Education in Ukraine
and the crucial role, in particular, of the Ukrainian Catholic University
17 years after its independence and 4 years after its Orange Revolution, Ukraine is building itself up.
EDUCATION FOR BUILDING TOGETHER
Strengthened by a rich past and culture, the Ukrainian people today join in a common project: building the future.
To do so, Ukraine opens itself up to the development of civil society – a process in which one of the main engines is education.
Education allows a nation to build itself up in a way that is active, responsible and independent.
STANDARTIZATION
The diversity of establishments makes integration into Europe's academic landscape difficult for Ukraine. However, Ukraine is part of the Bologna process (which it signed in 2005). This has enabled several Ukrainian and co-Ukrainian projects to be funded by European sources – for instance under the programs Tempus or Erasmus Mundus External Window.
From its end, Ukraine's ministry of Education, through Minister Dr. Ivan Vakarchuk – rector of Lviv National University of Ivan Franko in Lviv and long-time friend of the Ukrainian Catholic University – has invited improvement in university standards.
CONTRIBUTION OF THE UKRAINIAN CATHOLIC UNIVERSITY
The Ukrainian Catholic University (UCU) contributes significantly to this process of modernization by its willingness to step beyond Ukraine's borders. In this way, it improves the image of Ukrainian institutions in general, while offering a new model of university education.
Affiliated with the European reformed university and having born witness through persecution, UCU defines itself as “an open academic community, living in the Eastern tradition, and forming social and professional leaders for service to Ukraine and abroad, for the glory of God, for the good of society, and for the dignity of the human person”.
Located in L'viv, in Western Ukraine – at the crossroads of history – UCU is the only Catholic University on the territory of the former USSR.
It is Catholic in part due to its history, having been founded in 1928 by Metropolitan Andrey Sheptytsky as an academy; in part thanks to its participation in a worldwide network (the international federation of Catholic universities); and above all by virtue of its character and vision, which are “Catholic” in the sense of being universal.
EXPANDING IN RESPONSE TO GROWING NEEDS
From Theology to Business, from the Humanities to Social Pedagogy, UCU's continuous expansion responds to the reality of Ukraine as a modern society by preparing tomorrow's leaders to make an active, responsible and effective contribution.
Its academic curriculum is always growing. After the creation of the Social Pedagogy program in the Humanities Faculty in 2006, the year 2008 sees the birth of a Master's program in Business Administration – the result of a joint effort by local commercial enterprises and UCU aimed to promote development of Human Resources in a spirit of professionalism and ethics. Eager to respond to the diverse needs – social, academic, spiritual, etc – of a society under construction.
Today, UCU's success had let it to expand not only its academic offerings, but also its physical presence, adding a third campus site in L'viv.
SUPPORT OF INTERNATIONAL LEADERS
The Ukrainian Catholic University is attractive in its universality and open-mindedness.
Over the years, UCU has attracted attention in the form of visits by eminent professors, leaders, and other key players in society. Among others, UCU has enjoyed the attention of such eminent persons as Their Holiness Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI, the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I, Rev. Konrad Raiser, Ukrainian Ministers of Education notably Dr. Ivan Vakarchuk, rectors of the universities of Fribourg, Leuven, Lublin, Lyon, Nijmege, Washington, Harvard, Oxford and The Sorbonne; ambassadors in Ukraine of the United States, Canada, France, etc; and other persons and institutions.
A GENEROUS AND RESPONSIBLE CONTRIBUTION
By its work in educating and forming leaders in touch with the social, spiritual and economic reality of the world that surrounds them, UCU contributes to the gathering of minds for service to humanity.
The attention and encouragement that UCU receives inspires confidence in its endeavors and helps ensure the success of its daily efforts to build an independent, stable and responsible society.
|
16 B rue des Trois Arbres |