HIGHER EDUCATION IN UKRAINE

31 March 2011

Higher education in Ukraine has centuries-old history, national traditions and high prestige in the world. Ukraine was one of the most developed republics of the former Soviet Union, distinguished by high level of training of highly qualified specialists and research workers. Higher school in Ukraine has got developed training, scientific and social infrastructure and is ready to give an opportunity to every citizen of Ukraine or citizen of any other country to obtain education of different levels, to study at proficiency improvement or advanced courses, to study at post-graduate courses or to write doctorate dissertation, to take part in fundamental and applied researches. Every year almost 200 thousand Ukrainians and citizens of other countries become students of higher educational institutions in Ukraine after passing entrance examinations based on secondary education. The system of higher education in our country has flexible structure, corresponds to modern trends and tendencies to those in advanced countries recognized by UNESCO, UN Organization and many other international organization. Almost 900 thousand undergraduates study at the universities, academies and institutes, about 600 thousand of them are full-time students. About 40% of school-leaves have the opportunity to get higher education. Scientific and teaching staff accounts about 80,000 persons; among them 4,506 doctors of science, 32,825 candidates of science, 5,228 professors and 26,665 assistant professors. Graduates of higher educational institutions who have outstanding inclinations for scientific-research work have an opportunity to continue their studies at the post-graduate and doctorate course. The vast net of post-graduate courses on different specialities satisfies the needs in highly qualified specialists for different branches of industry, economics, science, culture and education. Training is carried out for 20 branches of science and 366 specialities and it includes all the branches of training of the specialists of high qualification. There are 16,000 post-graduate students and 930 persons working for a doctor's degree. Training on specialities which determine the reformational processes in the country (economics, law, social and political studies) is expanded now. New Ukrainian educational laws, state policy give certain autonomy to the higher educational institutions in their activities classical academic liberties in the self-government. Ukraine has entered into the world educational system, and its higher education system fulfils important social functions creating the intellectual potential of Ukraine which is inseparable part of the world civilization. Higher education supplies all spheres of national economy with highly-qualified professionals, it looks for better ways of development, leading the humanity to the XXIst century.

The future and the destiny of our country depends,to a great extent,on young people’s general education and professional training and their intellectual and spiritual values. Our country plans to take all branchers of the economy to the most advanced levels of science and engineering,carry out extensive automation of production,ensure a basic increase in labour productivity,and take the production of output to the level of the best world samples. To carry out all these plans our country needs highly education and highly qualified people.

Higher education is accessible to all. Young men and women have the chance of entering an institute or university. Girls students even predominate in teacher’s,medical and some other institutes. Institutions of higher education have preparatory departments for those who work in agriculture and industry and are demobilized from the army. After completing the ten-mounth preparatory course and passing exams they are enrolled as students.

The country has three types of institutions of higher education: universities,polytechnical and specialized institutes. Studies,research work,social activity,various kinds of sport – they are all part of student’s life. Students who have an aptitude and desire for research work may begin postgraduate studies immediately after graduation.

Irina Yashchuk