| |
Rector of Yalta University of Management Leonid Vasilievykh: “We chose the way of innovational development”.
In May 2005 the Cabinet Council of Ukraine (decree ¹ 429) approved the State Pilot Project “School of Future”. The strategic aim purpose of this project is to bring together within one school all the best ideas professionals in the sphere of school and higher education of Ukraine can propose, and then to develop all the other schools of Ukraine in accordance with this model. And exactly during school years creative abilities are formed and skills are developed.
Two years of hard working process organized by ministries of education and science of Ukraine and Crimea, local authorities, various educational institutions and the staff of the secondary school ¹ 2 has passed. The school has been transformed in outward appearance as well as inside, and the main point is that the psychological mood of the entire staff has been changed.
- Leonid Arkadievitch did the rapid development of the school you are in touch take you unawares?
- It is really a big event in the sphere of Crimean education.
It didn’t take us unawares just because from the very first day of our university existence we chose the way of innovational development.
The University founders with Yalta Borough Council being the main one creating the university decided not to get any profit from educational activity. This was fixed in the university statute: “The Founders do not have it for an object to get profit earnings to be devided between them, and all the profit will be used for innovational development of the University”
Following this concept first of all we created personnel potential of the university fitting the highest IV level of accreditation. Over 80% of our teaching staff has academic degree including 20% of professors. All our departments are headed by Doctors of sciences. In addition to that we have always taken the human factor to be very necessary and reasonable point in the process of development. For example this year we raised wages of our teaching staff and other employees in order to compensate inflation impact upon their family budgets.
We also created up-to-date material and technical basis for studying process ensuring. Today the university has an electronic library having access to 4500 Ukrainian and Russian libraries websites. For our computer rooms equipped in accordance with up-to-date technologies the local area network was created. We have high-speed Internet connection, television Space Bridge with Sate University New-York (SUNY).
The university has up-to-date software support for all the specialties, including business games for studying plan main disciplines. Special lecture rooms are equipped with up-to-date presentation facilities: portable computers, multimedia projectors, electronic boards etc.
We bought the studying equipment to the sum of 1.5 millions Hrivnas. Study methodical department publishes over 100 university teachers’ personal course books. Material and technical basis development gave us an opportunity to publish 599 personal course books including 38 with the stamp of Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine.
-Your higher educational establishment being officially created in 1995 was accredited for the highest 4th level and got the status of the university in 2003. What was the result of this for the university?
- Getting the status of university heightened all the university indexes: contingent of students, annual income, equipment and amortization expenses, wages fund etc.
Considerable strengthening of material and technical bases, staff, methodical funds gave the university an opportunity to take an active part in international projects in the sphere of education, tourism, ecology and culture. 17 international conferences, seminars and congresses were organized and conducted on the basis of the university between 1997 and 2007.
One of our most important international projects is the annual conference of Alliance of Universities of the World for Democracy (AUDEM) which took place on the basis of our university in 2006. 138 representatives of European and American Universities took part in this conference. This international forum was held on the high level and references of its honorable and outstanding education organizers testify this fact.
Doctor John Rider, AUDEM president:
“We can see that Yalta University of Management is the university-innovator, university-toiler. All the new technologies in the sphere of education can be seen in this university. Students have a good command of English. The fact that they are active participants of such a conference is a good example of the right interrelations between teachers and students. This university works in accordance with democratic principles, and we will collaborate with its staff for sure”.
Professor Zbignev Bokhniazh, president of American-polish-ukrainian consortium “Management Education Mastering in Ukraine”:
“Yalta has a real chance to become an academic center and not just that one of Crimea but also that one of Ukraine, to become a cultural and educational center where specialists in the sphere of management as well as young personnel having a good knowledge of the new techniques of teaching will be trained. Students of Yalta University of management are well trained, have a good command of English which brings away a lot of troubles”.
Studying English is of great importance at your university, isn’t it?
- Yes, it is. A good knowledge of the English language gives our students an opportunity to have foreign practice and probation periods: in USA, Germany, England, Turkey, Egypt etc. Just in the year 2007 12 our students had probation periods in the USA and 8 students were in Turkey. Studying plans of all specialties include nonstop English courses during all the 5 years of study. TOEFL training has been introduced alongside with Cambridge tests training. Students take an active part in all the important international arrangements being held on the basis of our university. These are scientific international conferences, seminars, symposiums, international scale sports competitions etc.
- You have won a great experience taking part in international projects. What is the practical result of this?
- I will make an example. Yalta University of management started the long-term international project with State University NY concerning on-line distant learning programs using Internet which is so important for Ukraine. This gives our graduates a good opportunity to get two diplomas: that one of Ukrainian and that one of American university.
The initiative of international collaboration with SUNY is that one of the YUM first vice-rector, Professor E.Y. Golovkina. Being a member of official delegation of the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine she visited 7 departments and students’ towns of SUNY and brought “Memorandum of Understanding” for distant learning organization.
As a result of studying plans comparison in “Management” and “Finance” it was found out that they differ just in 10 disciplines (37 credits) for “Management” and in 46 credits for “Finance”.
For this international project realization we created specially equipped room (25 automated places) with internet access.
- Leonid Arcadievitch, you tend to be in vanguard of progressive initiatives in the sphere of education. What should one do to keep positions in this current?
- We tend to develop three main fields in training specialists:
1. Nonstop training of English during all the 5 years of study,
2. Nonstop computer training,
3. Distant learning using Internet on-line.
In May 2005 Ukraine joined the Bologna process and is confidently entering into the European and world educational space.
In order to be successful in this system of education the university must move along the innovational path of development. This means to introduce perspective innovations as much as possible and to develop international collaboration improving the quality of education in such a way.
The Yalta University of Management is on this very path.
While interviewing L.A. Vasilievikh there was an opportunity to put a question to the head of international projects SUNY-Canton John Sheltra: what was the reason for him to start collaboration with Yalta University of management? Doctor John Sheltra answered:
- Yalta university of management is a good partner. It is working a lot to heighten the quality of education. We paid attention to this university in 2006 when on its basis the annual international conference of AUDEM took place being held on the very high level (SUNY was the main organizer of this conference). For Yalta this collaboration with the American University is a real breakthrough opening new possibilities in the sphere of education. For sure it gives an opportunity to heighten competitiveness of YUM graduates in the international labor market and will make their career development faster.
- Leonid Arkadievitch, what are the obstacles to be overcome during this project realization?
-Students willing to get the American diploma alongside with the national one have two such obstacles.
First – they need to have a good command of English in order their study at American University could be successful. For this, as I have already mentioned, they have got TOEFL programs. Second – is the comparatively high cost of such learning (not lower then $10.000 per year) in the case of going to the USA.
Fortunately we have come to terms with our American colleagues that that will be on-line distant learning via Internet without going to the USA. In this case the cost is minimal possible ($1000 per semester). And also the variant of going to the USA isn’t excluded (1-2 semesters) but that is just if a student has such a wish.
In this account of YUM achievements there is one point to add: students of YUM just for the 5 past years have got 25 diplomas as winners of all Ukrainian and international students contests (competitions). The university was awarded for its successes in the sphere of education development (diplomas of the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine: for development of material and technical basis and studying process computerization 2005, for international collaboration in the sphere of education and science 2006, for achievements in the sphere of graduates employment 2007, for educational development of education and up-to-date technologies of teaching 2007).
In 2008 the Yalta University of Management is awarded by the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine with its main honorable title “Leader of National Education” for a long term pedagogical activity in the sphere of national education development.
|
|
|
