Strengthening of the international components in National Technical University of Ukraine "Kyiv Polytechnic Institute after Igor Sikorsky" remains a priority in the Department of International Cooperation (DIC). Fluctuating situation in the country has a certain influence on university international activity that includes the number of foreign contacts, involving of foreign students in studying process and other issues as well. DIC work, in comparison to university activities, is aimed at increasing of different researches and deepen learning technologies for training, globally competitive labor; reform of the model of the modern technical university leadership type, acquiring the reputation of University with the highest level and with internationally recognized criteria and security. As a result, it causes the growth of its economic performance. What have they done?

Infrastructural international projects.

Together with the central management structures and departments of the university the DIC is working on the development of international infrastructure projects aimed at organizational and managerial restructuring of the management system of the international scope of the university, including foreign economic activity.

To bring the organization of our international activities to the models, which were performed in the world leading universities, we are "launched" projects for structural and organizational restructuring of the international scope management system: according to British Council programs in development the leadership potential in Ukrainian universities, we may underline such programs: projects "Quality Engineering Education" and "English for Universities"; Projects program Erasmus + - "quality assurance of higher technical education for the Eastern Partnership" with the consortium Portugal, Italy, Poland, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Ukraine and "Foreign trade as a resource to deepen the internationalization of the university”.

International negotiations.

The results of our international negotiations on a new meaningful direction (in education, science) are important as well. At a meeting of rectors of technical universities in Poland and Ukraine in the round table "The combination of education, science and innovation" was the main directions of cooperation between our countries technical universities. Promising "favorable opportunities" were established during the other negotiations with the ambassadors of 18 countries (Estonia, India, Iraq, Iran, Canada, Korea, Kuwait, Latvia, Moldova, South Africa, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Singapore, Sierra Leone, Republic of Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, France, Japan) and 113 delegations from other countries.

There were also talks in the area of nuclear safety in the world. Including in the internationally recognized initiative to the 30th anniversary of the Chernobyl disaster, when the participation of 34 countries conducted in NTUU “KPI after Igor Sikorsky”, an international forum "The lessons of Chernobyl for the nuclear safety of the world."

On the eve of the forum with delegations, US Embassy, ​​Ministry of Education of Ukraine at a round table named "Risks and current trends in the global nuclear safety", as parliamentary hearings in the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, they supported the creation in Ukraine of a new educational platform in the field of physical nuclear security and leading position in this case is our university. The recognition of the leading role of the US in NTUU “KPI after I.Sikorsky” for national educational platform Ukraine in this area is reflected in the US government grant for retraining 7 specialists.

Cooperation with multinational companies

There were created a new model of cooperation with multinational companies "Boeing" and "Prohresteh" based on Target Training professionals of international level by training programs developed with "Boeing" and "Prohresteh" its integration with scientific work of students to create technologies demanded in global markets.

New marketing strategies and plans for international cooperation

The university continues to develop new marketing strategies and plans for international cooperation. One of them is searching for areas for which faculties, institutes and departments can provide for their educational, scientific and technical services and on this basis to carry out the proposals of the leading companies in the world. Therefore, international cooperation department initiates negotiations with multinational companies.

This, according to FORBES 2000 (2016 g.), The information contained in the 14th bulletin on foreign trade. Developed and other marketing offers VMI to enter the new educational markets, which are available on the websites of the Department: www.icd.kpi.ua, www.forea.kpi.ua. Under these proposals we have worked with India, Egypt, Turkey, China, Nigeria.

Cooperation with the relevant departments and units

We actively cooperate with the relevant departments and units of the university. With the department of educational work we have solved the problem of proximity to the international examination and accreditation of specialties. In the structure of the association of rectors of higher technical educational institutions of Ukraine organized by the centre for quality assurance of higher technical education, which in November 2016 became the member of ENAEE (European network for accreditation of engineering education). Thus, to create a structural and institutional basis for international accreditation of our programmes by European standards.

To reform the content and organization of educational process in accordance with the standards of the European higher education area  4 were directed to increase the potential of higher education Erasmus+, KA2 (partners of FPM, IASA, HTF, FICE), 6 TEMPUS projects (partners FAX, FICE, FEL, ISCSI, FPM) and 3 of the project EURASIA (partners IEE, MFF, HTF).

In collaboration with the Department of educational work provide the implementation of 15 programs "Double degree" with universities in 10 countries: Germany – 4 (FEL, ETS, fict, MF, MMI, IFF); France – 3 (MFF, FCT, FMM, FICE, FTI, IASA, FPM, FL, PBF); Korea – 1 (IEE, PBM); Bulgaria – 1 (FICE); Brazil – 1 (ZF); Czech Republic – 1 (FICE); Slovakia – 1 (DNWR); Germany/Poland – 1 (MMI, pea); Lithuania 1; Kazakhstan 1 (TEF). Increased to 30 participants from KPI Igor Sikorsky in projects Erasmus+ (categories K1 – mobility). Also have a positive trend of international student mobility: 2016 210 of our students went for training in the project Erasmus+.

With the department of science and innovation and its departments continued a series of traditional scientific conferences with the representation of the Polish Academy of Sciences: "Renewable energy and energy efficiency in the XXI century"; "Clean water. Fundamental, applied and industrial aspects"; "State and global social changes."

There are two national contact points of the EU programme "Horizon 2020" in the areas of "Information technology" and "Climate and resource use".  Information days were held, round tables "Frankly about the "Horizon 2020" on 7 faculties (RTF, FMM, MF, FPM, fair, fat, FICE). For network technologies launched a direct methodological and organizational interaction with the 220 doctors of Sciences of KPI Igor Sikorsky in order to strengthen their interest in international projects.

All this has yielded positive results: the number of international projects in 2016 have increased from  25% to 165. In 2016 we won new projects programme of the European Union, Eurasia, NATO, British Council, Polish Academy of Sciences, and others In the 2016 act 4 projects of the 7th RP EU (IASA FBM, pea, FTI), 3 projects of the programme "Horizon 2020" (ETS, FMM, FPM, FBT), 4 of NATO project (IASA, RTF, IFF). The number of international projects KPI them. Igor Sikorsky holds leading positions among Ukrainian universities.

From the thirteen departments submitted 30 proposals in Horizon 2020 we won 13%, almost twice higher than the average for all projects, submitted for participation in "Horizon 2020". 2017 submitted 15 project proposals in Erasmus+, KA2 (the higher school).

In collaboration with the departments of perspective development and administrative work LCA provided Protocol support to their international components.

With the Department of Economics and Finance, legal management and administration in accordance with the concept of development of foreign economic activity approved by the academic Council in 2016, made a lot of good things. To help in the deployment of foreign economic activity of units issued 10 newsletters with the analysis of international markets of educational services in regions of the world; developed the license agreement on the procedure of payment of remuneration for the use of the brand KPI 15%; for the first time for universities of Ukraine formed the model of the international export of educational services to Ukrainian UNIVERSITIES through franchising, which is enshrined as the right KPI Igor Sikorsky on the object of intellectual property (certificate of 26.02.2016, No. 64193).

To improve the efficiency of foreign economic activity started administering international proposals according to their investment attractiveness for the University. Of the 27 analysed, eight were rejected as unpromising, and the rest is recognized as an attractive investment and supported. This work in the fourth quarter of 2016 brought to the accounts of the University for more than 50 thousand hryvnias.

First carried out in-depth monitoring quantitative components of foreign economic activity. According to preliminary estimates, revenues from all types of foreign economic activity in 2016, including individual grants, participation in international conferences has increased to 11% planned for 2016, the budget of the University. Objectively this is due to economic realities, when the development of the University through external sources becomes popular and possible to a greater extent than in the past.

Positive evaluation of international activity

KPI Igor Sikorsky presents the most significant world University rankings. In the QS University rankings: Eastern Europe and Central Asia, our University ranked second among universities of Ukraine. Confirmed its leadership position in the national ranking "Top 200", in which the international component of KPI them. Igor Sikorsky is the first place within 10 years of its implementation.

How positive can be the achievements of the departments, scientists and students of the University. Faculties and institutes that have performed well:

  • international publications – PBF, PBM, FEL, ETS, IASA, VPI, HTF;
  • achieved high performance international activities (raising funds) – IFF, FBT, FAX, IASA, ETS, SCD, FICE, FPM, FTI, HTF;
  • in the common activity of international cooperation – ZF, FMM, esits, FPE, FE, FSS, FTI, HTF;
  • in activity on international markets of educational services – FAX, FMM, FICE, FSS, FTI;
  • development of academic mobility – FL, ZF, FAX, IFF, its FSG, HTF, PBF (and ZF, FAX, FL on international standards).

In world competitions-more than 12 thousand teams whitehat hacking team of the scientific school of Institute of physics and technology was declared the winner, beating world renowned universities: Carnegie Mellon, UC Berkley, Munchen, MIT, NYU, MSU Lomonosov and other outstanding achievement of IPSA – two NATO project under the guidance of Professor Natalya D. Pankratova is a contribution of the University in enhancing the national security of the state.

As a strong European integration step, note the negotiations MMI, pea Wrocław Polytechnic and the Magdeburg University on the establishment of the International complex of the General training of mechanical engineers and electrical engineers. UNESCO extended until 2020, the Agreement on the functioning of the UNESCO chair in KPI them. Igor Sikorsky.

Some of the current problems and tasks

Unfortunately, there is unequal participation of faculties in international activities. The gap indicators are sometimes up to two orders of magnitude (see figure).

 In assessing our achievements, capabilities, our challenges for the future we are still "locked" snooty coordinate system. What follows from the analysis of the results of the participation of KPI Igor Sikorsky in the international rankings, for example, in QS?

We still have a weak position in these options:

  • the number of foreign students (2.7% of the General population);
  • number of foreign teachers (1,1 %);
  • number of citations per teacher (1.3 percent).

Some good statistics:

  • the number of students enrolled in the selected QS areas in the institutes, faculties of KPI them. Igor Sikorsky (65,9 %);
  • positive evaluation of employers (17,5 %);
  • positive evaluation of academic experts from other universities and institutes of the NAS of Ukraine (19.1 per cent).

 Not increasing the number of English-language master programs.

As a barrier to the solution of this problem is called the lack of economic incentives (motivators) for teachers.

For 38 types of foreign economic activities permitted by the legislation of Ukraine, only 11 are used and give profit to university. The university is not yet attractive to foreign consumers.

We have not learned to "sell their services". It is necessary to develop a modern model of service provision of the University as a product:

  • to establish a wide commercial offer;
  • ensuring competitiveness in the market of educational services in specific regions of the world;
  • establish and maintain collaborative educational structures abroad;
  • audit factors that determine the efficiency of foreign economic activity;
  • to develop normative-methodical support of the international sphere on a highly professional level;
  • on this basis – to expand the areas of international negotiations.

The most important and complex task is the transformation of national universities in international.

But the main problem that limit our objectively great opportunities is that many departments had not yet mastered the international activities of the mechanisms that can open the way to the solution of actual problems of activity of departments through international sources.

In conclusion, I want to thank everyone who worked so hard to develop international cooperation and laid the foundations for further approval of KPI Igor Sikorsky in our country and the world!