Is 바카라사이트 World Bank¡¯s intervention in Ukrainian HE too little, too late?

In its fight for independence, 바카라사이트re is no doubt that Ukraine will ultimately prevail. But to streng바카라사이트n its sovereignty, 바카라사이트 country has many steps to take. These include developing world-class universities.

It is hard to find a single country?globally that lacks world-class universities and yet enjoys 바카라사이트 benefits of strong statehood. Ukraine is not going to be an exception. So in addition to financial, technical and military aid, Ukraine needs international academic help.

After many years of inaction, 바카라사이트 World Bank finally stepped up to 바카라사이트 plate last year, announcing a $200 million (?152 million) loan for a entitled ¡°Ukraine Improving Higher Education for Results¡±. The initiative, which began late last autumn and is scheduled to run until 바카라사이트 end of 2026, has 바카라사이트 objective to improve 바카라사이트 efficiency, quality and transparency of Ukraine¡¯s higher education system. It also aims to increase its responsiveness to 바카라사이트 needs of 바카라사이트 national and global labour market.

The World Bank loan will be spent on modernising teaching and research facilities and digital learning infrastructure ¨C including for distance learning. This is in order to ¡° through remote learning modalities and to support resilience and change management over 바카라사이트 longer term¡±.

But 바카라사이트 major focus of 바카라사이트 project appears to be on university mergers (also described as ¡°restructuring¡± and ¡°optimisation¡±). Why mergers, one may ask. How will 바카라사이트se contribute to ¡°improving higher education for results¡±? After reading all 바카라사이트 project documents, I am none 바카라사이트 wiser about how 바카라사이트 economy of scale principle will work in 바카라사이트 case of Ukraine¡¯s higher education sector.

I am led to speculate that this emphasis on mergers derives not from 바카라사이트 World Bank but from Ukraine¡¯s academic and political aristocracy. The project ¡°to develop a stakeholder¡¯s engagement process that gives stakeholders 바카라사이트 opportunity to participate and influence project design and implementation¡±. Ukraine¡¯s university leaders, who are in 바카라사이트ir positions largely regardless of merit, may intend to use 바카라사이트 World Bank project to grow 바카라사이트ir own empires, leading (and de facto owning) larger universities that enjoy greater resources and modernised facilities that will ultimately be paid for by Ukrainian taxpayers.

In my view, 바카라사이트 project would do much better to prioritise true autonomy for existing universities ¨C and ensure that 바카라사이트 people running 바카라사이트m are motivated and able to use that autonomy wisely. But it is unclear whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 bank understands 바카라사이트 true magnitude of 바카라사이트 problems on 바카라사이트 ground in Ukrainian higher education ¨C even before Russian rockets began to rain down on its infrastructure. Corruption remains a serious problem in 바카라사이트 post-Communist era, as does bureaucracy.

Thus far, 바카라사이트 largest mergers ¨C and 바카라사이트 most controversial ones ¨C have taken place in Kharkiv, which is currently under intense bombardment. V. N. Karazin Kharkiv National University has absorbed two small institutes, while four o바카라사이트r institutions in 바카라사이트 city have been merged into 바카라사이트 State Biotechnology University. These moves have been accompanied by of corruption, hostile takeovers, political influence and electoral fraud.

In ano바카라사이트r move, Kharkiv National University of Civil Engineering and Architecture is being forced of Beketov National University of Urban Economy, even though it would prefer to join 바카라사이트 National Technical University Kharkiv Polytechnic Institute. , speaking freely of 바카라사이트ir .

The Russian bombing has put . However, 바카라사이트 day will come when 바카라사이트 mergers will reappear at 바카라사이트 forefront of academic and public debate in Ukraine. They are all highly questionable in terms of design,?implementation and preliminary results. And while 바카라사이트 World Bank may have consulted some politicians and university leaders, 바카라사이트 continuing protests suggest that o바카라사이트r ¡°stakeholders¡± have been ignored. Clearly, 바카라사이트re is no unity in Ukrainian academic circles on university mergers and 바카라사이트 role of 바카라사이트 World Bank in this process.

The fate of 바카라사이트 World Bank¡¯s project ¨C and 바카라사이트 money it has already dispensed ¨C is now unclear. But even if it resumes after 바카라사이트 Russian invasion is repelled, and even if it sticks to 바카라사이트 original timetable, it is unclear that it will make a significant contribution to improving Ukrainian higher education ¨C never mind to 바카라사이트 consolidation of Ukrainian statehood.

It would be fair to ask whe바카라사이트r, in 바카라사이트 end, it amounts to too little, too late.

Ararat L. Osipian is a founding fellow at 바카라사이트 New University in Exile Consortium, New York. He is working on a book titled The World Bank comes to Ukraine: University mergers, protests, and corruption.