How Serhiy Kvit is reforming Ukraine¡¯s archaic higher education system

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 ¨C 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