Answer the questions

1. Is Ukraine controlled by another country?

2. What kind of government does Ukraine have?

3. What countries does Ukraine border on?

4. How big is the territory of Ukraine?

5. What is the highest mountain peak in the country?

6. What are the top 4 largest rivers of Ukraine?

7. What natural resources is Ukraine rich in?

8. What is the highest state authority in Ukraine?

9. What are the main industries of Ukraine?

10. When was the first Ukrainian constitution adopted after our country had become an independent state?

11. Is our country a parliamentary or a presidential republic?

Higher Education in Ukraine Basic vocabulary

to consider	вважати
values pl	цінності
to determine	позначати
UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization)	ЮНЕСКО (Організація ООН з питань освіти, науки і культури)
UN (United Nations)	ООН (Організація Об’єднаних Націй)
educational level	освітній рівень
to constitute	складати
to carry out	виконувати
full-time department	денне відділення
correspondence department	заочне відділення
to attend	відвідувати
admission	прийом
competitive	конкурентний
skill	уміння
regardless	незважаючи на
applicant	претендент, абітурієнт
to have a good command of	мати хороші знання
preliminary courses	підготовчі курси
grant	стипендія
tutorials	практичні заняття
allied subjects	споріднені (супутні) предмети
graduate	випускник ВНЗ
research	дослідження

Higher education is considered to be one of the main human values in Ukraine. The structure of the higher education of Ukraine is built up according to the structure of education in the developed countries of the world as determined by UNESCO, UN and other international organizations.

The higher education includes two major educational levels, namely basic higher education and full higher education. The higher education constitutes integral part of the system of education in Ukraine as provided for by the «Ukrainian Law On Education». It ensures fundamental scientific, professional and practical training for the following educational and qualification degrees: «Junior Specialist», «Bachelor», «Specialist», «Master», – as well as the scientific degrees of Candidate of Sciences and Doctor of Sciences.

Training of specialists in higher educational institutions may be carried out with interruption of work (full-time department), without interruption of work (correspondence department).

Admission of citizens to higher educational establishments is made on the competitive basis according to high school certificate grades and regardless of the form of educational institution ownership and sources of payment for education. If applicants want to have a good command of the subjects in which they will take examinations, they attend preliminary courses. Ukraine numbers a total of 1.5 million college-and-university students.

Most students receive grants. The amount depends on the results of the previous set of examinations and the students’ social activity.

The first two years of study are generally the most difficult as the first and second-year students have a lot of seminars, lectures and tutorials. Apart from major subjects and their allied subjects, students study courses in Philosophy and Economics. Sport is also compulsory during the first years of study.

Dniepropetrovsk National University of Railway Transport named after Academician V. Lazaryan (DIIT) is a higher educational institution of the 4th (maximum) level of state accreditation in Ukraine. It was founded in 1930 as the Institute of Railway Transport Engineers. During the years of its existence, the University has trained about 60 thousand specialists (including citizens of other countries) for railway transport, transport construction, machine-building and other engineering branches of the national economy. Many scientific schools well-known in Ukraine and far beyond its borders have been formed at the University over this period. Among our graduates are the leading figures in many branches of industry, heads of railway administrations, plants, educational, design and R&D institutions and other organizations.

The academic buildings and R&D laboratories, a library with more than 810 thousand volumes, the teaching staff residential houses, 6 students' hostels, a canteen, a policlinic, a Palace of Culture, a stadium and other social and life facilities are located on 30 hectares of the University campus. The scientific schools well known both in Ukraine and abroad have been formed at the University. There are 16 branch research laboratories working on their base. They take part in performing many State and Branch Programs.