On July 1, the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine adopted a new law on higher education
On July 1, the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine adopted a new law on higher education. The International Renaissance Foundation (IRF) supported initiatives to develop, discuss, and advocate for the adoption of the document. IRF also supported the extensive preparations and a number of related projects that formed the foundation of the new law.
In 2005-2010 IRF together with its partners (NGOs and universities) implemented a series of projects on university autonomy, changes in education legislation, independent external testing, fighting corruption in education, and the development of student government.
In 2007-2008 regulatory documents were drafted on the introduction of experimental university autonomy within a consortium established under the auspices of IRF (Kyiv-Mohyla Academy, Vasily Karazin Kharkiv National University, Oles Honchar Dnipropetrovsk National University, Donetsk National University, Yuriy Fedkovych Chernivtsi National University, Ivan Franko Lviv National University, Ukrainian Catholic University, KROK University of Economics and Law).
The consortium’s work was used by the working group led by Mykhailo Zgurovsky in drafting the bill on higher education (№1187-2). The group included nearly all active participants of projects that were supported and coordinated by the International Renaissance Foundation.
In 2012-2013, with support from IRF, broad public discussions on the issue were held. Roundtables were organized together with the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Science and Education, along with a series of expert-led discussions with the student and academic community. After comparing the bills on higher education that were registered in parliament, the participants concluded that the document by Zgurovsky’s group was the most balanced and progressive. The relevant parliamentary committee agreed and recommended that this bill be adopted by the Verkhovna Rada.
The new law on higher education envisages:
– the establishment of a National Agency for Higher Education Quality Assurance
– mandatory publication of dissertations
– two-term limits for rectors, deans, and department heads
– new mechanism for appointing university rectors
– awarding of degrees by universities
– reducing the workload for professors (from 900 to 600 hours)
– reducing the workload for students (number of hours per credit reduced from 36 to 30)
– the introduction of a new mechanism for online application to universities and automatic display of state budget spots per major
– introduction of new degrees (junior bachelor, bachelor, master, Doctor of Philosophy, Doctor of Science) and cancellation of the Candidate of Sciences degree.
