Late last year, Minister of Education and Science of Ukraine Serhiy Shkarlet and President of the National Academy of Sciences Anatoliy Zagorodniy signed the Memorandum of Cooperation between the Ministry of Education and Science (MES) of Ukraine and the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) of Ukraine on the Presidential University project.
Both parties agreed that cooperation will be carried out in the following areas: creation of a frontmost innovative educational and scientific institution to train highly professional staff with state-of-the-art knowledge and practical skills; formation of the list of educational and scientific areas for the Presidential University and working teams in the fields of study; introduction of key specialties, which form the basis of the 6th technological mode, form scientific and technological progress and allow to train professionals of the highest level.
Areas in which super-class professionals will be trained include information technology, cybersecurity and artificial intelligence; nanotechnology; aerospace technologies; the latest energy technologies; biotechnology and health sciences; globalization and international communications.
The Memorandum also deals with the elaboration of the list of educational and scientific laboratories and plans for their equipment, implementation of advanced teaching methods, formation of educational (scientific) programs, including the development of competencies that will allow students to independently conduct research, formulate tasks, search and apply appropriate methods for their solution.
The Ministry of Education and Science and the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine will assist in opening offices of leading high-tech national and international companies, which will create opportunities for students to gain modern practical skills, cooperate with leading professionals to gain high professional level and further employment.
To address issues related to the implementation of this Memorandum, the parties agreed to establish joint working teams that will consider specific areas of cooperation, as well as agree on the development and implementation of joint activities, schedule of their implementation and responsible executors.
“Such cooperation will coordinate our efforts by concentrating the best scientific and educational resources,” said Anatoliy Zagorodniy, commenting on the signing of the document.
The Minister of Education also praised the prospects of cooperation with national scientists.
“This Memorandum will be a worthy addendum to the Agreement on Cooperation between the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine and the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, signed in March 2021. Use of the best practices of Ukrainian scientists will contribute to the development of the future University,” the Minister said.
“The development of the University with the participation of national scientists is a principled ground of the President of Ukraine. We must keep scientists here in Ukraine. And we must attract from abroad those who left the country due to lack of infrastructure, decent salaries,” said Yulia Hryshyna, Head of the Subcommittee on Higher Education of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Education, Science and Innovation, after signing the Memorandum.
Oleg LYSTOPAD
Svit newspaper, № 1-2, January 2022