“ZN” has dedicated many articles to the disastrous state of Ukrainian science. In our new column “The White Book of Ukrainian Science” we are making an attempt to examine the issues from a different point of view, namely, to demonstrate the achievements of those intellectuals who were able to succeed in spite of all the difficulties. A significant breakthrough was made by Ukrainian National Agrarian University.  Its advancement is at the center of attention, both in Ukraine and abroad.  The University has developed its own philosophy for success, grounded in three components: education, science, and business. In a conversation with a ZN columnist, Dmytriy MELNYCHUK, Rector of Ukrainian National Agrarian University, Academician of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine and Ukrainian Academy of Agrarian Sciences, outlined how, during the years of independence, his University used new opportunities for development.   

Dmytry Melnychuk made his first steps in science at A. Palladin Institute of Biochemistry under the guidance of outstanding scientist Maxim Huly.  In his PhD thesis, Melnychuk examined the role of carbon acid in animal metabolism. Somehow, this purely academic research puzzled Marxist-Leninist ideologists to such a degree, that they started to attack the young researcher, claiming the conclusions of his thesis contradict dialectical materialism. We can only ponder the outcomes of this conflict, but fortunately, Boris Paton, Chair of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine interfered, hushed the Kyiv Marxists, and protected Dmytry Melnychuk from their accusations. Nevertheless, the thirty-year old researcher, at that time the youngest scientist with a PhD degree in biology, had to wait for four more years until his thesis and degree were confirmed by Higher Attestation Council in Moscow.   

Dmytry Melnychuk became Rector at a difficult time: the stagnation of the last years of Soviet power, impoverishment of the first years of independence, and current challenges connected with the Bologna process…  

Higher education managers are divided over the Bologna process. Many professors think: once we introduce a two-level (bachelor’s and master’s)  education system, rewrite our syllabi and curricula, and develop new textbooks, we will be no different from our colleagues in the west…  But there is another, more in-depth understanding: if we want our education system, including higher education, to meet EU standards, we will have to carry out more profound reforms, encompassing higher education, the Academy of Sciences, as well as scientific support for manufacturing and production.  

—How is the Bologna process understood at the Ukrainian National Agrarian University? — the ZN correspondent addressed the first question to Rector Melnychuk.

— For us, the Bologna process began as soon as the iron curtain fell. We immediately started looking for contacts with universities abroad.  The chosen strategy was to contact rectors directly.  Then, we searched for financial support among international financial institutions, non-governmental organizations, the Diaspora and other donors.   

Back in the 1990’s we set a goal for ourselves: to do everything in our power, so that outstanding universities in the West officially recognize our education system. At first, we were not as successful as we expected.  In Europe, we did not find support and recognition. At some point, I even had the impression: they believe Ukraine is a temporary formation.  France, Germany ignored us completely, as their eyes were on Russia…

At that point, we addressed the USA and received their support without delay. Without procrastinations, several American universities concluded agreements with us and soon we ran six joint projects. Iowa University agreed to provide us support in restructuring our education process.  At that time, bachelor’s and master’s programs were a novelty.   At 1996, Iowa University signed a memorandum on mutual recognition of the education systems at our universities. It is worth mentioning that, to a very large extent, this was due to the autonomy and self-government that our university received in 1994 (first granted by the Resolution of Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine and then confirmed by the Resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine). We cannot overestimate the role of autonomy and self-government in the success of our university. 

 It was a great success! For the first time, American universities recognized a university from the former USSR.  We realized, of course, that official recognition by a famous American university was rather an advance for us.  We have to admit that at that time we were lagging behind in many respects:  information technology, the scope and level of scientific research, other parameters; we could not boast well-established links between the university and manufacturing, as they had.  But we were progressing very fast.

In 1998, we signed a similar memorandum with the University of Louisiana.   

— Why would you want to collaborate with an agrarian university located in subtropical area? 

— For an agrarian university, like ours, it is very important to have partners located in areas like Ukraine, as well in subtropical regions. As a matter of fact, our university became attractive for countries situated in tropical and subtropical areas; therefore we need to learn about latest technological processes and know-how developed by Americans for these areas. Meanwhile, the situation in Europe started to change. Europe stopped being suspicious; by the mid-1990’s Germany believed that Ukraine had come to stay. Very soon, we developed good relations with German scholars and scientists. Besides, it became clear that we had made several steps ahead. In 1996, at Berlin University, during a session of its academic council I showed the memorandum signed with the Americans. It caused surprise and bewilderment: why borrow the division into bachelor’s and master’s programs?  The German colleagues even declared, we would never accept this.  They said, you had had a good education system under the Soviet Union, why replace it with an American one? 

I replied, let’s go back in history: in tsarist Russia, they had bachelor’s and master’s programs. The Soviet power changed the system. But internationalization and competition prove that the older system was more viable than the one that we have now.     

At that moment, my German colleagues did not understand me. But after two or three years, Germany made a transfer to the Anglo-Saxon system of higher education.  Recently, when we met, we recalled that conversation. Our relationship with Berlin University has strengthened, as in the Bologna process we are ahead of them: we have passed several stages and have all the necessary documentation in English.  When we say “Bologna process”, we in fact are adapting our system of education to the system that has already proved its effectiveness in the USA, England, Holland, Japan…

Some time in 2000, we signed a memorandum of mutual recognition with Berlin University, and later with University of Ghent, in Belgium.  Last month a similar document was signed with Weinschtevan University of Applied Sciences, in Bavaria.     The last document outlines far-reaching benefits for students. For instance, if a Ukrainian student studies for one semester and passes exams in this university in Germany, or vice versa, a German student studies at our Agrarian University, they are entitled to two diplomas simultaneously: our and theirs. To endorse this right, an expert from Germany is present during our state exams and a Ukrainian professor is seconded to exams in Germany.   

— Is this in theory only, or there are instances of practical implementation of these agreements?  

— We run a master’s program in German. For 18 months, students study for a degree called “Master of Agrarian Economy”.  Many students prefer to take a course there and go for an internship to Ukraine, and vice versa: take a course in our university and for internship travel to Germany.  This is a very successful project.      

We have a similar project in financial management and related disciplines, run in English. The participating states include England, Belgium, Holland, and the Czech Republic. Students who participate in these projects are priceless specialists; all of them are offered a job before graduation.

—  Are they offered a job here or abroad?

— Both.  As a matter of fact, the mass exodus of our students and scientists abroad is over. It was very intense in the first half of the 1990’s. Then, about three hundred of our students did not return after a course abroad.  I was criticized, they said I was training a cadre for abroad. Years have passed and those who did not return still maintain links with our University. They are just another contact point, where we can send our students. If now somebody makes a decision not to come back to Ukraine, we will not regard this as a tragedy – we just have another contact point to help us organize training for students and scholars. By the way, those who decided to stay abroad are asking to take them back. Usually, they are valuable staff who know foreign languages, have good connections abroad, understand the country and its traditions. Sometimes, we offer them a job ourselves: come, take the responsibility for a department or chair, start a new project etc. No matter what people say, this trend will continue. It is of critical importance for a university located in the capital city: we should think about strategic things, not just everyday problems.      

—  This trend was tested in China, Poland, the Czech Republic, Latvia, and Estonia.  Unfortunately, in our universities, it has not found support and recognition.  At least, I cannot think of any other Ukrainian university where a scholar who has made a career abroad would be offered the chance to head a department...

—We have overcome the fear and distrust of western experience long ago; we have sent our envoys throughout the world: young people from our University live and work in the USA, Canada, China, Australia, Japan and other countries of the world. In our University, we have accumulated the best international experience, collected different programs, made their comparative analysis and based on this developed our own programs. We are ready to share accumulated experience with others — we placed information on our programs in the Internet, and it is available in English and in Ukrainian.  

Annually, from six to seven hundred students and teachers from abroad visit our university for different purposes: interns, students in a full-time bachelor’s or master’s course, scholars with academic degrees, researchers, PhD students.

Among our students, study visits to Germany, Denmark, Holland, the United Kingdom and other states are very popular. They live there at a farm and work from June to October. It is evident that first and foremost, our students go aboard to earn some money. By the way, they earn no less that three thousand dollars for a season. One of the students told me he was able to make $24,000 . No doubt, it is a significant aid for students; as a rule, they do not come from wealthy families.   

— I can only imagine how sharply you are being criticized for such a liberal attitude …

— Yes, I hear different comments and opinions. The most repeated reproof is this is not an internship, but work. Yes, it is work, but at the same time, students work alongside farmers, observing their rules and standards.  Students learn a different life style, order and discipline, organizational management, technology and know-how. I am confident, that when most students start their own business, they will try to organize it no worse than what they saw abroad.  That is why I am optimistic about our future.  By the way, recently in Ukraine several quite successful agricultural companies have emerged.  Now, we can study best practices at home, in fact, that’s what we do.  

— What new opportunities for your students and graduates are opened by the agreements on mutual recognition of diplomas by Western universities?

— Very broad opportunities.  In addition, if I signed an agreement on mutual recognition with you and you signed the agreement with another university, my university and the third university are supposed to recognize each other’s diplomas without any further agreements. Therefore, having signed such agreements with two universities in the US, we have in fact received recognition from a powerful network of universities that among themselves have agreed on mutual recognition of programs.    

Now, our students can find an American professor via the internet and apply for a PhD program, like graduates of American universities. They do not have to take extra courses or pass exams, prove that they have a sufficient level of knowledge. A Ukrainian diploma is not discriminated against any more.  Besides, such agreements open possibilities to find a job in the USA for our graduates.  In addition, if your diploma is recognized by an American university, potential European employers will treat you well. 

Please, bear in mind that in the West you are not issued a standard diploma, irrespective of the university. In your diploma, it is written: bachelor, engineer, doctor, master – graduate of such and such university. And the salary and position that a graduate can get depend upon the profile of the university.   

Currently, one of the indicators of a university’s rating is the salary that its graduates are offered.  Therefore, American universities do not recommend that their students agree to a salary if it is lower than the average salary for this university’s graduates.  

— In other words, the agreements that were signed open opportunities for your graduates to claim salaries as high as American graduates of the above university can claim?

— That is what we would like …

—  Does this mean that you have opened opportunities for your graduates to find jobs in the USA?    

— You never know what may happen to you, where you will move or settle.  It may happen that you will have to represent Ukraine at some international organization and they ask you to provide a diploma that is recognized by the international community. Or you may be invited to work in a company that has very high educational standards. In addition, we live in an open society and the freedom of movement guaranteed by our diploma is always an advantage, especially now, when we are moving towards Europe. I am happy that out of one hundred and eight higher educational establishments of the Soviet times, ours was the first to obtain world recognition…

— Are you saying that you are ahead of Latvian and Estonian universities?

— They have a significant advantage — they are already part of the European Union.  But when EU experts came to assess the Estonian Agricultural Academy, one of the best institutions under socialism, the conclusions were unsatisfactory.  Currently, this university has managed to preserve its premises and name only.  Everything had to be changed. Staff was retrained, and for this a significant subsidy allocated. As for us, we have to fund our reforms from the state budget and partly from our international projects. 

— Recently, a list of the top 500 world universities was published. Not a single Ukrainian university is on this list. Of Russian universities, only two were included.  It is sad.  Especially taking into consideration that our educationists continue to emphasize the highest possible level of our education.  Why, based on what grounds? Considering that our best students are admitted to universities in the West? In fact, they are few talented individuals, and their personal success does not testify of the high level of education in general…

— Give us time.  It is an important achievement that our diploma was recognized in the world. And, please, bear in mind, it is just the beginning of reform process in our University, and reorganization is not over yet – there is always room for improvement: it requires structural changes, amendments and so on.  As to the university rating and how to improve it, we will talk about it later. 

First, let’s examine the second component necessary to make the university a high-profile school.   For this, a significant scientific-and-research capacity is crucial. In other words, the university should house powerful research institutes, centers, and laboratories. The research carried out should meet the highest international standards. A university without research capacity cannot maintain a high profile; it could be a college, at best. 

There is a whole set of indicators that measure the level of research and scientific achievements of a university.  Very often, scholars refer to a quotation index.  I agree, it is an important indicator, and its growth rate in our University testifies to stable positive trends. At the same time, for a university like ours, that seeks prestige in the international arena, the quotation index is not important at the moment. What is important is the growing participation of students in research. In addition, other important indicators include: the number of patents obtained, the number of PhD and advanced degree students, participation in international conferences, number of contemporary research laboratories.  In our University, all these indicators show a positive growing trend

Yes, we were engaged in research activities in socialist times as well, but when I visited other countries I realized our research activities were quite weak.  That is why I appealed to the National Academy of Sciences, and to the Agrarian Academy, urging them to help us build bridges between our University and their research institutes.  Unfortunately, it was a fruitless approach – we were unable to find the answer to the question: who will be the boss? Sometimes, we mention that we have a good working relationship with research institutes affiliated with the Academy of Sciences.  It is an exaggeration: so far we can only talk about intentions, but not real achievements based on agreements signed.   

— What hinders cooperation?

— Any significant research requires funding, allocation of resources and division of responsibilities. Then, confusion and misunderstanding follow.  And this means the end of agreement. Therefore, the legal basis for cooperation and integration is necessary, which would provide the ground for cooperation in spite of relations established between individuals, managers, or institutions. 

There are many agrarian research institutes around. Before, I thought that our state would only benefit if we united our efforts and established something like the University of Texas or Pennsylvania’s compounds where all research institutes work very closely with the university. And the university and institutes together will be accountable to the Academy of Sciences.  But a scholar, working for a research institute, should be well aware that he or she bears responsibility for an undergraduate or graduate student who is involved in a research project.  More than that, the scholar should participate in all the activities of the university….

Unfortunately, my dreams did not come true.  Now I understand that most research institutes are deprived and helpless; nevertheless, they are ready to fight for their independence. I have made several attempts to establish good cooperative relations with them and then quit – it is a self-deception, cooperation is impossible. 

— And what instead?

— We decided to establish research institutes ourselves. 

—Analogous to those that exist, under the same name?

— We change their names a bit, to make it easier for the post office, but in fact, we just duplicate the existing ones.  Our research institutes have one specific feature – they are efficient and cooperate with our university effectively. In addition, they do not claim independence.  Currently, there are eight institutes affiliated with our University. Recently, one more research institute was adjoined to the University – Institute of Agricultural Radiology, initially affiliated with the Ministry of Agricultural Policy.  This Institute was going through difficult times. But in one-year period nobody will remember it:  we will invest heavily in its development.

— In other words, you are trying to implement the ideal that was widely debated by university professors and scholars: you knot together universities and science-and-research activities.  Can you specify how much you invest in the development of science? 

— This year, we will allocate 10 million hryvnas, and this is for research only.  

The formation of research institutes under the university umbrella significantly improved the quality of our research. Currently, we have about six hundred PhD, advanced degree students and other researchers seeking academic degrees.  We receive requests from high profile international journals on biotechnology, microbiology, our young scientists are published there. But the time to fight for increase of quotation index has not come yet.     

— Where do you find personnel to lead the research laboratory?

— And why do I send so many people to the best universities abroad?  Young talented researchers gain experience and expertise. When they return, they lead the research activities that are most crucial for us. Sometimes, I hear criticism: Melnychuk wants to join all the National Academy of Sciences research institutes to the universities, it will have disastrous consequences for Ukrainian science. To my critics I tell: there was a time when I would gladly affiliate any institute; today, not anymore.  Many research institutes lie in ruins, and I see no way to bring them back to life.

It is worth mentioning that the government, both the previous and present, has always supported our initiatives. This year, we were given additional 22.5 million hryvnas for implementation of our projects.  

— Literally, you are planting a bomb under the National Academy of Sciences that still has not recovered from its long sleep. What is the reaction of the academic world?

— Some are jealous, of course.  But it should become another stimulus for real reorganization and reform of our science and research, as well as higher education.  

— The major part of our GDP is created in agriculture.  But it is difficult to enter world agricultural markets.  Can your University develop recommendations for farmers that might help them offer world agricultural markets good products that sell well?  

— Yes, otherwise, why are we engaged in research?  We experiment and conduct research not to satisfy our curiosity: we attempt to solve issues raised by the market.  Today, our science and research activities are well organized and fine-tuned. That is why I could leave it to my deputies and dedicate myself to the development of the third and most important component that contributes to the success of universities in the west: an extension service. In other words, we are entering the third phase of reforms — establishing an effective system for utilization of research findings and innovations.    

— What do you mean by an “extension service”? How it can be applied locally?

— You cannot find an exact translation into Ukrainian. One can identify “extension service” as a system of intellectual services offered for individuals, manufacturing and social spheres in a certain region. In American universities, it goes beyond technological know-how. Its purpose is to make the university the focus of brainpower for the region, covering all spheres and aspects of life…

To make it more explicable, I will provide an illustration from our recent past.  In Soviet times, we had a State Committee for Science and Technology within the USSR Council of Ministers.  Its function was to utilize technological innovations and knowledge.  In the first years of independence, professor Serhiy Riabchenko tried to re-establish it in Ukraine, but it did not work…

— Dr. Melnychuk, have you ever tried to find the answer to the most painful question of our life: why have so many social and technological scientific innovations remained useless?

— This question has worried me long ago: how is our system different? Why can’t we make it efficient, so that we could compete with Americans? By the way, Europeans also lose to Americans.  And they carefully examined the American system.   .

But the answer to the above questions usually lies deeper than we usually explore.  The advantages of the American “extension service” are the following: it is nothing else but business. A scientist should receive a good remuneration  for findings and innovations.  In the USA, it is possible only after the innovation is applied through the extension service. For these purposes, the universities encompass research institutes, centers, laboratories, probing fields, works, factories, colleges etc.  A similar approach is popular in other countries, as well. 

We are trying to replicate this experience by establishing our affiliates in different regions of Ukraine. We believe we have good prospects: intellectual capacity clusters around universities, and people seeking solutions may find them on the university campus. This approach helps science penetrate everyday life. A manufacturer is given an opportunity to keep in touch with an expert who has answers to all their questions. It is noteworthy, that this approach, including information support, is funded by the state and extends to every citizen, every consumer.  

Yes, in the USA we can come across R&D institutes that run specific research programs, but the extension service focuses on individuals and their needs, rather than industry. Once you realize this, you will easily understand the advantages of the American system.  It is more inclusive, it encompasses society at large and quickly responds to public needs. In addition, university students – the most active category of any society – are directly involved in all the activities.  

Those who fight against this system do not understand its unquestionable advantages. Currently, I dedicate all my energy, experience and free time to the third phase of university reform: development of a system that would help put innovations into practice very quickly and make community life more rational and expedient. I am confident, that a scientist should not focus on a narrow subject; at least, a scholar responsible for a large research institute should manage it with eyes wide open.  

Everything changes; and today our University agenda raises the issues of environmental and legal education for our future specialists. We need to review and edit the majority of our textbooks and syllabi, adapting our training to the EU standards. Today, the issues of quality and safety of agricultural and food products come to the core, including genetically modified products, biotechnology, restored energy and biomass etc. It all requires attention, analysis of international experience, and a complex approach to problem solving. It is difficult, of course; but we should go ahead, with no stops or panic.