New law to increase autonomy of universities

Royal Society of Chemistry 05 August 2012

Ukrainian higher education is on the verge of major changes, with the long-awaited adoption of a new law on higher education scheduled for the end of this year, writes Eugene Gerden for the Royal Society of Chemistry.

The new law introduces several innovations. One of the most important is the expansion of universities’ financial autonomy, by allowing institutions to manage funds themselves. This is expected to help universities to improve their resource base. Universities will be able to organise academic activities without intervention from the Ministry of Education. Further, the new bill aims to attract foreign scientists to Ukranian universities by simplifying the process of recognising foreign degrees, and to increase student scholarships to a living wage.

However, the new law has already sparked fierce protests from some representatives of the Ukrainian student community, as well as universities. Some students claim the new law could allow universities to raise tuition fees without dialogue or consultation.
Full report on the Royal Society of Chemistry site

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