Ukrainian universities see surge in PhD applications

Applications for doctoral study have surged in Ukraine as its war with Russia drags on, prompting some concerns about whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 quality of students could slip.

¡°Nationally, we¡¯re seeing a?rise in?PhD applicants this year,¡± said Mychailo Wynnyckyj, director of 바카라사이트 doctoral school at 바카라사이트 Kyiv-Mohyla Business School.

The National Aerospace University in Kharkiv, a city targeted daily by Russian bombs, has received three times 바카라사이트 PhD applications it had at this time last year, Dmytro Chumachenko, an associate professor in its computer sciences department, told 온라인 바카라.

He worried that a desire to avoid military conscription could be behind 바카라사이트 rise. ¡°I?think it¡¯s connected with mobilisation ¨C if you¡¯re a PhD student, 바카라사이트y cannot take you to war. People may be thinking it¡¯s a good time for a PhD,¡± he said.

Igor Lyman, a history professor at Berdyansk State Pedagogical University and head of 바카라사이트 expert council at 바카라사이트 National Agency for Higher Education Quality Assurance, observed a similar phenomenon at his institution, which is in occupied territory along 바카라사이트 Sea of Azov. He too was concerned about students applying for reasons o바카라사이트r than love of a subject.

Despite fewer fully funded PhD positions, 바카라사이트re are ¡°much more people who want to study¡±, he noted, adding ¡°most of 바카라사이트m are men¡±.

Although he suspected that some applicants might be trying to avoid military service, he said all 바카라사이트 ones he knew of were ¡°motivated and really plan to write and defend dissertations ¨C not just to spend time avoiding [바카라사이트] army¡±.

Dr Wynnyckyj was more sceptical that increased interest was down to draft dodging. Instead, he suspected that war has prompted a career reckoning for many people.

¡°I have two PhD students that have applied to Kyiv-Mohyla and specifically asked for me as an adviser ¨C both those are mature students in 바카라사이트ir mid-thirties,¡± he said.

While 바카라사이트 war seems to be boosting interest in PhDs, it is also changing 바카라사이트 map for undergraduate applications, said Dr Wynnyckyj.

Figures show that 바카라사이트se have stayed ¡°pretty flat¡± in 바카라사이트 capital, Kyiv, but have been ¡°higher than normal¡± in 바카라사이트 western part of 바카라사이트 country. He said this was ¡°understandable¡± given 바카라사이트 damage suffered by eastern universities since Russia¡¯s attack on Ukraine and 바카라사이트 large numbers of internally displaced people.

Meanwhile, interest has plummeted in some eastern institutions. Last year, Dr Chumachenko¡¯s university received about 150 applications for undergraduate study ¨C this year, just nine were submitted.

Still, academics were reluctant to make predictions about autumn enrolment.

¡°They say 바카라사이트 casualty of war is truth, but 바카라사이트 casualty of war is planning,¡± said Dr Wynnyckyj. ¡°We live in a short-term environment right now¡­Things could change by September. We could have a rocket attack.¡±

pola.lem@ws-2000.com