ministry of Education and Science, Youth and Sport of Ukraine. First Deputy Minister Evhen Sulima, HERE member, Doctor of Sciences in Philosophy, Professor, Corresponding Member of the National Academy of Pedagogical Sciences of Ukraine (NAPS) invited broad public circles to take part in the national debate on the future of higher education legislation.

People’s Deputies of Ukraine (MPs) Maksym Lutskyi, PhD in Engineering, Associate Professor, First Vice-Rector of the National Aviation University and Yuriy Karalay, Doctor of Sciences in Economics, Professor; higher education researchers, namely, Volodymyr Luhovyi, HERE member, Doctor of Sciences in Pedagogics, Professor, Full Member of NAPS, Vice-President of NAPS, Director of the Institute of Higher Education; HEIs’ administration, among them Rector of the National Technical University of Ukraine “KPI” Myhaylo Zgurovskyi, Doctor of Sciences in Engineering, Professor, Full Member of National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine (NAS); Rector of Kyiv National Trade and Economics University Anatoliy Mazaraki, Doctor of Sciences in Economics, Professor, Full Member of NAPS; Vice-Rector of Kyiv Taras Shevchenko National University Volodymyr Bugrov, PhD in Philosophy, Associate Professor; representatives of students’ self-government, namely, Rostislav Ryzhkov, HERE member, Head of Student Parliament of the National Admiral Makarov University of Shipbuilding (Mykolaiv),  representatives of public and international organizations came together to discuss the development of draft laws underpinning higher education.

The concept of a HE Draft Law (that is being developed under the coordination of the Ministry), Ukraine’ higher education integration into European Area of HE, HE quality assurance in modern conditions etc. were discussed during the meeting. NTO analytical manager Zhanna Talanova, PhD in Public Administration, drew attention to key objective of a new draft – implementation of international obligations of Ukraine as Bologna Declaration signatory; harmonization of national HE legislation in accordance with Bologna principles; HE reforms and Bologna tools enforcement: NQF, a blueprint of which was developed by the working group under the guidance of E. Sulima; HE QA system, ECTS, DS in particularly.

Some participants, particularly the Dean of the National University “Kyiv-Mohyla Academy”, spoke critically on both enrolled HE Draft Laws, first of all, due to anticipated limitation of university autonomy; students argued against the prospects of increasing  university fees during the study period.

A proposal on establishment of a working group that will include representatives of the public and students’ self-government for drafting a comprehensive HE law was put forward as a result of the discussion.