Statement of Dr. Serhij Kvit, President of National University of Kyiv Mohyla Academy NaUKMA to the Kyiv-Mohyla University Community
Freedom never comes easily, it has to be gained. It is never easy to achieve. The same applies to university autonomy, which is the goal that Kyiv-Mohyla Academy is struggling to defend, and which will be achieved as a result of many efforts which will strengthen us and will bring about improved results.
Let me call to your attention to a special session of the Academic Council held in September of this year which adopted NaUKMA's new Statute (Bylaws), and entrusted me to defend and safe-keep this Statute at the Ministry of Education and Research of Ukraine.
After a brief time, the Ministry of Education and Research of Ukraine began a series of attacks against our freedoms (particularly on the right to require a certificate of English proficiency for university admission), and against those requirements in NaUKMA's Statute (Bylaws) which for us are a matter of principle.
The situation became even more complicated with the introduction of the declaration of a new Draft Law of Ukraine “On Higher Education”. If the new law is adopted, the development of research and higher education in Ukraine may be frozen for many years due to the prohibition of autonomy, the rejection of the fundamental principles for creating a Common European Framework of Higher Education, the disregard of national economic issues, and it will lead toward global isolation of Ukrainian universities.
It should be noted that the discussion of the proposed new Draft Law, which took place at the meeting of university rectors of the Kyiv region, caused discomfort and displeasure of practically all participants. But during voting only the voice of NaUKMA’s president expressed opposition. That is why my public statements of the last few weeks, as well as the statements of our colleagues, which were supported only by the rector of the Ukrainian Catholic University and rectors of foreign university partners, were expressed in the context of the struggle to maintain Kyiv Mohyla Academy’s rights to pursue the European model for research and academic development for our country.
NaUKMA takes the position of expert on matters related to education and cannot remain silent when the majority of Ukraine’s academic community is in a demoralized state. Kyiv-Mohyla Academy has always actively been engaged in and continues to work on changes to legislation on education. Evidence of this fact is demonstrated by the various conferences and publications which are available through the NaUKMA Library website. I will mention here only one example, the publication “Establishment of the Third Cycle of Education in Ukraine: Research Universities” (Kyiv, 2009 - page 123), as well as numerous proposals of our Consortium on University Autonomy.
We have not been able to preserve the requirement of an English proficiency certificate as an admission criterion for the 2011-2012 admission cycle. Every year, the order of the Minister of Education and Research is registered at the Ministry of Justice of Ukraine and it has the force of law. Failure to comply with legislation opens the possibility of direct state intervention in the internal affairs of the university, which is an inadmissible fact. However, we will find opportunities to inform applicants about the need for proficiency in the English language to study at NaUKMA.
Dear Colleagues,
At the present time, it is important for us to concentrate our efforts on the following:
1) Approval of a new NaUKMA Statute that will ensure our continued limited autonomy by maintaining our legal status as an “experimental” university within the Ukrainian educational system.
2) Implementing exacting quality standards within the university now that we have been forced by Ukraine ’s Ministry of Education to give up on the unique entrance exam system developed by NaUKMA. During the next year, the top priority for the entire university community will be tosubstantively improve quality – of teaching, of learning, of research, of management.
3) Continued and growing presence of NaUKMA in the media; widespread propagation of our educational model as a basis for the reform of the educational and research system in Ukraine.
Serhij Kvit
NaUKMA President
We will keep you informed and updated about ongoing events – please check for information on NaUKMA's official site, Facebook's «Ï³äòðèìóþ ÊÌÀ», and Facebook of president Serhiy Kvit.