December 17, 2010
PRESS RELEASE
UWC SUPPORTS KYIV-MOHYLA ACADEMY IN OPPOSING DESTRUCTIVE DRAFT LAW
“ON HIGHER EDUCATION”
On December 6, 2010, the President of the National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy Serhiy Kvit sent an open letter to President Victor Yanukovych, Head of the Verkhovna Rada Volodymyr Lytvyn and
Prime Minister Nikolai Azarov concerning the current state of affairs in higher education.
According to his letter, the Ministry of Education, Sciences, Youth and Sport of Ukraine is fast tracking public discussions surrounding the draft Law “On Higher Education” that, if adopted, will impede the development and destroy the autonomy of higher education institutions and will prevent their becoming competitive on the international level. Listing the major threats to Ukraine’s education system, the President of the National University of Kyiv-Mohyla AcademySerhiy Kvit called on Ukraine’s government to reject the draft Law “On Higher Education” proposed by the Minister of Education, Sciences, Youth and Sport Dmitri Tabachnyk because it will lead to Ukraine’s isolation and further degradation of education and academics in the country.
National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy is a leading educational institution in Ukraine whose history dates back to the early 17th century. Throughout the centuries it has been a repository of the Ukrainian people’s spiritual traditions, helped form national identity and been a source for the ideas behind the battles for ancestral faith and national liberation. Since Ukraine gained independence, this university has contributed to the establishment of new standards in education based on excellence in knowledge, creative approaches to learning, academic freedom and absence of corruption.
UWC President Eugene Czolij said: “Ukrainian World Congress is deeply disturbed by the policies espoused by the current Minister of Education, Sciences, Youth and Sport Dmitri Tabachnyk, in particular with the curbing of democratic freedoms in education contained in the draft Law of Ukraine “On Higher Education”. Ukrainian World Congress completely supports the declaration made by the National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy and calls on UWC member organizations to raise this issue with higher education institutions in their countries. UWC calls on President Victor Yanukovych, Head of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Volodymyr Lytvyn and Prime Minister Nikolai Azarov to prevent the adoption of this draft law that will ruin Ukrainian higher education if adopted.”
UKRAINIAN WORLD CONGRESS
145 Evans Ave., Suite 207
Toronto, ON
M8Z 5X8 Canada
