One Person Can Make a Difference

Interview with Vyacheslav Briukhovetskyi, Honorary President of National University of Kyiv Mohyla Academy
(Abbreviated)

The interview was conducted Maria Klimchak, host of radio program "Ukrainian Wave" on April 18, 2011.

In the English language the word "aggressive" usually has two meanings - one is a person who aims at a goal and achieves it, and another is a person in constant tension. In Ukraine, the word other interpretations. After all, in Ukraine there is a constant need to fight for everything ...

In the mid-nineties, Jan Brzezinski, the son of Zbigniew Brzezinski, lectured at Kyiv-Mohyla Academy in English. When he finished teaching his course he came to me to share his experience, and I asked him what he thinks of our students. He answered, “They are so aggressive, it's so good!". At that moment, I, a person from the Soviet era, realized that to be aggressive may even be a good quality, it may have a positive meaning. But eventually I learned that it can mean something else: determination, a sense of purpose, diligence and perseverance in achieving goals - all positive features missing in our society.

In Ukraine there are now two tendencies. On is a trend toward a unilateral direction to fight, which is a manifestation of aggressiveness in the negative sense – it doesn’t matter how your fight, what counts is to win at any cost. I am not a fan of this aggression. The expression of patriotism should not manifest itself in shouting and bullying, it should be implemented through work, through the strategic attainment of goals. There is also another expression of patriotism - a passive patriotism that is expressed too often only in mere words. Instead, I believe that a patriot should first and foremost work to prove to himself and others that his goals can be attained through strategic action because everything one believes in and works for can be achieved.

If we are going to talk today about reform in education, our own example at Kyiv-Mohyla Academy demonstrates how through strategic work and persistence one can block the negative trends being pursued in our society. If you are convinced in the truth of your position, then you must pursue it and one should not think that one’s goals are impossible to attain.

Have you ever experienced defeat? And how did you deal with it?

Of course I did. Defeat should be an opportunity to draw accurate conclusions. Defeat is part of life. Although ... there is a saying: "Better a temporary defeat than a temporary victory." Defeat can teach a lot and we should not be afraid of it. But of course, success and victory are important to everyone, and certainly not just a temporary victory.

It is important to know how to win and behave with dignity toward one’s opponent, and learn the rules of moderation and modesty as a winner. I have long felt that it is a difficult but beneficial task for a winner to behave with a sense of dignity and humanity, not to behave with superiority, and not to turn one’s opponent into one’s enemy. A defeat, in my opinion - is only a step toward personal development. Life cannot be only a series of victories, life is filled with positive and negative experiences, and that is why we must be able to learn useful lessons from our various defeats. If you analyze the negative elements of defeat, even a negative experience may provide the stimulus for positive development.

Information is now widely available and everyone can make their own assessments and see what is what and who is who. Do you view this situation as a means of defeat for the current government policy, when everyone can see the greed that forms the basis of government policy, when it looks like money decides everything?

Without a doubt. Their weakness lies precisely in their greed. Moscow understood that if Ukraine will educate one more generation based on the ideals of an independent Ukrainian state, on the idea of national independence, then Ukraine as a colony, as a satellite, as an obedient tool and resource will be gone for Russia forever. Ukraine will then become an equal partner, one to reckon with. Perhaps that is why Tabachyk is being kept as an implementer of Moscow. Although his position as minister is not as stable any more.

I promise you that just as we managed to stop the law on education, which he tried to push through with all possible methods, and just as we obtained the approval of our University Bylaws that we wanted (not as Tabachnyk wanted - he did not want us to use English as a second working language, or that we should have a PhD program – but he signed our Bylaws as submitted), so we will attain the coming of a new minister. I think that in my next visit to your country we will talk about a different minister.

What kinds of changes proposed by the Ministry caused the initiatives led by Kyiv-Mohyla Academy?

First of all I acknowledge without hesitation that a new law on reform of education needs to be passed and we support a change. The current law is outdated. It is semi-soviet, although at one time it had some important ideas for reforms. However, the proposed new law took our education back not even to the Soviet times of the 70s, but back to the 30s. Autonomy of universities was proposed in words on paper, but in reality, what was taking place was centralization of management of education. But most importantly – the proposed law did not envision a systematic approach to the development of education in Ukraine.

What is necessary in the new law is a systematic approach to reform of the education system in Ukraine, with changes of the system of preparatory education. It is necessary to change preparation of education, to provide for fundamental research training. There is a need for a systemic vision of education in Ukraine. I am sure such changes will come. What is needed is to work for those changes to happen and to be prepared to wage a struggle for it.

The position of Dmytro Tabachnyk is not even to make Ukrainian education similar to the Russian model, because they also have some top universities where one can borrow from, but his position is to make Ukrainian universities worse than in Russia. He has a clear objective. And not just in education. For example, also as related to the Moscow church.

The impetus for the Electronic Library Project of Ukraine came from the university and the U.S. Foundation of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy. Three years ago the project was established to promote Ukrainian education and research in the academic global digital network. Tell us about their attitude to this project.

Information flow is now quickly transferred through the Internet. The Electronic Library project (ELibUkr) encourages people to enter this vast world of information and provides an opportunity for Ukraine to share who we are with the world. The project will provide tremendously valuable research resources needed to universities.

Kyiv-Mohyla Academy introduced the first bachelor’s program in Ukraine. I remember how it was opposed by the Ministry. Four years later we were first to introduce the master’s degree and we were at risk when we also first implemented the Ph.D. program. Real quality education is possible only where solid reliable original research is conducted and that is why we followed this path.

The situation in Ukraine has been and continues also with Tabachnyk that universities cannot establish research centers and engage in research work. They are prohibited from doing so even if they find funding. Special permits from the Ministry are necessary for the establishment of such research centers.

This is one of the reasons why we don’t qualify in world rankings of the best universities. This is mainly because, first - lack of research work at universities, and second - due to lack of academic and research publications. All such publications need to be published in English. And for this you need to have access to electronic academic and research libraries. Incidentally, this is also a reason why Tabachnyk opposes teaching in English.

What is the attitude of the world academic community toward Tabachnyk’s policies on education?

It is clearly negative. We received many letters of support, beyond our expectations. Even from those individuals and institutions we did not know before. We realized that during the last 20 years, since its re-establishment, the Academy earned a name, it acquired considerable authority and respect, and hence the support for which, incidentally, we are very grateful.

What would Russia like to see at Kyiv-Mohyla Academy?

Russia is confused by our capabilities and success, by our ability to raise our standards to an international academic level. I do not mean to imply all Russians, because when I say “Russia” I am referring to the government functionaries in power. And frankly, even in the government everyone is not the same and everything is not uniform – the government is not the same as the people of the country. Certainly I know people in Russia, who are delighted by our success, people who come and work with us, they present lectures and participate in our programs.

Let me share a quote from an article published by the Russian agency " Stamp and News", by the researcher I. Andreev. The article is titled, "Russian Language as a Shield and a Sword." Here is what he wrote: "Today in Ukraine there is a project that has the potential to undermine Russian influence in the intellectual sphere. This project is Kyiv-Mohyla Academy. Teaching at this university is conducted in English and Ukrainian. Teaching at a quality level in English essentially provides the opportunity to bypass the resources of Russian culture, and removes the development of all principal disciplines from the source of post-Soviet research and transfers it to the sphere of contemporary intellectual currents of the West. This fact is very dangerous for Russia.”

There is a proverb – “One soldier does not make a battle” (“odyn u poli ne voyin”).

The proverb you mention is not always correct. Sometimes even one soldier can make a battle. One institution can do a lot and make a difference. And I will state even more – that one person can make a difference. I have more than one example from life that one person succeeded in causing major changes. John F. Kennedy said “One person can make a difference and every person should try”. Let’s take a contemporary example - Oleh Skrypka. He entered alone into the Russified and destroyed field of Ukrainan culture, and he proceeded to do things that are perhaps beyond the power and capability of the government – he raised Ukrainian music to a world level. Or take as an example Sviatoslav Vakarchuk, or the last event which transpired with Vasyl Shklar. I consider the last example to be truly “an act worthy of a man”.

This year we’ve reached the twentieth year of Ukraine’s independence. How do you see the future of Ukraine?

The future will be like in any other country. The country exists as an independent entity. Look how many years Ukraine has already held its own independence! Independence has already taken place, it is a fact. And Ukraine will continue to exist, like any normal country, with its pluses and minuses, including its own anti-Ukrainians, who will also continue to exist. But the country will be Ukrainian and the Ukrainian idea and spirit will dominate. I am thoroughly convinced of this and I know that this is the way it will be. I think we will feel this in a few more years. Because, as a matter of fact - a new generation will come to lead the nation.

I don’t want to idealize this next generation, but it already is different than the previous one. It thinks differently, it will not push for a retreat into the past - a past which is too heavy to be reanimated. This is the generation of people who will be looking forward. There will always be a competitive struggle among them, as to be expected in life. But that Ukraine has come to life, in that I have no doubt.

To watch the interview in Ukrainian click the following link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ybr7_AewNw