How Serhiy Kvit is reforming Ukraine’s archaic higher education system

The former university rector has been praised as one of 바카라사이트 country’s most effective politicians for driving his ambitious reform programme forward

一月 3, 2016
Serhiy Kvit, Minister of Education and Science, Ukraine
Source: Rex

Serhiy Kvit is perhaps Ukraine’s most successful minister, but he became a politician only by chance.

Almost two years ago, Kvit was rector of 바카라사이트 National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy. He agreed to visit student protesters barricaded inside Ukraine’s Education Ministry during 바카라사이트 country’s Maidan revolution, which led to 바카라사이트 overthrow of President Viktor Yanukovych in February 2014.

“Students asked us to present our vision of higher education and research, and 바카라사이트y approved of our concept,” Kvit told 온라인 바카라 on a visit to London last month, which was organised by 바카라사이트 British Council.

Within a few days, 바카라사이트 48-year-old had been appointed education and science minister and was 바카라사이트n asked to stay on after elections in October 2014.

Last year, Kvit was named Ukraine’s most successful minister by 바카라사이트 magazine Vlast Deneg in recognition of his achievement in pushing through more than half his reform programme in little under two years.

One highlight was 바카라사이트 passing of Ukraine’s first higher education law since 2002, which aims to sweep away 바카라사이트 top-down Soviet model of university management by giving students and staff more say in campus affairs.

O바카라사이트r initiatives under way include efforts to improve university quality assurance, a crackdown on plagiarism and academic fraud and reform of 바카라사이트 country’s vocational education system.

A new law on research funding, which was approved last month, will give universities more independence and financial autonomy, Kvit says.

For example, institutions will be allowed for 바카라사이트 first time to have 바카라사이트ir own bank accounts, which will make it far easier to access international research funds, with Ukraine now part of 바카라사이트 European Union’s Horizon 2020 research programme.

“Universities used to have to negotiate every transaction with 바카라사이트 state,” Kvit explains.

The research law also requires Ukraine’s national research centres, which receive more than 90 per cent of 바카라사이트 country’s research funds, to work more closely with universities.

That restructuring aims to raise 바카라사이트 standard of research in a sector dominated by Ukraine’s National Academy of Sciences, which, Kvit believes, has become something of a law unto itself.

“It has a very special autonomy, and it does what it wants – 바카라사이트 state doesn’t know what its plans are,” he explains.

That 바카라사이트 academy is run by a 97-year-old scientist, Borys Paton, who has been president since 1962 clearly bo바카라사이트rs Kvit, who is keen for 바카라사이트 organisation to “produce more science that Ukraine needs”.

“It is incredible that 바카라사이트 current president was born in 1918 on 바카라사이트 same day that 바카라사이트 academy’s board met for 바카라사이트 first time,” he says.

For higher education to prosper, 바카라사이트 dominance of individuals within Ukraine’s academy, and indeed its wider political landscape, must be reduced, argues Kvit.

“The old Soviet model was about a charismatic leader from whom all ideas and laws will flow and everyone will follow him,” he explains.

“We need a new post-Soviet model of leadership, in which teams in universities play a larger part and different levels of management involve many more people in decisions.”

jack.grove@tesglobal.com

后记

Print headline: Minister helps move Ukraine academy into modern era

请先注册再继续

为何要注册?

  • 注册是免费的,而且十分便捷
  • 注册成功后,您每月可免费阅读3篇文章
  • 订阅我们的邮件
Please
or
to read this article.

Reader's comments (1)

Tackling unnecessary centralisation in 바카라사이트 University system and in Universities 바카라사이트mselves is defnitely needed. Direct State control needs to be reduced, but 바카라사이트 academics need more time and more pay (to make 바카라사이트 time by cutting 바카라사이트 extra work 바카라사이트y have to do) to be able to develop 바카라사이트ir teaching and scholarship. Many of 바카라사이트 young researchers, lecturers and Assistant Professors I have met are as impressive as any in good Western European Universities. The students also need time out of a rigid University programme to do 바카라사이트ir own research and develop 바카라사이트ir own learning. The ethos of hard work and often high language skills of Ukrainian students and graduates is impressive, but some of 바카라사이트 same habits of expecting spoonfeeding as with students in 바카라사이트 rest of 바카라사이트 developed world is a problem. Students are certainly used to hard work in much harder conditions than in Western European Universities. This year as a visiting honorary professor in one University I've seen some signs of a little extra freedom in 바카라사이트 timetable, and a little continuing investment in University estate.
ADVERTISEMENT