National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy
Encyclopedia
National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy (NaUKMA) is a national
, coeducation
al research
university
located in Kiev
, Ukraine
. The Kyiv-Mohyla Academy, the school's predecessor, was established in 1632. The NaUKMA is located on the Academy's grounds in the ancient Podil
neighborhood. In 1991, it was re-organized, and teaching began the following year. NaUKMA has the highest level of accreditation
as outlined by the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine, and is one of the thirteen educational institutions in Ukraine having a status of a research and autonomous university. NaUKMA takes part in numerous international university collaborations, such as the European University Association
. The university is bilingual in Ukrainian
and English
. It is one of Ukraine’s few universities with internationally recognized diplomas.
With around 3000 students, NaUKMA is one of the smallest universities in Ukraine
. Its multiple-choice entrance examinations make university admission a highly competitive process. Alumni of the Kyiv-Mohyla Academy played a formative role in the intellectual and church life of Ukraine and Russia in 17th and 18th centuries. Among the most notable alumni were hetman
Ivan Mazepa
and philosopher Hryhori Skovoroda
. The university is known as pro-Western
and served as headquarters for Orange Revolution
activists.
East European countries. The Academy was first opened in 1615 as the Kiev Brotherhood School. In 1632 the Kiev Pechersk Lavra
school and Kiev Brotherhood School merged into the Kyiv-Mohyla Collegium . The Collegium was named Mohylyans'kiy (as of Mohyla after Petro Mohyla
), the proponent of Western educational standards at the institution. In 1658 under the terms of the Treaty of Hadiach
the Collegium obtained the status of an Academy, similar to Krakow Academy
(Poland
), and in 1694 was recognized as an Academy by the Russian Tzar Ivan V of Russia
, then in 1701 reaffirmed by Tzar Peter I of Russia
(Peter the Great).
The Academy educated Ukrainian political and intellectual elite in the 17th and 18th centuries, and it was highly acclaimed throughout Eastern Europe
with the students from Poland
, Russia
, Belarus
, Moldavia
, Serbia
, Bulgaria
and Greece
. The admissions were open to all social class
es. Due to the exceptional quality of the language program its students often continued their education abroad, which at the time required many of them to convert their religion from the Orthodox Christian
to a Roman Catholicism
. However, upon their return to Ukraine, they were turning back to their Orthodox roots, which also was necessary in order to attain positions in the clergy
or Academia
. By keep sending the students abroad for education the Kyiv-Mohyla Academy played a very important role in obtaining from Western Europe
the knowelege of the Renaissance
and adopting it by Ukraine and Russia. The Kyiv-Mohyla Academy also supported a number of other colleges built on its model, such as the Vasilian College
in Moldova
(Moldavia
).
Hetman
s - military
leaders of the Zaporozhian Cossacks - were close to the monarch
and actively supported the Kyiv-Mohyla Academy. The school flourished under the term of Hetman
Ivan Mazepa
, an alumnus.
Kyiv-Mohyla Academy was closed in 1817 by Tzar Alexander I of Russia
. In response alumni of the Academy made a numerous unsuccessful petitions to the monarch regarding to turning Kyiv-Mohyla Academy (Kievo-Mohylyans'ka Academy) into a University. Instead, in 1819 Kyiv-Mohyla Academy (Kyivo-Mohylyans'ka Academy) was turned into Kiev Theological Academy
- a purely clerical institution. On comparable terms to its predecessors admissions became open only to the children of the existing clergy. The key positions were held mostly by the alumni of the Saint Petersburg
Seminary
.
In years the need of a new type of the higher educational institution in the Capital of Ukraine Kiev
has-been realized certainly. The psychological pressure of the mass upon the higher authorities for allowing an establishment of such a school was growing, but it took a long time before the actual event have happened. Thereby Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, as the first European type secular (modern) University of Kiev, was established in 1834 by the Tzar Nicholas I of Russia
.
During the Soviet Union
(USSR) era Kiev Theological Academy was closed, its library plundered and the main church of the school -Bogoyavlenskiy Cathedral- was destroyed. A military school have been developed instead . As of today the University building outside wall still bears mosaic portraying a military ship and the quotes by Vladimir Lenin
as a remembrance of the school's totalitarian past.
Following the Perestroika
and fall of the USSR in 1991 as a result, Kyiv-Mohyla Academy have been reestablished with the great assistance of Vyacheslav Bryukhovetskiy, who became the first president of the NaUKMA - National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy. The recalled institution was newly stractured and remodeled on the basic concepts of the North America post secondary educational system
and Bachelor degree and Master degree are offered according to the requirements of an academic credit system . In 1992, August 24 - first celebration of the National Independence Day of Ukraine
- the first students were matriculated into the classes of NaUKMA - National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy. As of June 1995 there were first six new graduates of NaUKMA. The Research Center named "Legacy of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy" was founded to get establish a continuity of the old Kyiv-Mohyla Academy in the newly recreated Kyiv-Mohyla Academy and such after the two-century-long gap of Its existence. The NaUKMA also initiated the revival of another historical Ukrainian educational institution - the Ostroh Academy
. The NaUKMA widely got to be known for being the first university of which students and professors (among the other parties of the Orange Revolution
in Kyiv
) openly protested against the massive electoral selection fraud during the Ukrainian presidential election
in 2004. After those events a museum dedicated to the Orange Revolution
(Pomarancheva Revolyuziya-ukr.) was opened at the NaUKMA - National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy.
and Kiev Orthodox Theological Academy of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Kyiv Patriarchate).
NaUKMA -National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy - claims to be the oldest institution of tertiary education in Ukraine. Currently, Lviv University
founded in 1661 is the oldest continuously operating university in Ukraine. It is disputed whether Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv (established in 1834) or NaUKMA is the oldest higher education institution in Kyiv
since NaUKMA formally exists as a university only from 1991 and has a long break from 1817 till 1991 in its history.
and can choose either a minor or electives. Each course is assigned a number of credits
based on credit hours and grading is done on a 100 point scale.
NaUKMA Bachelor's degree holders can continue their studies in any of the Masters programs at the university. Graduate academic programs leading to a Master of Business Administration
, Candidate of Science (PhD
) and Doctor of Science
are also offered at NaUKMA. The university was first in Ukraine to join the reforms of the doctoral education within the Bologna process
.
NaUKMA is a bilingual institution with Ukrainian and English being the languages of instruction, although the primary language is Ukrainian. The university offers business courses in English to the general public, in partnership with Grant MacEwan College
of Edmonton
, Canada
. NaUKMA organizes an annual summer school
in Ukrainian studies for international students and an English-language term program for international students entitled "Transitional studies: Ukraine and post-soviet space". Recently a Master program "German and European studies" is offered in collaboration with the University of Jena. The program is offered in German
.
Similarly to other public universities in Ukraine, students receive modest monthly scholarship payments from the government. The amount varies according to the student's grades in the previous trimester. Additionally, a number of private scholarships are given to the best students on a merit system. Further, students are rewarded scholarship monies for their social activities, thus awards are given to those who make the greatest contribution to the revival of NaUKMA or to those who excel in the promotion of Ukrainian language and culture.
NaUKMA is a state university and governed by the Supervising Board appointed by the Government of Ukraine
. The highest university official is the President of NaUKMA, who is Prof. Serhiy M. Kvit. Education and research at the university are coordinated by the Scientific Board. Several public bodies consult the management of the university. These include the International Consulting Board, Board of Trustees, Student Council and Arts Board.
Admission to NaUKMA is open to both Ukrainian and international applicants. Admission is granted based on entrance examination scores. Entrance exams are administered as multiple choice tests covering several subjects including Ukrainian, English, law, mathematics, history of the Kyiv-Mohyla Academy, humanities (literature or history) and one of the natural science
s with the tests being machine scored. The admissions procedure was introduced in order to stem alleged corruption in the admission process. Admission tests are considered challenging and cover a broader range of subjects than the typical entrance examinations held at the majority of other universities in Ukraine. Testing the knowledge of history of the Kyiv-Mohyla Academy is exceptional among Ukrainian universities. It was introduced because of the role of the university in Ukrainian history. The university also has a Department of Preuniversity Training, which organizes test preparation courses for prospective students as well as trial testing sessions.
, a weekly national newspaper ranked NaUKMA in third place among the Ukrainian universities. Likewise, the university's business school has the best reputation in the country. The Delovoy magazine ranked the Kyiv Mohyla Business School
as the best business school in Ukraine in 2007. NaUKMA was ranked as number four in the ranking "Top-200 Ukraine" conducted by UNESCO
in 2007.
In the international Webometrics Ranking of World Universities
the university features at 2,055 out of 8,000 ranked institutions and second best among Ukrainian universities.
NaUKMA often hosts visits of foreign and national politicians. Among the latest visitors were Jaap de Hoop Scheffer
, Alejandro Toledo
, David Kilgour
and Jean Chrétien
.
NaUKMA in the rankings of universities in Ukraine:
, the Taras Shevchenko
Pedagogical University
of Kremenets
, and the Petro Mohyla
State University
of Mykolayiv until they became separate independent universities. However, these schools still share a common admissions system with NaUKMA. Moreover, NaUKMA is an umbrella institution for a network of high school
s throughout Ukraine called the collegiums. The curricula of collegiums aim to prepare the students for the NaUKMA entrance exams.
The university publishing house "Kyiv-Mohyla Academy", which specializes in publishing scientific and educational literature in Ukraine, is situated on the NaUKMA campus.
and NaUKMA students are allowed to use its facilities for scientific and educational purposes.
(e), British Council
and American
Library
are located on campus premises and are open to the public. Also all the NaUKMA students have an access to the Vernadsky National Library of Ukraine
.
neighborhood, from Kontraktova Square
to the Dnieper River
. The campus of NaUKMA is composed of a number of buildings constructed in the times of its predecessor institutions. The oldest buildings date from the 17th century, and include the Halshka Hulevychivna house and the old academic building also called the Mazepa building in honor of its financier Hetman Ivan Mazepa
. The Mazepa building contains the congregation hall for ceremonial events, the Center for Contemporary Art and the research library.
In the same neighborhood is the historical museum complex of the Kyiv-Mohyla Academy, although the building is undergoing renovation. The complex contains a sundial and the house of Halshka Hulevychivna, which was the first building of the Kiev Brotherhood School. Another historical building called the bursa faces the Dnieper River
and was used as a student dormitory during the time of the Kyiv-Mohyla Academy. The Blahovishchenska (Annunciation) Сhurch built in 1740 for students is also on the NaUKMA campus. Most other buildings were constructed during the time of Kiev Theological Academy with some additions made during the Soviet era. The dormitories are situated outside the main campus.
An environmentally friendly office called the Green Office was recently opened at the Department of Environmental Studies at NaUKMA and uses modern energy saving and environmentally friendly technologies. The project was largely the initiative of students and is the first example of an office based on sustainable development
in a Ukrainian educational institution.
s. Verteps possibly were introduced by the students of the old Academy. They are performed during different festive events. Lastly, it is a tradition to open each academic year with a welcome event for the new students, followed by a lecture by a renowned scientist, who is given an honorary professorship at the University. The ceremony of new NaUKMA student initiation includes taking a traditional student oath. During the first term at NaUKMA, students of all faculties introduce themselves to the academic community during the acquaintance ball.
, which is also supported by the university administration. Notable among the student organizations on campus are: the Student Council, the Christian Students Union, Mohyla Intellectual Club, the Student Brotherhood, the ecological club Zelena Hvylya, and the Youth Center for Humanities. The NaUKMA student portal Bo.Net.Ua is an online platform for student and alumni communication.
Sports courses are compulsory for NaUKMA students in their two years of study. These courses include elements of calisthenics, sport (soccer, basketball, volleyball and swimming) and fitness exercises. Additionally, there are a number of student sport groups ranging from Combat Hopak
to Go
.
Arts and music at NaUKMA are represented by the Center of Culture and Art and the Center for Contemporary Art.
Kyiv-Mohyla Academy is mentioned in a number of novels. The main characters of Nikolai Gogol's
novel Taras Bulba
Ostap and Andriy Bulba were alumni of the old Kyiv-Mohyla Academy. Kyiv-Mohyla Collegium is mentioned in several novels by Pavlo Zahrebelnyi
including Southern Comfort and I, Bohdan. Kyiv Theological Academy is mentioned in Nikolai Leskov's
Pecherskie antiki.
To note the importance of the university in Ukraine's history, a postage stamp
dedicated to Kyiv-Mohyla Academy and its revival was issued in 1992. Moreover, a building of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy is portrayed on the 500 hryven' banknote.
, political leaders of Ukraine in the 17th and 18th centuries, were educated here. These include Ivan Mazepa
, Pylyp Orlyk
, Pavlo Polubotok
, Ivan Skoropadsky
and Ivan Samoylovych
. The Grand Chancellor of Russia Alexander Bezborodko
was of Ukrainian origin and an alumnus. The Kyiv-Mohyla Academy was a religious school of note in the Orthodox world and archbishops of the Russian Empire
such as Stephen Yavorsky
and Feofan Prokopovich
as well as the metropolitan bishop of Rostov Dimitry of Rostov
were all alumni.
More recently, several generations of writers, artists and scholars have been schooled at the Kyiv Mohyla Academy. Examples include writer Simeon of Polotsk, architect Ivan Hryhorovych-Barskyi
, and composer Artemy Vedel
. Ukrainian philosopher Hryhori Skovoroda
was another alumnus of the university. Mikhail Lomonosov
, Russian scientist and founder of Moscow University was briefly a student at Kyiv Mohyla Academy.
After 1819, when the university was turned into a purely religious institution, it still upheld its international reputation and has been an alma mater
for the Moldavian poet Alexei Mateevici
and metropolitan bishop of the Romanian Orthodox Church Visarion Puiu
.
Alumni of NaUKMA are employed by national and international companies, research and governmental institutions and many graduates continue their studies abroad. Journalist and politician Andriy Shevchenko
and the contemporary Ukrainian writer Maryna Sokolyan
studied at NaUKMA.
National university
A national university is generally a university created or run by a government, but which at the same time operates autonomously without direct oversight or control by the state. Some national universities are closely associated with national cultural or political aspirations...
, coeducation
Coeducation
Mixed-sex education, also known as coeducation or co-education, is the integrated education of male and female persons in the same institution. It is the opposite of single-sex education...
al research
Research
Research can be defined as the scientific search for knowledge, or as any systematic investigation, to establish novel facts, solve new or existing problems, prove new ideas, or develop new theories, usually using a scientific method...
university
University
A university is an institution of higher education and research, which grants academic degrees in a variety of subjects. A university is an organisation that provides both undergraduate education and postgraduate education...
located in Kiev
Kiev
Kiev or Kyiv is the capital and the largest city of Ukraine, located in the north central part of the country on the Dnieper River. The population as of the 2001 census was 2,611,300. However, higher numbers have been cited in the press....
, Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
. The Kyiv-Mohyla Academy, the school's predecessor, was established in 1632. The NaUKMA is located on the Academy's grounds in the ancient Podil
Podil
The Podil or Podilskyi Raion is a historic neighbourhood and an administrative raion in Kiev, the capital of Ukraine. It is one of the oldest neighborhoods of Kiev, the birthplace of the city's trade, commerce and industry...
neighborhood. In 1991, it was re-organized, and teaching began the following year. NaUKMA has the highest level of accreditation
Educational accreditation
Educational accreditation is a type of quality assurance process under which services and operations of educational institutions or programs are evaluated by an external body to determine if applicable standards are met...
as outlined by the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine, and is one of the thirteen educational institutions in Ukraine having a status of a research and autonomous university. NaUKMA takes part in numerous international university collaborations, such as the European University Association
European University Association
The European University Association represents and supports more than 850 institutions of higher education in 46 countries, providing them with a forum for cooperation and exchange of information on higher education and research policies...
. The university is bilingual in Ukrainian
Ukrainian language
Ukrainian is a language of the East Slavic subgroup of the Slavic languages. It is the official state language of Ukraine. Written Ukrainian uses a variant of the Cyrillic alphabet....
and English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
. It is one of Ukraine’s few universities with internationally recognized diplomas.
With around 3000 students, NaUKMA is one of the smallest universities in Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
. Its multiple-choice entrance examinations make university admission a highly competitive process. Alumni of the Kyiv-Mohyla Academy played a formative role in the intellectual and church life of Ukraine and Russia in 17th and 18th centuries. Among the most notable alumni were hetman
Hetman
Hetman was the title of the second-highest military commander in 15th- to 18th-century Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, which together, from 1569 to 1795, comprised the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, or Rzeczpospolita....
Ivan Mazepa
Ivan Mazepa
Ivan Stepanovych Mazepa , Cossack Hetman of the Hetmanate in Left-bank Ukraine, from 1687–1708. He was famous as a patron of the arts, and also played an important role in the Battle of Poltava where after learning of Peter I's intent to relieve him as acting Hetman of Ukraine and replace him...
and philosopher Hryhori Skovoroda
Hryhori Skovoroda
Hryhorii Savych Skovoroda was a Ukrainian philosopher, poet, teacher and composer who lived in the Russian Empire and who made important contributions to Russian philosophy and culture. He lived and worked in Ukraine and passionately and consciously identified with its people, differentiating them...
. The university is known as pro-Western
Westernization
Westernization or Westernisation , also occidentalization or occidentalisation , is a process whereby societies come under or adopt Western culture in such matters as industry, technology, law, politics, economics, lifestyle, diet, language, alphabet,...
and served as headquarters for Orange Revolution
Orange Revolution
The Orange Revolution was a series of protests and political events that took place in Ukraine from late November 2004 to January 2005, in the immediate aftermath of the run-off vote of the 2004 Ukrainian presidential election which was claimed to be marred by massive corruption, voter...
activists.
Kyiv-Mohyla Academy / The National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy
The predecessor of NaUKMA - The National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy - is one of the oldest academic and theological schools among Orthodox ChristianEastern Christianity
Eastern Christianity comprises the Christian traditions and churches that developed in the Balkans, Eastern Europe, Asia Minor, the Middle East, Northeastern Africa, India and parts of the Far East over several centuries of religious antiquity. The term is generally used in Western Christianity to...
East European countries. The Academy was first opened in 1615 as the Kiev Brotherhood School. In 1632 the Kiev Pechersk Lavra
Kiev Pechersk Lavra
Kiev Pechersk Lavra or Kyiv Pechersk Lavra , also known as the Kiev Monastery of the Caves, is a historic Orthodox Christian monastery which gave its name to one of the city districts where it is located in Kiev, the capital of Ukraine....
school and Kiev Brotherhood School merged into the Kyiv-Mohyla Collegium . The Collegium was named Mohylyans'kiy (as of Mohyla after Petro Mohyla
Petro Mohyla
Metropolitan Peter was a Metropolitan of Kiev, Halych and All-Rus' from 1633 until his death. He was born into a Moldavian boyar family — the Movileşti — one that gave Moldavia and Wallachia several rulers, including his father, Ieremia Movilă. His mother, Margareta, was a Hungarian noble lady...
), the proponent of Western educational standards at the institution. In 1658 under the terms of the Treaty of Hadiach
Treaty of Hadiach
The Treaty of Hadiach was a treaty signed on 16 September 1658 in Hadiach between representatives of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and Cossacks...
the Collegium obtained the status of an Academy, similar to Krakow Academy
Jagiellonian University
The Jagiellonian University was established in 1364 by Casimir III the Great in Kazimierz . It is the oldest university in Poland, the second oldest university in Central Europe and one of the oldest universities in the world....
(Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
), and in 1694 was recognized as an Academy by the Russian Tzar Ivan V of Russia
Ivan V of Russia
Ivan V Alekseyevich Romanov was a joint Tsar of Russia who co-reigned between 1682 and 1696. He was the youngest son of Alexis I of Russia and Maria Miloslavskaya. His reign was only formal, since he had serious physical and mental disabilities...
, then in 1701 reaffirmed by Tzar Peter I of Russia
Peter I of Russia
Peter the Great, Peter I or Pyotr Alexeyevich Romanov Dates indicated by the letters "O.S." are Old Style. All other dates in this article are New Style. ruled the Tsardom of Russia and later the Russian Empire from until his death, jointly ruling before 1696 with his half-brother, Ivan V...
(Peter the Great).
The Academy educated Ukrainian political and intellectual elite in the 17th and 18th centuries, and it was highly acclaimed throughout Eastern Europe
Eastern Europe
Eastern Europe is the eastern part of Europe. The term has widely disparate geopolitical, geographical, cultural and socioeconomic readings, which makes it highly context-dependent and even volatile, and there are "almost as many definitions of Eastern Europe as there are scholars of the region"...
with the students from Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
, Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
, Belarus
Belarus
Belarus , officially the Republic of Belarus, is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe, bordered clockwise by Russia to the northeast, Ukraine to the south, Poland to the west, and Lithuania and Latvia to the northwest. Its capital is Minsk; other major cities include Brest, Grodno , Gomel ,...
, Moldavia
Moldavia
Moldavia is a geographic and historical region and former principality in Eastern Europe, corresponding to the territory between the Eastern Carpathians and the Dniester river...
, Serbia
Serbia
Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
, Bulgaria
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
and Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
. The admissions were open to all social class
Social class
Social classes are economic or cultural arrangements of groups in society. Class is an essential object of analysis for sociologists, political scientists, economists, anthropologists and social historians. In the social sciences, social class is often discussed in terms of 'social stratification'...
es. Due to the exceptional quality of the language program its students often continued their education abroad, which at the time required many of them to convert their religion from the Orthodox Christian
Eastern Christianity
Eastern Christianity comprises the Christian traditions and churches that developed in the Balkans, Eastern Europe, Asia Minor, the Middle East, Northeastern Africa, India and parts of the Far East over several centuries of religious antiquity. The term is generally used in Western Christianity to...
to a Roman Catholicism
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
. However, upon their return to Ukraine, they were turning back to their Orthodox roots, which also was necessary in order to attain positions in the clergy
Clergy
Clergy is the generic term used to describe the formal religious leadership within a given religion. A clergyman, churchman or cleric is a member of the clergy, especially one who is a priest, preacher, pastor, or other religious professional....
or Academia
Academia
Academia is the community of students and scholars engaged in higher education and research.-Etymology:The word comes from the akademeia in ancient Greece. Outside the city walls of Athens, the gymnasium was made famous by Plato as a center of learning...
. By keep sending the students abroad for education the Kyiv-Mohyla Academy played a very important role in obtaining from Western Europe
Western Europe
Western Europe is a loose term for the collection of countries in the western most region of the European continents, though this definition is context-dependent and carries cultural and political connotations. One definition describes Western Europe as a geographic entity—the region lying in the...
the knowelege of the Renaissance
Renaissance
The Renaissance was a cultural movement that spanned roughly the 14th to the 17th century, beginning in Italy in the Late Middle Ages and later spreading to the rest of Europe. The term is also used more loosely to refer to the historical era, but since the changes of the Renaissance were not...
and adopting it by Ukraine and Russia. The Kyiv-Mohyla Academy also supported a number of other colleges built on its model, such as the Vasilian College
Vasilian College
The Vasilian College or Vasilian Academy was an institution of higher learning in the Principality of Moldavia, founded by Prince Vasile Lupu in 1640....
in Moldova
Moldova
Moldova , officially the Republic of Moldova is a landlocked state in Eastern Europe, located between Romania to the West and Ukraine to the North, East and South. It declared itself an independent state with the same boundaries as the preceding Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic in 1991, as part...
(Moldavia
Moldavia
Moldavia is a geographic and historical region and former principality in Eastern Europe, corresponding to the territory between the Eastern Carpathians and the Dniester river...
).
Hetman
Hetman
Hetman was the title of the second-highest military commander in 15th- to 18th-century Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, which together, from 1569 to 1795, comprised the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, or Rzeczpospolita....
s - military
Military
A military is an organization authorized by its greater society to use lethal force, usually including use of weapons, in defending its country by combating actual or perceived threats. The military may have additional functions of use to its greater society, such as advancing a political agenda e.g...
leaders of the Zaporozhian Cossacks - were close to the monarch
Monarch
A monarch is the person who heads a monarchy. This is a form of government in which a state or polity is ruled or controlled by an individual who typically inherits the throne by birth and occasionally rules for life or until abdication...
and actively supported the Kyiv-Mohyla Academy. The school flourished under the term of Hetman
Hetman
Hetman was the title of the second-highest military commander in 15th- to 18th-century Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, which together, from 1569 to 1795, comprised the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, or Rzeczpospolita....
Ivan Mazepa
Ivan Mazepa
Ivan Stepanovych Mazepa , Cossack Hetman of the Hetmanate in Left-bank Ukraine, from 1687–1708. He was famous as a patron of the arts, and also played an important role in the Battle of Poltava where after learning of Peter I's intent to relieve him as acting Hetman of Ukraine and replace him...
, an alumnus.
Kiev Theological Academy
Alexander I of Russia
Alexander I of Russia , served as Emperor of Russia from 23 March 1801 to 1 December 1825 and the first Russian King of Poland from 1815 to 1825. He was also the first Russian Grand Duke of Finland and Lithuania....
. In response alumni of the Academy made a numerous unsuccessful petitions to the monarch regarding to turning Kyiv-Mohyla Academy (Kievo-Mohylyans'ka Academy) into a University. Instead, in 1819 Kyiv-Mohyla Academy (Kyivo-Mohylyans'ka Academy) was turned into Kiev Theological Academy
Kiev Theological Academy
The Kievan Theological Academy and Seminary is the oldest college of the Russian Orthodox Church. It is situated in Kiev and traces its history back to 1615, when Yelisey Pletenetsky founded a "brotherhood school" at the Theophany Monastery....
- a purely clerical institution. On comparable terms to its predecessors admissions became open only to the children of the existing clergy. The key positions were held mostly by the alumni of the Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg is a city and a federal subject of Russia located on the Neva River at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea...
Seminary
Seminary
A seminary, theological college, or divinity school is an institution of secondary or post-secondary education for educating students in theology, generally to prepare them for ordination as clergy or for other ministry...
.
In years the need of a new type of the higher educational institution in the Capital of Ukraine Kiev
Kiev
Kiev or Kyiv is the capital and the largest city of Ukraine, located in the north central part of the country on the Dnieper River. The population as of the 2001 census was 2,611,300. However, higher numbers have been cited in the press....
has-been realized certainly. The psychological pressure of the mass upon the higher authorities for allowing an establishment of such a school was growing, but it took a long time before the actual event have happened. Thereby Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, as the first European type secular (modern) University of Kiev, was established in 1834 by the Tzar Nicholas I of Russia
Nicholas I of Russia
Nicholas I , was the Emperor of Russia from 1825 until 1855, known as one of the most reactionary of the Russian monarchs. On the eve of his death, the Russian Empire reached its historical zenith spanning over 20 million square kilometers...
.
During the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
(USSR) era Kiev Theological Academy was closed, its library plundered and the main church of the school -Bogoyavlenskiy Cathedral- was destroyed. A military school have been developed instead . As of today the University building outside wall still bears mosaic portraying a military ship and the quotes by Vladimir Lenin
Vladimir Lenin
Vladimir Ilyich Lenin was a Russian Marxist revolutionary and communist politician who led the October Revolution of 1917. As leader of the Bolsheviks, he headed the Soviet state during its initial years , as it fought to establish control of Russia in the Russian Civil War and worked to create a...
as a remembrance of the school's totalitarian past.
Reestablishment as a modern University
Perestroika
Perestroika was a political movement within the Communist Party of the Soviet Union during 1980s, widely associated with the Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev...
and fall of the USSR in 1991 as a result, Kyiv-Mohyla Academy have been reestablished with the great assistance of Vyacheslav Bryukhovetskiy, who became the first president of the NaUKMA - National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy. The recalled institution was newly stractured and remodeled on the basic concepts of the North America post secondary educational system
Higher education
Higher, post-secondary, tertiary, or third level education refers to the stage of learning that occurs at universities, academies, colleges, seminaries, and institutes of technology...
and Bachelor degree and Master degree are offered according to the requirements of an academic credit system . In 1992, August 24 - first celebration of the National Independence Day of Ukraine
Independence Day of Ukraine
Independence Day of Ukraine is the main state holiday in the modern Ukraine, celebrated on August 24 in commemoration of the Declaration of Independence, 1991....
- the first students were matriculated into the classes of NaUKMA - National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy. As of June 1995 there were first six new graduates of NaUKMA. The Research Center named "Legacy of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy" was founded to get establish a continuity of the old Kyiv-Mohyla Academy in the newly recreated Kyiv-Mohyla Academy and such after the two-century-long gap of Its existence. The NaUKMA also initiated the revival of another historical Ukrainian educational institution - the Ostroh Academy
Ostroh Academy
National University "Ostroh Academy" is a Ukrainian self-governed research university that was re-opened in 1994 by the Presidential Decree of April 12, 1994...
. The NaUKMA widely got to be known for being the first university of which students and professors (among the other parties of the Orange Revolution
Orange Revolution
The Orange Revolution was a series of protests and political events that took place in Ukraine from late November 2004 to January 2005, in the immediate aftermath of the run-off vote of the 2004 Ukrainian presidential election which was claimed to be marred by massive corruption, voter...
in Kyiv
Kiev
Kiev or Kyiv is the capital and the largest city of Ukraine, located in the north central part of the country on the Dnieper River. The population as of the 2001 census was 2,611,300. However, higher numbers have been cited in the press....
) openly protested against the massive electoral selection fraud during the Ukrainian presidential election
Presidential election
A presidential election is the election of any head of state whose official title is president.- United States :The United States has elections on the state and local levels...
in 2004. After those events a museum dedicated to the Orange Revolution
Orange Revolution
The Orange Revolution was a series of protests and political events that took place in Ukraine from late November 2004 to January 2005, in the immediate aftermath of the run-off vote of the 2004 Ukrainian presidential election which was claimed to be marred by massive corruption, voter...
(Pomarancheva Revolyuziya-ukr.) was opened at the NaUKMA - National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy.
Claims on continuity of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy traditions
Besides NaUKMA, there are two modern theological schools, which also claim the continuity of the old Kyiv-Mohyla Academy academic tradition. These are Kyiv Theological Academy and Seminary of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate)Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate)
The Ukrainian Orthodox Church is an autonomous Church of Eastern Orthodoxy in Ukraine, under the ecclesiastic jurisdiction of the Moscow Patriarchate...
and Kiev Orthodox Theological Academy of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Kyiv Patriarchate).
NaUKMA -National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy - claims to be the oldest institution of tertiary education in Ukraine. Currently, Lviv University
Lviv University
The Lviv University or officially the Ivan Franko National University of Lviv is the oldest continuously operating university in Ukraine...
founded in 1661 is the oldest continuously operating university in Ukraine. It is disputed whether Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv (established in 1834) or NaUKMA is the oldest higher education institution in Kyiv
Kiev
Kiev or Kyiv is the capital and the largest city of Ukraine, located in the north central part of the country on the Dnieper River. The population as of the 2001 census was 2,611,300. However, higher numbers have been cited in the press....
since NaUKMA formally exists as a university only from 1991 and has a long break from 1817 till 1991 in its history.
Academics
Kyiv Mohyla Business School Kyiv Mohyla Business School Kyiv Mohyla Business School is a business school in Ukraine. It was established in 1999 in Kyiv-Mohyla Academy. KMBS is an associate member of Central and East European Management Development Association, European Foundation for Management Development and Baltic Management Development... |
Profile
NaUKMA holds the highest accreditation level given by the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine and is organized similarly to North American post-secondary institutions. The academic year runs on a trimester system with the longer fall and spring trimesters and a short summer trimester. Fall and spring terms include an extra week of independent study which is aimed to assist students needing to catch up with their coursework and prepare for exams. During undergraduate study students have an academic majorAcademic major
In the United States and Canada, an academic major or major concentration is the academic discipline to which an undergraduate student formally commits....
and can choose either a minor or electives. Each course is assigned a number of credits
Credit (education)
A course credit is a unit that gives weighting to the value, level or time requirements of an academic course taken at a school or other educational institution.- United States :...
based on credit hours and grading is done on a 100 point scale.
NaUKMA Bachelor's degree holders can continue their studies in any of the Masters programs at the university. Graduate academic programs leading to a Master of Business Administration
Master of Business Administration
The Master of Business Administration is a :master's degree in business administration, which attracts people from a wide range of academic disciplines. The MBA designation originated in the United States, emerging from the late 19th century as the country industrialized and companies sought out...
, Candidate of Science (PhD
Doctor of Philosophy
Doctor of Philosophy, abbreviated as Ph.D., PhD, D.Phil., or DPhil , in English-speaking countries, is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities...
) and Doctor of Science
Doctor of Science
Doctor of Science , usually abbreviated Sc.D., D.Sc., S.D. or Dr.Sc., is an academic research degree awarded in a number of countries throughout the world. In some countries Doctor of Science is the name used for the standard doctorate in the sciences, elsewhere the Sc.D...
are also offered at NaUKMA. The university was first in Ukraine to join the reforms of the doctoral education within the Bologna process
Bologna process
The purpose of the Bologna Process is the creation of the European Higher Education Area by making academic degree standards and quality assurance standards more comparable and compatible throughout Europe, in particular under the Lisbon Recognition Convention...
.
NaUKMA is a bilingual institution with Ukrainian and English being the languages of instruction, although the primary language is Ukrainian. The university offers business courses in English to the general public, in partnership with Grant MacEwan College
Grant MacEwan College
Grant MacEwan University is a post-secondary educational institution located in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Founded in 1971 as "Grant MacEwan Community College,” the institution got its start by offering primarily one and two-year certificate and diploma programs. In 1988 it received approval to...
of Edmonton
Edmonton
Edmonton is the capital of the Canadian province of Alberta and is the province's second-largest city. Edmonton is located on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Capital Region, which is surrounded by the central region of the province.The city and its census...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. NaUKMA organizes an annual summer school
Summer school
Summer school is a school, or a program generally sponsored by a school or a school district, that teaches students during the summer vacation....
in Ukrainian studies for international students and an English-language term program for international students entitled "Transitional studies: Ukraine and post-soviet space". Recently a Master program "German and European studies" is offered in collaboration with the University of Jena. The program is offered in German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
.
Similarly to other public universities in Ukraine, students receive modest monthly scholarship payments from the government. The amount varies according to the student's grades in the previous trimester. Additionally, a number of private scholarships are given to the best students on a merit system. Further, students are rewarded scholarship monies for their social activities, thus awards are given to those who make the greatest contribution to the revival of NaUKMA or to those who excel in the promotion of Ukrainian language and culture.
NaUKMA is a state university and governed by the Supervising Board appointed by the Government of Ukraine
Government of Ukraine
Government of Ukraine is often associated with the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine. However it should be considered that Ukraine is a country under a semi-presidential system with separate legislative, executive, and judicial branches of government...
. The highest university official is the President of NaUKMA, who is Prof. Serhiy M. Kvit. Education and research at the university are coordinated by the Scientific Board. Several public bodies consult the management of the university. These include the International Consulting Board, Board of Trustees, Student Council and Arts Board.
Admissions
Natural science
The natural sciences are branches of science that seek to elucidate the rules that govern the natural world by using empirical and scientific methods...
s with the tests being machine scored. The admissions procedure was introduced in order to stem alleged corruption in the admission process. Admission tests are considered challenging and cover a broader range of subjects than the typical entrance examinations held at the majority of other universities in Ukraine. Testing the knowledge of history of the Kyiv-Mohyla Academy is exceptional among Ukrainian universities. It was introduced because of the role of the university in Ukrainian history. The university also has a Department of Preuniversity Training, which organizes test preparation courses for prospective students as well as trial testing sessions.
Reputation
In 2009 Delovoy magazine ranked NaUKMA as the second best university in Ukraine, being nationally the strongest in humanities, third best in economics and second best in law. According to the independent ranking of 228 universities in Ukraine performed by Compas, NaUKMA was ranked second best in Ukraine regarding the adequacy of alumni to the labor market of Ukraine. In 2007, both the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine and the Dzerkalo TyzhniaZerkalo Nedeli
Zerkalo Nedeli , usually referred to in English as the Mirror Weekly, is one of Ukraine’s most influential analytical newspapers published weekly in Kiev, the nation's capital. It was founded in 1994, and as of 2006 its print circulation was 57,000. It offers political analysis, original...
, a weekly national newspaper ranked NaUKMA in third place among the Ukrainian universities. Likewise, the university's business school has the best reputation in the country. The Delovoy magazine ranked the Kyiv Mohyla Business School
Kyiv Mohyla Business School
Kyiv Mohyla Business School is a business school in Ukraine. It was established in 1999 in Kyiv-Mohyla Academy. KMBS is an associate member of Central and East European Management Development Association, European Foundation for Management Development and Baltic Management Development...
as the best business school in Ukraine in 2007. NaUKMA was ranked as number four in the ranking "Top-200 Ukraine" conducted by UNESCO
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
in 2007.
In the international Webometrics Ranking of World Universities
Webometrics Ranking of World Universities
The Webometrics Ranking of World Universities, also known as Ranking Web of World Universities, is ranking system for the world's universities based on a composite indicator that takes into account both the volume of the Web contents and the visibility and impact of these web publications...
the university features at 2,055 out of 8,000 ranked institutions and second best among Ukrainian universities.
NaUKMA often hosts visits of foreign and national politicians. Among the latest visitors were Jaap de Hoop Scheffer
Jaap de Hoop Scheffer
Jakob Gijsbert "Jaap" de Hoop Scheffer is a retired Dutch politician of the Christian Democratic Appeal . He served as the 11th Secretary General of NATO from January 5, 2004 until August 1, 2009....
, Alejandro Toledo
Alejandro Toledo
Alejandro Celestino Toledo Manrique is a politician who was President of Peru from 2001 to 2006. He was elected in April 2001, defeating former President Alan García...
, David Kilgour
David Kilgour
David Kilgour, PC is a former Canadian politician.Kilgour graduated from the University of Manitoba in economics in 1962 and the University of Toronto law school in 1966. From crown attorney in northern Alberta to Canadian Cabinet minister, Kilgour ended his 27 year tenure in the Canadian House of...
and Jean Chrétien
Jean Chrétien
Joseph Jacques Jean Chrétien , known commonly as Jean Chrétien is a former Canadian politician who was the 20th Prime Minister of Canada. He served in the position for over ten years, from November 4, 1993 to December 12, 2003....
.
NaUKMA in the rankings of universities in Ukraine:
| Ranking | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Compas | 2 | 2 | 2 | 4 |
| Zerkalo Nedeli Zerkalo Nedeli Zerkalo Nedeli , usually referred to in English as the Mirror Weekly, is one of Ukraine’s most influential analytical newspapers published weekly in Kiev, the nation's capital. It was founded in 1994, and as of 2006 its print circulation was 57,000. It offers political analysis, original... /UNESCO UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations... |
3 | 9 | 8 | - |
| Dengi | 2 | 2 | 2 | - |
| Korespondent.net | 2 | 3 | - | 2 |
| Kommentarii: | - | - | - | 2 |
| Kyiv student council | - | - | 3 | - |
| Webometrics | - | - | 9 | 2 |
| 4 International Colleges & Universities | - | - | - | 9 |
Institutions associated with NaUKMA
Following its reestablishment, NaUKMA has been active in the revival and founding of institutions sharing a common vision of educational standards. Thus, NaUKMA assisted with the development of the National University of Ostroh AcademyOstroh Academy
National University "Ostroh Academy" is a Ukrainian self-governed research university that was re-opened in 1994 by the Presidential Decree of April 12, 1994...
, the Taras Shevchenko
Taras Shevchenko
Taras Hryhorovych Shevchenko -Life:Born into a serf family of Hryhoriy Ivanovych Shevchenko and Kateryna Yakymivna Shevchenko in the village of Moryntsi, of Kiev Governorate of the Russian Empire Shevchenko was orphaned at the age of eleven...
Pedagogical University
Pedagogical University
The Pedagogical University is one of Mozambique's principal universities. The name of the school is abbreviated to UP. The main campus of the school is located in Maputo. There are over 16,000 students attending the UP system.-Campuses:...
of Kremenets
Kremenets
Kremenets is a city in the Ternopil Oblast of western Ukraine. It is the administrative center of the Kremenets Raion , and rests 18 km north-east of the great Pochayiv Monastery...
, and the Petro Mohyla
Petro Mohyla
Metropolitan Peter was a Metropolitan of Kiev, Halych and All-Rus' from 1633 until his death. He was born into a Moldavian boyar family — the Movileşti — one that gave Moldavia and Wallachia several rulers, including his father, Ieremia Movilă. His mother, Margareta, was a Hungarian noble lady...
State University
State university
In the United States, a state college or state university is one of the public colleges or universities funded by or associated with the state government. In some cases, these institutions of higher learning are part of a state university system, while in other cases they are not. Several U.S....
of Mykolayiv until they became separate independent universities. However, these schools still share a common admissions system with NaUKMA. Moreover, NaUKMA is an umbrella institution for a network of high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
s throughout Ukraine called the collegiums. The curricula of collegiums aim to prepare the students for the NaUKMA entrance exams.
The university publishing house "Kyiv-Mohyla Academy", which specializes in publishing scientific and educational literature in Ukraine, is situated on the NaUKMA campus.
Research
Science at NaUKMA is organized into six faculties, 29 departments and 24 research centers. An annual scientific conference Dni nauky NaUKMA (The Days of Science at NaUKMA) takes place in the last week of January. The main focus of research at the NaUKMA is in the fields of economics, law and humanities. Many faculty members hold permanent positions at the research institutes of the National Academy of Science of UkraineNational Academy of Science of Ukraine
The National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine is the highest government research body in Ukraine and one of the six state academies. Its presidium is located at 57 Volodymyr Street, across the street from the Building of Pedagogical Museum where used to preside the Central Rada during the...
and NaUKMA students are allowed to use its facilities for scientific and educational purposes.
Libraries
The library of the old Kyiv Mohyla Academy contained a notable collection of the books. However, the archive was plundered in 1920s when the academy was closed. The university administration focuses on creating a research library equipped to modern standards. In addition to the central undergraduate library there is a number of the departmental libraries as well as reading halls for research and periodicals. Further, several international cultural organizations such as the Goethe-InstitutGoethe-Institut
The Goethe-Institut is a non-profit German cultural institution operational worldwide, promoting the study of the German language abroad and encouraging international cultural exchange and relations. The Goethe-Institut also fosters knowledge about Germany by providing information on German...
(e), British Council
British Council
The British Council is a United Kingdom-based organisation specialising in international educational and cultural opportunities. It is registered as a charity both in England and Wales, and in Scotland...
and American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Library
Library
In a traditional sense, a library is a large collection of books, and can refer to the place in which the collection is housed. Today, the term can refer to any collection, including digital sources, resources, and services...
are located on campus premises and are open to the public. Also all the NaUKMA students have an access to the Vernadsky National Library of Ukraine
Vernadsky National Library of Ukraine
The Vernadsky National Library of Ukraine is the main academic library and main scientific information centre in Ukraine, one of the world's largest national libraries. It is located in the capital of the country – Kiev. The library contains about 15 million items...
.
Campus
The university occupies the grounds of the Kyiv-Mohyla Academy in the PodilPodil
The Podil or Podilskyi Raion is a historic neighbourhood and an administrative raion in Kiev, the capital of Ukraine. It is one of the oldest neighborhoods of Kiev, the birthplace of the city's trade, commerce and industry...
neighborhood, from Kontraktova Square
Kontraktova Square
Kontraktova Square or Kontraktovaya Square is a square in the historic Podil neighborhood of Kiev, the capital of Ukraine. The square is an important economic, cultural, and transport center of the Podil, containing numerous architectural and historical monuments.-History:Kontraktova Square is...
to the Dnieper River
Dnieper River
The Dnieper River is one of the major rivers of Europe that flows from Russia, through Belarus and Ukraine, to the Black Sea.The total length is and has a drainage basin of .The river is noted for its dams and hydroelectric stations...
. The campus of NaUKMA is composed of a number of buildings constructed in the times of its predecessor institutions. The oldest buildings date from the 17th century, and include the Halshka Hulevychivna house and the old academic building also called the Mazepa building in honor of its financier Hetman Ivan Mazepa
Ivan Mazepa
Ivan Stepanovych Mazepa , Cossack Hetman of the Hetmanate in Left-bank Ukraine, from 1687–1708. He was famous as a patron of the arts, and also played an important role in the Battle of Poltava where after learning of Peter I's intent to relieve him as acting Hetman of Ukraine and replace him...
. The Mazepa building contains the congregation hall for ceremonial events, the Center for Contemporary Art and the research library.
In the same neighborhood is the historical museum complex of the Kyiv-Mohyla Academy, although the building is undergoing renovation. The complex contains a sundial and the house of Halshka Hulevychivna, which was the first building of the Kiev Brotherhood School. Another historical building called the bursa faces the Dnieper River
Dnieper River
The Dnieper River is one of the major rivers of Europe that flows from Russia, through Belarus and Ukraine, to the Black Sea.The total length is and has a drainage basin of .The river is noted for its dams and hydroelectric stations...
and was used as a student dormitory during the time of the Kyiv-Mohyla Academy. The Blahovishchenska (Annunciation) Сhurch built in 1740 for students is also on the NaUKMA campus. Most other buildings were constructed during the time of Kiev Theological Academy with some additions made during the Soviet era. The dormitories are situated outside the main campus.
An environmentally friendly office called the Green Office was recently opened at the Department of Environmental Studies at NaUKMA and uses modern energy saving and environmentally friendly technologies. The project was largely the initiative of students and is the first example of an office based on sustainable development
Sustainable development
Sustainable development is a pattern of resource use, that aims to meet human needs while preserving the environment so that these needs can be met not only in the present, but also for generations to come...
in a Ukrainian educational institution.
University traditions
Following reestablishment, the NaKUMA academic community has attempted to restore the traditions of its predecessor. However, during NaKUMA's reincarnation, several new traditions have been founded. Every year on October 15 the school celebrates Academy day and NaUKMA students wash the monument of the noted Kyiv-Mohyla alumnus philosopher Hryhorii Skovoroda. This action is called clean Skovoroda. The monument of Skovoroda in front of the university is also decorated with a mortarboard during the annual graduation ceremony held on June 28. Another tradition during the ceremony is to carry the university turtle named Alma around the new graduates who make wishes while touching her shell. A student tradition connecting the old Kyiv-Mohyla Academy and NaUKMA is theatrical performances called vertepVertep
Vertep was a kind of portable puppet theatre and the corresponding type of drama in the culture of East Slavs which presented the nativity scene, other mystery plays, and later secular plots as well...
s. Verteps possibly were introduced by the students of the old Academy. They are performed during different festive events. Lastly, it is a tradition to open each academic year with a welcome event for the new students, followed by a lecture by a renowned scientist, who is given an honorary professorship at the University. The ceremony of new NaUKMA student initiation includes taking a traditional student oath. During the first term at NaUKMA, students of all faculties introduce themselves to the academic community during the acquaintance ball.
Student life
Despite the relatively small number of NaUKMA students (about 3000 in 2006) there are a number of extracurricular activities on campus. NaUKMA students are also known for their activismStudent activism
Student activism is work done by students to effect political, environmental, economic, or social change. It has often focused on making changes in schools, such as increasing student influence over curriculum or improving educational funding...
, which is also supported by the university administration. Notable among the student organizations on campus are: the Student Council, the Christian Students Union, Mohyla Intellectual Club, the Student Brotherhood, the ecological club Zelena Hvylya, and the Youth Center for Humanities. The NaUKMA student portal Bo.Net.Ua is an online platform for student and alumni communication.
Sports courses are compulsory for NaUKMA students in their two years of study. These courses include elements of calisthenics, sport (soccer, basketball, volleyball and swimming) and fitness exercises. Additionally, there are a number of student sport groups ranging from Combat Hopak
Combat Hopak
Combat Hopak is a martial art, based on the Ukrainian traditional dance Hopak. It was revived by Volodymyr Pylat in the 1980s.Pylat analyzed both the fighting and dancing tradition of Ukraine...
to Go
Go (board game)
Go , is an ancient board game for two players that originated in China more than 2,000 years ago...
.
Arts and music at NaUKMA are represented by the Center of Culture and Art and the Center for Contemporary Art.
Kyiv-Mohyla Academy in literature and popular culture
Nikolai Gogol
Nikolai Vasilievich Gogol was a Ukrainian-born Russian dramatist and novelist.Considered by his contemporaries one of the preeminent figures of the natural school of Russian literary realism, later critics have found in Gogol's work a fundamentally romantic sensibility, with strains of Surrealism...
novel Taras Bulba
Taras Bulba
Taras Bulba is a romanticized historical novel by Nikolai Gogol. It tells the story of an old Zaporozhian Cossack, Taras Bulba, and his two sons, Andriy and Ostap. Taras’ sons studied at the Kiev Academy and return home...
Ostap and Andriy Bulba were alumni of the old Kyiv-Mohyla Academy. Kyiv-Mohyla Collegium is mentioned in several novels by Pavlo Zahrebelnyi
Pavlo Zahrebelnyi
Pavlo Arhypovych Zahrebelnyi or Zagrebelnyi was a Ukrainian novelist....
including Southern Comfort and I, Bohdan. Kyiv Theological Academy is mentioned in Nikolai Leskov's
Nikolai Leskov
Nikolai Semyonovich Leskov was a Russian journalist, novelist and short story writer, who also wrote under the pseudonym M. Stebnitsky. Praised for his unique writing style and innovative experiments in form, held in high esteem by Leo Tolstoy, Anton Chekhov and Maxim Gorky among others, Leskov is...
Pecherskie antiki.
To note the importance of the university in Ukraine's history, a postage stamp
Postage stamp
A postage stamp is a small piece of paper that is purchased and displayed on an item of mail as evidence of payment of postage. Typically, stamps are made from special paper, with a national designation and denomination on the face, and a gum adhesive on the reverse side...
dedicated to Kyiv-Mohyla Academy and its revival was issued in 1992. Moreover, a building of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy is portrayed on the 500 hryven' banknote.
Notable alumni and faculty members
Alumni of the old Kyiv-Mohyla Academy have played an important role in Ukrainian professional life. Many hetmans of Zaporozhian CossacksHetmans of Ukrainian Cossacks
Hetman of Ukrainian Cossacks as a title was not officially recognized internationally until the creation of the Ukrainian Hetmanate. With the creation of Registered Cossacks units their leaders were unofficially referred to as hetmans, however officially the title was known as the "Senior of His...
, political leaders of Ukraine in the 17th and 18th centuries, were educated here. These include Ivan Mazepa
Ivan Mazepa
Ivan Stepanovych Mazepa , Cossack Hetman of the Hetmanate in Left-bank Ukraine, from 1687–1708. He was famous as a patron of the arts, and also played an important role in the Battle of Poltava where after learning of Peter I's intent to relieve him as acting Hetman of Ukraine and replace him...
, Pylyp Orlyk
Pylyp Orlyk
Pylyp Stepanovych Orlyk Pylyp Stepanovych Orlyk Pylyp Stepanovych Orlyk (born on October 11, 1672 in Kosuta, Ashmyany county, Grand Duchy of Lithuania (today in Vileyka Raion, Belarus), died on May 26, 1742 in Jassy, Principality of Moldavia (today Iaşi, Romania) was a Zaporozhian Cossack...
, Pavlo Polubotok
Pavlo Polubotok
Pavlo Polubotok , was a Cossack political and military leader and Acting Hetman of the Left-bank Ukraine between 1722 and 1724.- Biography :...
, Ivan Skoropadsky
Ivan Skoropadsky
Ivan Skoropadsky was a Hetman of the Ukrainian Cossacks, and the successor to the famous Hetman Ivan Mazepa.- Biography:...
and Ivan Samoylovych
Ivan Samoylovych
Ivan Samoylovych was the Hetman of Left-bank Ukraine from 1672 to 1687. His term in office was marked by further incorporation of the Cossack Hetmanate into the nascent Russian Empire and by attempts to win the Right-bank Ukraine from Poland-Lithuania....
. The Grand Chancellor of Russia Alexander Bezborodko
Alexander Bezborodko
Prince Alexander Andreyevich Bezborodko was the Grand Chancellor of Russia and chief architect of Catherine the Great's foreign policy after the death of Nikita Panin.-Ukrainian origins:...
was of Ukrainian origin and an alumnus. The Kyiv-Mohyla Academy was a religious school of note in the Orthodox world and archbishops of the Russian Empire
Russian Empire
The Russian Empire was a state that existed from 1721 until the Russian Revolution of 1917. It was the successor to the Tsardom of Russia and the predecessor of the Soviet Union...
such as Stephen Yavorsky
Stephen Yavorsky
Stefan Yavorsky was an archbishop and statesman in the Russian Empire, of Ukrainian descent, one of the ablest coadjutors of Peter the Great and the first president of the Most Holy Synod....
and Feofan Prokopovich
Feofan Prokopovich
thumb|Theophan ProkopovichFeofan/Theophan Prokopovich was an archbishop and statesman in the Russian Empire, of Ukrainian descent. He elaborated and implemented Peter the Great's reform of the Russian Orthodox Church...
as well as the metropolitan bishop of Rostov Dimitry of Rostov
Dimitry of Rostov
Saint Dimitry of Rostov was a leading opponent of the Caesaropapist reform of the Russian Orthodox church promoted by Feofan Prokopovich. He is representative of the strong Ukrainian influence upon the Russian Orthodox Church at the turn of the 17th and 18th centuries...
were all alumni.
More recently, several generations of writers, artists and scholars have been schooled at the Kyiv Mohyla Academy. Examples include writer Simeon of Polotsk, architect Ivan Hryhorovych-Barskyi
Ivan Hryhorovych-Barskyi
Ivan Hryhorovych-Barskyi or Ivan Grigorovich-Barsky is a Ukrainian architect who worked in the Late Cossack Baroque style...
, and composer Artemy Vedel
Artemy Vedel
Artem Vedel was one of the most prominent Ukrainian composers of the 18th century. Together with Maksym Berezovsky and Dmytro Bortniansky, Vedel is recognized as one of the big three composers of the period....
. Ukrainian philosopher Hryhori Skovoroda
Hryhori Skovoroda
Hryhorii Savych Skovoroda was a Ukrainian philosopher, poet, teacher and composer who lived in the Russian Empire and who made important contributions to Russian philosophy and culture. He lived and worked in Ukraine and passionately and consciously identified with its people, differentiating them...
was another alumnus of the university. Mikhail Lomonosov
Mikhail Lomonosov
Mikhail Vasilyevich Lomonosov was a Russian polymath, scientist and writer, who made important contributions to literature, education, and science. Among his discoveries was the atmosphere of Venus. His spheres of science were natural science, chemistry, physics, mineralogy, history, art,...
, Russian scientist and founder of Moscow University was briefly a student at Kyiv Mohyla Academy.
After 1819, when the university was turned into a purely religious institution, it still upheld its international reputation and has been an alma mater
Alma mater
Alma mater , pronounced ), was used in ancient Rome as a title for various mother goddesses, especially Ceres or Cybele, and in Christianity for the Virgin Mary.-General term:...
for the Moldavian poet Alexei Mateevici
Alexei Mateevici
Alexe Mateevici was a Moldavian poet.- Biography :He was born in the town Căinari, in Eastern Bessarabia, which was part of the Russian Empire, now in the Republic of Moldova...
and metropolitan bishop of the Romanian Orthodox Church Visarion Puiu
Visarion Puiu
Visarion Puiu was a metropolitan bishop of the Romanian Orthodox Church....
.
Alumni of NaUKMA are employed by national and international companies, research and governmental institutions and many graduates continue their studies abroad. Journalist and politician Andriy Shevchenko
Andriy Shevchenko (politician)
Andriy Shevchenko is a current deputy of the Verkhovna Rada, the Ukrainian parliament; a prominent Ukrainian journalist....
and the contemporary Ukrainian writer Maryna Sokolyan
Maryna Sokolyan
Maryna Sokolyan is a Ukrainian author. The critical reviews define her work as “uncommon event in a contemporary fiction”, and draw attention to the exquisite and well-cultivated language and to the complex intellectual references towards English literature....
studied at NaUKMA.
See also
- Economics Education and Research ConsortiumEconomics Education and Research ConsortiumThe Economics Education and Research Consortium was created in 1995 to strengthen economics education and research capabilities in the CIS. Managed by a Kiev-based secretariat, EERC’s Research Network supports original policy-relevant studies, organizes training seminars and research workshops,...
- List of universities, colleges, and research institutions in Kiev