Allegations of bribery, the rector’s salary, and the challenges of education during wartime: an interview with Volodymyr Bugrov, rector of Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv
10 March 12:14
INTERVIEW
In an interview with Komersant, Volodymyr Bugrov, rector of Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, spoke about the main mistakes made in Ukrainian education since independence, the financial realities of universities, the challenges of war for students and teachers, and responded to accusations of bribery and income. The conversation also touched on the devaluation of diplomas, the reform of the university network, and changes in the behavior of the new generation of students.
Mistakes in education: “In the 90s, we did everything according to the principle of ‘anything goes'”
— What do you consider to be your biggest mistake in adult life? And what mistake do you think the Ukrainian education system has made over the last 20 years?
— My biggest mistake was not firing certain people when it was necessary. This applies to different periods of my work: when I was deputy dean, vice-rector, and rector. As for the education system, in my opinion, the biggest mistake was that in the 1990s we went down the path of complete liberalization. Figuratively speaking, according to the principle of anything goes: vocational schools became institutes, institutes became academies, and academies became universities. It was a strategic mistake.
— Is being a teacher in modern Ukraine a calling or a way to earn a living?
— It is a calling. Unfortunately, it is difficult to ensure a decent standard of living with teaching work today, so people remain in this profession precisely because of their internal motivation.
— Were you offered bribes during your time as rector?
— No. There were not even any hints of this. People who know me understand that this is not the way to deal with me.
What is wrong with Ukrainian universities
— Describe Ukrainian universities today in three words.
— In reality, they are very different. No two successful universities are alike. For example, Shevchenko University is different from Kyiv-Mohyla Academy. Therefore, it is incorrect to evaluate them as a whole — each case must be considered separately.
— Who is on par with KNU today?
— There are a number of strong universities: Frank University in Lviv, Karazin University in Kharkiv, Chernivtsi University, Mechnikov University in Odesa, Gonchar University in Dnipro, and Kyiv-Mohyla Academy. These are powerful institutions. But we can say that KNU is the best among the best.
— When was the last time you learned something new?
— It happens all the time. For example, last Saturday at the university’s Open Day, I learned from students how to post Instagram stories correctly.
— What fact has impressed you recently?
— I continue to be surprised by the irresponsibility of public figures, including those in the field of education. Very often, discussions are based on hype and hate rather than responsible analysis.
The law on education: what needs to be changed
— Which provision of the Education Act would you change immediately?
— The term limits for department heads. This makes sense for rectors and deans, but not for departments. A department is the basic unit of a university, and a strong head creates a scientific school and tradition. In European practice, there are virtually no such restrictions.
— Who in the education system receives the lowest salaries?
— Thousands of people work at large universities, and some of them receive very low salaries — 4–5 thousand hryvnia. These are cleaners, janitors, and technical staff. But without them, the university simply would not function. If the classrooms are not cleaned, if the plumbing or electricity does not work, the entire educational process will come to a halt.
— What would you be if you weren’t an educator?
— I think I would still be in education. In the 90s, I was offered to go into business or politics, but I refused. As a child, I dreamed of being a soldier, but after serving in military construction units, I realized that there was much less romance in it than it seemed.
— You have been at KNU for over 40 years. How did that happen?
— I enrolled in the philosophy department in 1984. Since then, with the exception of two years of military service, I have been at this university the entire time. Even my family is connected to it: my wife and I met in a student dormitory, and our son now works as a lecturer in the philosophy department.
— What was the most important day in your university life?
— Definitely February 24, 2022. When the full-scale invasion began, I immediately went to the university. My colleagues and I opened an envelope with instructions from the civil defense headquarters — and it turned out to be empty. So we had to build our action plans from scratch: what to do about water, fuel, security, and organizing work.
According to the rector, over the years of war, the university has repeatedly suffered damage from rocket strikes and shock waves.
— What was saved and what was lost?
— Most importantly, we kept the team together. Some people left the country and did not return, but the core of the team remained.
We continue to teach students, conduct research, work on international projects, and even rejuvenate the teaching staff.
Allegations of bribery
— There have been statements in the media that you bought an apartment for $200,000 by collecting bribes from students. How would you comment on that?
— This is manipulation. In fact, we are talking about an apartment that I invested in at an early stage, when it was still at the foundation stage. All securities for this investment were declared. The same thing happened with the car: I simply traded in my old car and bought another one, but the headlines read, “Rector buys luxury SUV.”
— How much do you earn?
— About 100,000 hryvnia per month before taxes. That’s the rector’s salary plus half the rate of a professor in the department where I teach.
— Is that good money?
— No. For example, I saw a vacancy for a leading specialist in one of the ministries — the salary there is the same as my base salary as rector.
The “inflation” of a diploma
— Has the value of a higher education diploma declined?
— Partially, yes. We devalued university education back in the 1990s, when almost all educational institutions began to be called universities. Until 1991, there were only a few classical universities in Ukraine — in Kyiv, Lviv, Kharkiv, Odesa, Dnipro, Chernivtsi, Uzhhorod, and several other cities.
Ukraine needs to optimize its network of higher education institutions, but this is a complex and politically sensitive process. One of the key problems in Ukrainian education is the decline in the authority of teachers.
In the 1990s, the state effectively devalued this profession, both materially and morally. Until we restore trust in teachers, systemic problems in education will remain.
