Ukraine's Isolated HEIs: Still behind the Iron Curtain

One of the most deleterious features of Ukraine's system of higher education, inherited from the Soviet period, is its isolation, especially institutions devoted to social sciences. The emphasis on standardized curricula, not challenging official positions, and general lack of freedoms has led to a system cut off from the world. These features are particularly deplorable in academia, which requires openness and collaboration to function properly.

One of the notable aspects of the Bologna Process is the intent to foster cross-country cooperation among HEIs. This is an area in which Ukrainian HEIs stand out through their absence. Within the 20 or so groups to which top European HEIs are affiliated, including such prominent networks as the Coimbra Group – 38 of the oldest and most prestigious European universities, some of which are younger than the Kyiv-Mohyla or Ostroh Academies; the Utrecht Network, which is notably focused on internationalization through summer schools, mobility programs, and joint curricula and degrees; the League of European Research Universities; and Top Industrial Managers for Europe, which promotes student exchanges and double degrees, primarily for technical and engineering specialists, not a single Ukrainian HEI can be found. This even includes the Institutional Network of Universities from the Capitals of Europe, which includes an Albanian university, but no Ukrainian one.

Developing countries around the world are currently taking advantage of present trends for the outsourcing of education, as well as collaboration with business and private individuals. These can take the form of privately sponsored scholarships, endowments for private universities, corporate universities, joint programs, or off-shore campuses. Such programs are subject to greater pressures in terms of achieving specified goals and being accountable for the efficient use of resources, making them competitive in comparison to their public peers. Moreover, such programs also have a greater international component, which stimulates intellectual exchange, mobility, and spread of knowhow.

One of the notable exceptions in international cooperation is Kyiv-Mohyla Academy's partnership with the Economics Education and Research Consortium, a collection of international donor organizations promoting economics education in the newly-independent states. Together with the Victor Pinchuk Foundation, it founded the Kyiv School of Economics. A joint program with the University of Houston, international faculty, and links to business and regional partners, as well as the combination of individual and business donors, have turned it into a widely acknowledged center of excellence. Nevertheless, such collaboration is extremely rare.

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