"There's a significant amount of work to be done. Will there be anyone to take care of it?": how to improve architectural education in Ukraine
What is the problem?
The field of architectural education has faced numerous problems. Representatives from specialized universities have expressed concerns about the lack of students due to an increasing number of young individuals choosing to pursue their education abroad.
From left to right in the photo: Deputy Minister of Education and Science Mykhailo Vynnytskyi, panel moderator, GOLDAKOVSKIY GROUP ARCHITECTS founder and chief architect Vlad Goldakovskyi, dean of the Faculty of Architecture of the Kyiv National University of Construction and Architecture Oleksandr Kashchenko, dean of the Faculty of Architecture of the National Academy of Fine Arts and Architecture Anatoliy Davydov, and People's Deputy Hanna Bondar. Photo by organizers of the UBC Ukrainian Construction Congress.
Right now, there are many skilled professionals abroad. This includes female architects who have secured contracts in foreign countries for almost two years due to the war. The extent of their return is still uncertain. Additionally, some architects currently serve in the military, as mentioned by Hanna Bondar, a people's deputy and chair of the subcommittee on urban planning, development, and land relations.
In the picture, architect and People's Deputy Hanna Bondar based her speech on the requests of various professional communities—source: UBC Ukrainian Construction Congress organizers.
"We can see that thousands of square meters of housing have been destroyed, and approximately 3,500 monuments have been destroyed or damaged due to Russian aggression. We acknowledge that there will be a significant amount of work to be done. Will there be anyone to take care of it?" the deputy asked.
Another issue to address is the level of training provided to specialists in architecture. Oleksandr Kashchenko, the dean of the architectural faculty at Kyiv National University of Construction and Architecture (KNUCA) and leader of the subcommittee on architectural education for the Scientific and Methodological Commission of Ukraine's Ministry of Education and Science has brought this matter to attention.
According to Oleksandr Kashchenko, there has been a significant increase in the number of architectural faculties at universities in Ukraine, from 16 to 32, in recent years.
In the photo: Oleksandr Kashchenko, Dean of the Faculty of Architecture of Kyiv National University of Construction and Architecture. Source: organizers of the UBC Ukrainian Construction Congress
"Unfortunately, there are many faculties among them that actually reduce the quality of architectural education. While all institutions have been rebranded as universities, the methodology in a few still holds onto the traditional institute approach," states the dean of the architectural faculty of KNUCA.
How to ensure that professionals work at attractions?
The third problem stems from the second – the quality of work produced by trained professionals. Hanna Bondar highlighted this problem specifically in relation to architectural restoration.
"The main issue lies not in education per se, but rather in a comprehensive approach," the deputy is convinced.
She says that architects can now work on any historical landmark in Ukraine. The laws don't specify any particular qualifications or experience needed for restoration work. Moreover, according to the state procurement law, architects are hired based on the lowest bid.
"Of course, a young and inexperienced architect who works as an individual entrepreneur can offer lower prices than a professional architect specializing in restoration. As a result, it is unfortunately common for non-specialists to be hired for monument projects," explains Hanna Bondar.
Why isn't there an "architect-restorer"?
Hanna Bondar's fourth concern pertains to the professional community's appeal, precisely the absence of the "architect-restorer" profession.
The deputy also brought up issues such as inadequate preparation in pre-professional education and the uncertain status of restoring paintings and decorative and applied art. However, these issues did not receive much attention during the discussion.
During the UBC Ukrainian Construction Congress, the primary focus was on finding a solution for rebuilding Ukraine. During a panel, Ihor Mazepa, CEO of "Concorde Capital" investment company, stressed:
"The key to rebuilding Ukraine lies in revitalizing its professional education system and laying the groundwork for its economic recovery. Prioritizing the training of architects, from undergraduate to advanced degrees, and expanding into necessary fields like restoration is crucial for the government and industry experts. Without a focus on personnel training, there will be no workforce to rebuild Ukraine."
What is the solution?
Mykhailo Vynnytskyi, the Deputy Minister of Education and Science, clarified the issue regarding the lack of the "architect-restorer" specialty.
"I've been working as a deputy minister in the Ministry of Education for six months now, and I never imagined a statistical document could generate such strong emotions," he began.
In the photo: Deputy Minister of Education and Science Mykhailo Vynnytskyi. Source: organizers of the UBC Ukrainian Construction Congress
The discussion was sparked by the draft resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine: "On the approval of the list of fields of knowledge and specialties for which applicants are trained for higher education." However, no such specialty is included in the updated list version.
"When we presented this project, there was a sudden influx of questions from various communities, including the architectural one."
According to the document in question, there will be a decrease in the number of specialties, specifically from 28 to 10. Mykhailo Vinnytskyi emphasized that this aligns with the statistical systems in other countries, including the European Union.
He went on to say, "We're currently having a big debate about which majors to offer. The architecture major will remain available as it is a regulated program. These are majors that have a set list of educational programs. Among the fixed programs that fall under the "architecture" specialty, the "restoration" program will definitely be included. This is more of a statistical issue than a question of entities."
This explanation, of course, also responded to the question posed in the discussion panel's title.
What are the solutions for rebuilding?
According to MP Hanna Bondar, Ukraine should prioritize its architecture: "Ukraine needs to focus more on architecture, with the government giving greater attention to this field and investing in the training of relevant professionals. This includes expanding, rather than reducing, specialized programs and updating the education curriculum to meet modern requirements."
Adaptation of education to current needs
New programs and standards
According to Oleksandr Kashchenko, the dean of the Faculty of Architecture of the Kyiv National University of Construction and Architecture, he and his fellow deans from other architectural faculties in Ukraine held a conference after the start of the full-scale war. Their goal was to discuss strategies for maintaining the continuity of architectural education in light of the migration of students and teachers both within the country and abroad and how to adapt their activities to support reconstruction efforts.
What was agreed upon:
- to monitor what is happening;
- to identify places and cities that need reconstruction and restoration. Completely destroyed cities need new re-planning and new conceptual proposals;
- to incorporate these areas into the education system.
In the picture, Oleksandr Kashchenko (the one holding the microphone) mentioned the objective of architectural education in line with the requirements for reconstruction during his presentation. Photo credit goes to the author.
Oleksandr Kashchenko stated that these areas were incorporated into the study of architectural design, history, and theory.
"We have the chance to establish educational programs centered on restoration and then expand them to include the concepts of renovation and revaluation. This will involve collaborating with communities, gaining their consent and cooperation, and securing support from domestic and international sponsors," Oleksandr Kashchenko believes.
*Revaluation (fr. revalorisation) is a set of measures aimed at increasing the architectural and artistic value of individual buildings and structures, their complexes, ensembles, and historical centers of cities.
In the picture, during a discussion, Oleksandr Kashchenko presented slides on the current trends in architectural education in Ukraine and the accomplishments of the Kyiv National University of Construction and Architecture/ Photo taken by the author.
According to Oleksandr Kashchenko, to enhance the quality of student education, newly established architectural faculties should collaborate with more experienced universities in centers of architectural learning.
In the photo, during his presentation, Oleksandr Kashchenko presented the results of admissions to architectural faculties over the past three years. This highlighted the significant variation among these faculties. The organizers of the UBC Ukrainian Construction Congress provided this information.
The Deputy Minister of Education and Science of Ukraine, Mykhailo Vynnytskyi, reiterated that the bachelor's level education standard in the "Architecture and Construction" field was approved over three years ago and is due for revision. Oleksandr Kashchenko also emphasized the importance of harmonizing educational standards.
Dual education
The Ministry of Education and Science is strongly promoting the development of a dual education system to partner with higher education institutions. Mykhailo Vinnytskyi also emphasized this.
"We are extremely grateful for the first experiment currently taking place at Kyiv National University of Construction and Architecture regarding dual education. Architecture education must align closely with the job market. Therefore, collaboration with employers to facilitate practical training in the workplace while theoretical training takes place in the institution is of utmost importance. In April, the ministry passed the necessary regulations, and we strongly support the expansion of such programs throughout Ukraine. We currently require professionals with a practical focus."
*A dual form of obtaining higher education is a method of obtaining education that involves training at the workplace in enterprises, institutions, and organizations to acquire a specific qualification in the amount of 25 percent to 60 percent of the total amount of the educational program based on the contract. On-the-job training involves the performance of job duties in accordance with the employment contract.
Solutions for the restoration of monuments
According to Anatoliy Davydov, dean of the Faculty of Architecture at the National Academy of Fine Arts and Architecture, most architects hold a bachelor's degree. However, only the advanced master's program offers a specialization in restoration.
In the photo: Anatoliy Davydov, dean of the Faculty of Architecture at the National Academy of Fine Arts and Architecture. Source: organizers of the UBC Ukrainian Construction Congress
According to Anatoliy Davydov, the solution could involve implementing a separate educational requirement for restorers, ensuring that students acquire the necessary knowledge starting at the undergraduate level.
"One possible format for the program could involve a two-year study of all general disciplines, followed by a focused study of restoration in the third or fourth year. This approach would ensure that students gain specialized knowledge in this area. Merely studying restoration at the master's level may not be sufficient," remarked the dean of the faculty of Architecture of the National Academy of Fine Arts and Architecture.
Hanna Bondar, a member of parliament, believes that for Ukraine's architectural monuments to be correctly restored, the country should learn from the international standards of selecting skilled professionals for such projects.
"Either a dedicated registry for restoration experts is established, or individuals can obtain the right to practice through completing additional courses and exams. Essentially, this is a form of certification that requires further education. Alternatively, certain qualifications may be required for the hiring of restorers, rather than simply choosing the lowest bidder, taking into consideration their expertise and experience," Hanna Bondar proposes.
She used the case of Great Britain as an example, where the country's chief conservator keeps the designated special register. This person is not employed by the government but rather by a self-regulatory organization. The city or state can then obtain this organization's scientific and project documents for restoration.
"Four ministries need to be involved in this work: the Ministry of Regional Development, currently known as the Ministry of Infrastructure, which should focus on this area. We also have the Ministry of Culture and Information Policy, the Ministry of Education and Science, and the Ministry of Economy. They should all come together and discuss how to ensure that experts are working at these sites," commented People's Deputy Hanna Bondar.
How does it work?
Project ideas are welcome, but not all of them are put into action
In terms of how universities are contributing to the reconstruction efforts, the Kyiv National University of Construction and Architecture has already received proposals from students and teachers for planning decisions on how to rebuild specific buildings, parks, districts, villages, and other areas that were destroyed and damaged by the aggressor.
An excellent illustration of this is the reconstruction projects undertaken for Moshchun, a village near Kyiv, by the Kyiv National University of Construction and Architecture students. Specifically, they devised three variations of the overall plan, taking into account a thorough SWOT analysis of the situation. They also proposed enhancing public facilities, creating recreational spaces, improving private structures, constructing bicycle paths, and beautifying the Irpin and Moshchunka rivers. Additionally, they suggested plans for a memorial honoring the heroes who defended Moshchun. They received heartfelt letters of appreciation from the Hostomel settlement military administration officials in recognition of their efforts.
In the photo: KNUCA students present their Moshchun reconstruction projects / Photo from the KNUCA website www.knuba.edu.ua
When Rubryka inquired about the fate of these projects, Serhiy Biletsky, the deputy head of the Kyiv Regional Military Administration, responded that they are considering various project solutions to use the available resources efficiently and promptly complete the reconstruction. Certified specialists with relevant work experience are carrying out these solutions.
"We are planning on providing the projects of our future architects as material, including ideas and proposals, which can be used in potential projects to attract investors," stated Serhiy Biletskyi.
It should be noted that Rubryka recently covered why the promised reconstruction of Moshchun has not taken place.
According to Anatoliy Davydov, the dean of the Faculty of Architecture of the National Academy of Fine Arts and Architecture, a memorandum has been signed between the institution and the city of Mykolaiv to restore the city's parks and squares.
Recently, students presented their projects in which they attempted to merge current sustainable development trends with the unique aspects of Mykolaiv's development.
"We're also in the process of creating a new community in Tryhuby village, as requested by the settlers of Bakhmut. The project involves German and Danish architects," Anatoliy Davydov mentioned. "We're currently in talks with the Irpin city officials about rebuilding individual homes that were destroyed. Furthermore, we've prioritized our students' master's theses to address relevant issues related to these challenges."
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