2.B Explain the following concepts from the text.

The European Cultural Convention; the European Higher Education Area; the Bologna Declaration; international mobility; public responsibility; social dimension; university autonomy; communique; the Specially Authorised Central Body; students' self-government bodies; advisory nature; quality assurance system; intermediate priorities; two-cycle degree system; recognition of degrees; stocktaking exercise; internal assessment; external review; accreditation; certification; state standards; labour market.

2.C Discuss the following issues, expressing your own opinion.

1. What principles underlie the Bologna Process? Should fostering international mobility be a key reason for an educational reform? Do you think it needs further expansion in Ukraine? What other factors, in your opinion, demand changes in the national systems of education?

2. How far has Ukraine gone in academic collaboration with European and other universities in academic collaboration (joint research and teaching programmes, practical training, and student exchange programmes)?

3. The Bologna Process claims to foster quality assurance in education. What is your understanding of academic quality? Who is the target group for quality assurance? What methods, in your opinion, can assure educational quality for students and for other society members?

4. To what degree are students eligible to govern higher education? What issues should be the province of students' self-governing bodies, including the student parliament? Would it be interesting for you to take part in governing your university?

5. What aspects does university autonomy encompass? In what respect is still limited? What are its benefits and challenges?

6. What social, economic, demographic, and ethnic parameters can have impact on the current trends in higher education in Ukraine? What social consequences of the Bologna Process can you predict for Ukraine?

3.A Read the follow text and do the tasks that follow. Ukraine's National Higher Education System

In Ukraine, as in any developed country, higher education is considered to be one of the main human values. Ukraine has inherited from the past a well-developed and multifunctional system of higher education. The dynamics, which is a hallmark of the current civilization, increasing social role of an individual, humanization and democratization of society, intellectualization of labour, fast advance in technologies and equipment worldwide require the creation of such a higher education system, which will allow Ukraine to become a leader in education.

Higher education constitutes an integral part of the system of education in Ukraine. It is going through a transitional period in a context of becoming an information society and integration into the European higher education in according with the Bologna process. The main objectives of the reforms are to decentralize the higher education system, to develop a new financial mechanism, and to give more academic freedom to faculties and students.

The Ukraine's State Higher Education System includes 940 higher educational institutions (HEI), of which 806 are public and 134 are private, charitable or religious. Non-public HEIs are legally acknowledged and controlled by the state through the educational activity's licensing mechanism and accreditation. HEIs in Ukraine are composed of vocational schools, colleges, institutes, conservatories, academies, and universities.

Higher education institutions offer a five-year program of academic subjects for undergraduates in a variety of fields, as well as graduate courses.

Admission to higher educational institutions is decided on a competitive basis according to skills, regardless of the form of ownership of the educational institution or the sources of payment for education.

There are four levels of accreditation established pursuant to the status of higher educational institutions:

– First level. Technical school, vocational school and other equivalent higher educational institutions.

– Second level: College and other equivalent higher educational institutions.

– Third and fourth levels (depending on the results of accreditation): institute, conservatory, academy, and university.

Higher educational institutions train specialists to the following educational and qualification levels:

– Junior specialist educational-qualification level is provided by technical and vocational schools, and other higher educational institutions of the first level of accreditation.

– Bachelor, basic higher education – is provided by colleges and other higher educational institutions of the second level of accreditation.

– Specialist / Master, complete higher education – are provided by higher educational institutions of the third and fourth levels of accreditation

Requirements as to the contents, scope, and level of the educational and professional training in Ukraine are determined by the State Standards of Education. The state standard of education is developed for each area of training (profession) for various educational-qualification levels.

Government regulatory authorities in the area of higher education include:

– the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine

– central authorities of the executive power of Ukraine, to which educational institutions are subordinated.

– the Supreme Certification Commission of Ukraine

– the State Accreditation Commission.

The Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine is the central body of the government executive providing management in the area of education.

The Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine:

– participates in the determination of tbe state policy in the area of education, science and professional training of specialists;

– develops the program of the development of education, state standards;

– ensures the connection with educational institutions, government authorities of other countries with respect to issues felling within its competence;

– accredits higher and vocational educational institutions, issues licenses and certificates to them;

– organizes certification of pedagogical and scientific-pedagogical personnel in order to provide them with qualification decrees, pedagogical and scientific ranks.

The Supreme Certification Commission of Ukraine organizes and conducts the certification of scientific and scientific-pedagogical personnel, manages the work related to giving scientific ranks, giving academic decree of a senior staff scientist.

In accordance with the results of the accreditation of higher educational institutions, the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine together with ministries and departments, to which educational institutions are subordinated:

– determine the correspondence of educational services to the state standards of a certain educational qualification level in particular areas and issues a document of education pursuant of the state standard:

– determine the level of accreditation of an educational institution;

– inform the community regarding the quality or educational and scientific activities carried out by higher educational institutions.

Bodies of the public self-regulation in the area of education include:

– the All-Ukrainian Congress of Educational Specialists;

– general conference of the staff of an educational institution;

– district, city, oblast conference of pedagogical personnel:

– Congress of Educational Specialists of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea.

Local authorities in the area of education sum their proposals regarding the formation of the state policy in the area of education.

The establishment of a new educational system is based upon the new legislative and methodological grounds. It provides for a higher standard of specialists training, increase in academic and professional mobility of graduates, a greater openness, and democratic principles of teaching, and integration of higher education system into the world community.