Our university traditionally is a leader of national and international ratings among technical universities. In order to attract the necessary number of freshmen, quality and methods of training must meet modern requirements. Reproductive system is inferior to interactive one. The educational component is integrated with scientific. We are talking to the first vice-rector of "KPI", academician of NAS of Ukraine U.I.Yakymenko about implementation of the new Law of Ukraine "On Higher Education" in the activities of the university.
- Yuriy Ivanovych, what is necessary for ensuring of quality competitive education?
- Creating of competitive education system at all levels as an active two-way process between student and teacher which is based on defining innovative component is really requirement of time, our strategic task. The law "On education" has provided us with new opportunities, including autonomy. According to this autonomy we have developed the whole set of documents which regulate educational activity. Quality of education is the quality of training, based on the knowledge triangle - education, science, innovation, is determined by major components: those whom we teach (the quality of applicants and the number of students), those who teache (quality of staffing), what we teache (quality educational programs, scientific and methodological support) and on what basis (the level of financial and logistical support).
- Let's start with "whom we teach." Who are our entrants and how attract them?
- When talking about enrolment the number of freshmen has decreased. The situation is different concerning faculties. There is a difference even in the competition for applications - from 54 (FSL) to 4 (CTF, ITS) people per place. An average competition in university is 7.87. What is important: we really have better students, including 13.5% of entrants who scored 200 points in testing.
But when we made rector’s test, this year we have done it for all entrants (218 hours) it turned out that the quality of residual knowledge of mathematics is 57%, in physics - 50%. There are faculties where the rate of residual knowledge is 82% and some where it is less than 40%. The highest rate in physics is 73% and the lowest - 40%. Talking about absolute success and quality of it in general, we can say that it correlates with the results of testing. But what should we do with students that are not prepared, and it's not their fault - they received such background at school?
Here I would like to thank teachers of physics and mathematics, who "wind up" the freshmen to the required level. Entrance control is not only for statement of fact but it is a decisive indicator for further differentiated training. It is clear from assessment marks that 95% of those who come to the end of the second year cope with problems in mathematics and physics. Unfortunately not all students. Each semester we dismiss more than a thousand students. Because we should keep the level of quality: help those who can study (in no way reducing requirements) and get rid of those who can’t.
Integrated monitoring which provides information on residual knowledge is held on the 4 th year of studying. It is a key element of the current quality control. But it does not reflect the motivation of students. So this year we made a new step, we decided that the results of monitoring would be included in students’ certification and would increase success rates. What we are waiting for this year. In the first decade of March applicants are registered for testing: math - about 119 thousands, physics - 32 thousands (23% of graduates), history - 180 thousands. There is an inclination for humanitarian sphere. We are one university where physics remains the second profiling subject. But I hope that our contingent will be at least the same as last year. In Kyiv the situation is worse. There are 2.5 thousands of entrants who have registered on physics, 8.5 thousands on math and 18.5 thousands on Ukrainian language. It should be mentioned that 60-70% of entrants are residents of other cities.
The main method of attracting students is our system of pre-university training. Vocational guidance of faculties is very important. Today the biggest audience is at ECF. The system of pre-university preparation of "KPI", except for our preparatory courses, where we have more than 1,700 participants, includes leading lyceums in Kyiv, lyceums and gymnasiums in regions of Ukraine. The total amount of students in this system is 2.5 thousands. Typically one-third of our applicants are involved in the system of pre-university training.
Thus the quality of students is the basis of the formation of a viable student contingent. Therefore a quite simple algorithm is proposed. It includes involvement of all faculties and departments to career guidance, expansion of pre-university training, cooperation with SAS (monitoring, organizing and conducting of competitions, exhibitions, creative competitions, etc.), create a database of potential applicants work with whom individually. Than is first control and differentiated fundamental training in the first years of studying, and I emphasize again - without reducing the demand for learning outcomes. Only on the basis of sufficient fundamental level we carry out further specialized training with the implementation of the system of forming the trajectories of training that takes into account the level of training and students’ wishes. Throughout the period we provide demanding and objective knowledge control (including Rector’s monitoring).
- Who are they - graduates of KPI? Where do they work, how employers report on them?
- In 2015 the request the request of graduates was 123 %, employment - 97%. What is more there are faculties, for example CTF where the request is twice as much as the average. Our graduates work in information technology, electronics, power, system science, engineering, i.e. in technical areas for which we prepare specialists. It is sometimes said that we protect engineering education. But objective results of distribution indicate demand and insufficient labor market for our graduates.
Employers’ reviews are presented in Irina Bekeshkina’s research and center "Socio +". According to a survey of companies, one of the problems, even higher than the high taxes is a shortage of staff (46% of reviews). On the one hand, 95% of employers determine the level of our experts as high. But at the same time every year they mention the same shortcomings, including the lack of practical training (47.5%) and others. Complaints about the low level of foreign language have decreased in the last three years - from 30% to 10%. Practical training for us today is a very serious problem. It us necessary to make conclusions and reorganize work in this area. According to employers, professional standards should deal with educational programs. The basis of education is its solidity. The task of the university is to teach not particular software, equipment, etc. which are in demand today and are changing very quickly, but to teach lifelong learning, which is possible only if a strong basic training exists. This principle is the basis for created educational standards and educational programs as a requirement of time.
Establishment of a joint university laboratories, centers, departments, etc. with leading institutions and companies is a promising area of improvement the level of practical training which we used and try to develop in the future. Due to them students can acquire practical and organizational skills.
- And what today students want to study?
- Today the requirements for learning content are formed not only by employers, but what is very important by students. We must understand that this is a positive trend that confirms the motivation of students and the quality of our educational programs must meet their requirements. At present not universities make choice, but the students choose universities. Therefore, the structure of educational programs which corresponds to conditions of the licensing and accreditation of engineering specialties consists of a series of general training (55%) and cycle of professional training (45%). Besides at least 25% of the time for preparing accounts for discipline that are selective. The student is able to construct a path of study, including both educational and research component. The strategy of formation of educational content involves optimization of list of subjects based on their actual need. I emphasize that it is not the need for a lecturer, but the need for competitiveness of graduates on the labor market. Moreover, with the provision of basic component, knowledge-intensity, interdisciplinary - each discipline should comply with these categories. For subjects of free choice the method of determination is developed. There are methodical seminars which conduct methodical and explanatory work, develop algorithms of implementation. In particular, today 84 subjects of social and humanitarian block are registered for students. This year entrants and senior students will carry out the procedure of choice which will work from September 1 through the "Campus".
As for the new curriculum. It is about a specific job which we should realize from the new academic year. These are new curriculums for the first and fifth courses (first year of Master) which take into account all the requirements of the Law "On education", "List of specialties 2015", "Educational standards of " KPI ", "Licensing terms 2015 "and" Educational programs of "KPI". For the second and third courses these work plans take into account the peculiarities of the transition from the "List of specialties 2010" to "List of specialties 2015" and selective subjects. The structure of curriculums of third and fourth years of study (bachelor) include new amount of hours (30 hrs.), the new terms of studying (240 KRD.) and others.
As for the newmaster's program, we have not received appropriate guidance documents, but from September 1 have to train not only masters but also doctors of philosophy. So we create our own integrated cross-cutting programs Master - PhD. They have one rod. The integrated educational science master's program include 90-120 ECTS credits. Educational and scientific training program PhD - 30-60 ECTS credits. Filling programs - a system-discipline aimed at training professionals of the highest level.
Regarding the general characteristics of the receiving master's degrees, in 2015 we had 1,340 people under graduate students - 148 of the budget and 53 under contract. The effectiveness of graduate output is 22%. This is something that we need seriously to work as doctors PhD release should take place as planned and in due time. Average competition in Master in 2015 - 1.93, a number of faculties, where there was no competition. This situation should change dramatically, the issue of admission and release of the third level of training for some departments will be crucial in terms of their existence, no graduate department can not exist within a research university.
At the level of PhD courses introduced system-higher level, independent scientific and innovative work, real development. Graduate students are involved in the development of scientific school, specialty, present the results at scientific conferences, publications, etc. scientometric.
A separate issue - the level of foreign language. All students want to work in the universe that is not limited by state borders, so must master a foreign language, and our task - to give them support. The same questions arise as to the scientific and pedagogical staff for whom the language skills needed for both professional and career growth. A comprehensive program of learning English in NTUU "KPI", which was created to address these problems include: the establishment of working groups of teachers of technical departments and faculty of linguistics for the formation and implementation of English education programs, courses and distance learning courses, refresher courses for teachers, develop educational technical documentation. We have to combine general language skills with professional, without it, with all due respect to our linguists, they can not cope.
This applies to the admission of foreign students. They were at university - a small amount. One reason is that they are interested in learning English. Examples Turkish, Baltic universities show that students go to English-language programs. Today, English-language program created by 12 departments and institutes for bachelor and master programs. It can be viewed only as a preparatory stage. Therefore proposed a timetable for implementation and transition to English-language training foreign students: from September 1 this year launched a pilot educational program on one specialty on the faculty. From next year the launch of the preparatory office, which will be studied in Ukrainian, Russian and English for those in need. And on September 1, all specialties of university have to go to an English-language training.
When masters job is already in use langueges with professional component (English-language courses, seminars, publications, training, etc.). And end the graduate school entrance exam at B2.
Generalizing the peculiarities of the second and third levels, I want to appeal attention to the following quality components: demanding competitive selection of the Masters; Educational programs should be built on the backbone courses defined field of study; selectivity trajectory cycles of professional disciplines; the introduction of flexible forms of education, including distance courses also English, trainings, workshops; individualization of learning. General education at master, postgraduate, part in research should be viewed as immersion in an innovative environment (seminars, presentations, startup projects, etc.), which combines scientific, professional and business components. As for the problems of language training - is the formation of through a system of language learning professional direction bachelor to joint participation graduating department and the faculty of linguistics in the planning and organization of classes. On the part of the administration, we will encourage students and teachers both in the capture and the application language.
- Please, aseveral word, about the staff of the University and his updates.
- When starting the licensing departments, we have formulated requirements which defined as mandatory for all universities of the country. We require that (for the teacher) availability scientometric publications in journals, scientific management applicants who have received a document on awarding the scientific title, participation in international research projects, conducting classes in a foreign language to the extent of at least 50 hours. a year and so on. The prospect for all of one: either we will respond to the demands of time and have students of all levels, or to say that we are right, but in a year or two we will teach anyone. Therefore, there is no alternative.
The age of teachers is not determinative faculty, all of us, unfortunately, not younger. A certain tendency to reduce the average age is slightly increasing number of young teachers. And this number is significantly different in units. VPI, FL, FSR are relatively younger age, but there are departments where the average age of the university exceeded (IHF, FAX, FEL, FMF).
Disturbing talent pool chairs 31% of departments for 2017 are planned doctoral and master's theses. A year released 280 teachers hired - 230. But they only graduate school graduates 31, graduates of KPI - 63. For the 3000th contingent is not enough.
Rating teaching staff - an important criterion that details the quality of teachers and personalize achievement departments, faculties and the university as a whole. Experience shows that the ranking of a team is perceived with understanding. We are working to improve the ranking considering proposals of teachers, schools, trade union. With that said, introduced indicators include: teaching English edition textbooks in English, translation of textbooks, development of distance learning courses in a foreign language; evaluation index Hirsch, obtaining international certificate B2, active support personal electronic office system EC. By the way, the percentage of unquoted articles in 2 years decreased from 63% to 44%.
Requirements for the graduating department (according to the licensing terms). Now a second phase of licensing, which will end in September. With roughly 155 chairs meet the requirements of 108. We have to make sure that all meet the conditions licensing department. We have developed guidelines, standards, now under development of educational programs and educational curricula. By June 1, we will finish the job.
- Is the level of financial and technical provision needs of the university?
- Today we can to put all of our students both in the classroom (27 th.) and laboratory (18 th.). Total number of seats - 53 thousand. And students have 23 thousand. The main problem - proper maintenance and effective operation of these facilities. The priority is the quality of classroom equipment fund. Sometimes we even have to some audience decommissioned because it is unable to provide them with heating. Different departments have different attitudes to their fund. In 2015 the upgrade of logistics involved almost 3.5 million, including 2 million in the form of sponsorship and charitable contributions.
As regards information. Today, the university has a comprehensive, self-developed, automated system "Campus". It has many features. In particular, rector control board, curricula and others. The system allows students and teachers to interact on the one hand - as news of the educational process, on the other, to form bilateral contacts. Of the "Campus" should be seen as a system that is in constant development, we have run some of the modules from September 1.
An important contribution to the development of university departments and provide plenty of action. In particular, the Institute of Continuing Education provides web resources for educational purposes; common unit NTUU "KPI" with leading companies created for training, retraining and advanced training, including: start-up school, which trained more than 300 students; competition "Sikorsky Challenge"; double degree programs; Summer School, which is 10 years; international training projects - all this can be seen as an innovative structure to which to immerse our students.
- What are today the position of our university in the world?
- This year for the first time in the ranking of The Times Higher Education World University Rankings of KPI was in the top ten. That model interactions with industry, with businesses that introduced in the KPI, supported and recognized in the world. So innovative model of development should be decisive in our structure and cover all areas of our lives.