Ukrainian - Polish Seminar "Activities of national rectors’ conferences in Poland and Ukraine on the European background" in Lutsk, Ukraine

On June 22-23, 2018 delegation of the Conference of Rectors of Academic Schools in Poland (CRASP) and Polish Rectors Foundation (PRF) took part in the Ukrainian-Polish Rectors' Seminar, devoted to the issues of the activities of national rectors’ conferences in Europe and current trends in higher education governance, which was organised by the Union of Rectors of Higher Education Institutions of Ukraine (URHEIU) at Lesya Ukrainka Eastern European National University in Lutsk, Ukraine.

The initiator and organizer of the meeting from the Polish side was the President of the Polish Rectors Foundation, Professor Jerzy Woźnicki. The delegation of Polish rectors was represented by:

  • CRASP President, Rector of Warsaw University of Technology, Professor Jan Szmidt;
  • Honorary President of CRASP, Board member of the European University Association (EUA), Professor Wiesław Banyś;
  • Vice-President of CRASP, Rector of Warsaw University of Life Sciences, Professor Wiesław Bielawski;
  • Chairman of the CRASP Commission for International Cooperation, Rector of Opole University of Technology, Professor Marek Tukiendorf;
  • Vice-Chairman of the Conference of Rectors of Polish Universities, Rector of Maria Curie-Skłodowska University in Lublin, Professor Stanisław Michałowski;
  • Rector of Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński University in Warsaw, Rev. Professor Stanisław Dziekoński.

Ukrainian delegation was represented by:

  • URHEIU President, Rector of Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, Professor Leonid V. Hubersky, Chairman of the Ukrainian delegation;
  • Rector of Lesya Ukrainka Eastern European National University Professor Ihor Kotsan, Rector-host;
  • First Vice-President of URHEIU, Rector of National Pedagogical Dragomanov University, Professor Viktor Andrushchenko;
  • Rector of Odessa I.I. Mechnikov National University, Professor Ihor Kowal;
  • Rector of Kyiv National University of Trade and Economics, Professor Anatoly Mazaraki,
  • Rector of Yuri Fedkovich Chernivtsi National University, Professor Stepan Melnychuk,
  • Rector of Rivne State University of Humanities, Professor Ruslan Postolovsky,
  • Vice-Rector of Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, Professor Petro Bekh,
  • Professor Petro Saukh, National Academy of Pedagogical Sciences of Ukraine.

During the Seminar, Ukrainian and Polish rectors discussed the current situation in higher education, changes in regulations which are being introduced or proposed in both countries, with particular emphasis on university governance. In the panel debate, rectors discussed the experience and conditions of the activities of the national rectors' conferences in Poland and Ukraine, as well as current trends and activities of EUA. Rectors emphasized that keeping the traditional academic values is crucial for the university development as we;; as academic community, and there is a great need to promote them by national conferences of rectors. In this context, the university autonomy is recognized as the foundation for the functioning of higher education institutions, respecting the academic self-governance traditions.

It was agreed that the cooperation of the rectors' conferences in the next three years 2018-2021 will be carried out within the Polish-Ukrainian project entitled "Polish-Ukrainian cooperation of associations representing rectors, for the improvement of the university's performance", which received the support of the Minister of Science and Higher Education of the Republic of Poland. A joint Polish-Ukrainian research team will be created to conduct analysis and research on organizational solutions and governance models in higher education. Next rectors' seminars will be held alternately in Poland and Ukraine.