Ukraine contemplates university downsizing as student numbers decline

Ukraine's Ministry of Education and Science has developed a draft law considering the possibility of reducing the number of higher educational institutions in Ukraine. 

Deputy Minister of Education and Science Mykhailo Vynnytskyi made this announcement in an interview on Radio Culture.

What's the problem?

The ministry official noted that Ukraine's higher education system is "inflated" with over 170 state higher education institutions, some of which have territorially separated structural units.

"There is also postgraduate education opened in the universities of the Academy of Sciences, which are also considered separate educational institutions. This is a quite 'inflated' system. And these are only state institutions; in addition to them, there are 85 private ones," said Vynnytskyi.

The Ministry of Education also stressed the need to optimize the network of universities, especially due to the demographic situation. The ministry recorded a decreasing trend in the number of people obtaining higher education in Ukraine.

"Our demographics cannot support so many educational institutions. Fifteen years ago, the average number of students per institution was 6,500 people. Today, it is 3,500. And this trend continues," said the deputy minister.

Vynnytskyi mentioned that reducing the number of universities is also recommended by the European Commission, which monitors Ukraine's compliance with requirements for entry into the European Union.

What's the solution?

The official explained that the European Commission suggests developing an action plan to downsize universities.

"The Ministry of Education's response is developing a draft law to modernize the higher education institution network," said the deputy education minister.

How does it work?

What the draft law on the modernization of the higher education institution network envisions

According to the document, institutions of specialized pre-higher education (colleges) should be distinguished from higher education institutions in Ukraine.

"Firstly, to distinguish between so-called specialized pre-higher education institutions from higher education institutions. We need to abandon the fact that universities today have their own subordinate colleges," said the official.

Moreover, according to Vynnytskyi, territorially separated structural units should either be attached to other educational institutions or become independent.

"This way, we will streamline our network. It's a painstaking process that involves many discussions at the local level. But everyone should understand that this is for the better, for the good of a united institution," said the deputy minister.

He added that by the end of 2023, there will be at least six consolidated institutions in different regions of Ukraine.

"In Europe, there is no concept of territorially separated structural units or branches. It is challenging to imagine that, for example, in Hamburg, there is a branch of the Munich University and the Paris University in Marseille. We need to divide them," said Vynnytskyi.

According to Minister of Education and Science Oksen Lisovyi, children in Ukraine can go to an academic lyceum or a vocational college after finishing the ninth grade. They will study for three more years. After completing a vocational college, they will enter the job market with a profession, while those from an academic lyceum will continue to higher education institutions.