The Laws of Ukraine on Education (закон України ‘Про освіту’), on Higher Education (закон України ‘Про вищу освіту’), on Complete General Secondary Education (закон України ‘Про повну загальну середню освіту’), on Vocational Education (закон України ‘Про професійну освіту’) establish the right to аcademic mobility of all education process participants. Resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine ‘On Approval of the Procedure for Exercising the Right to Academic Mobility’ dated August 12, 2015, No. 579, with subsequent amendments (Постанова Кабінету Міністрів України ‘Про затвердження Порядку реалізації права на академічну мобільність’) and other current legislation regulate the mobility procedures.
Academic mobility is the opportunity for participants of the educational process to study, teach, do internships, or conduct research at another educational institution or scientific institution in Ukraine or abroad.
The Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine (MESU), within the framework of international agreements, sends participants of the educational process abroad as part of academic mobility programmes. The MESU develops and approves the procedure for selecting citizens of Ukraine for academic mobility programmes. It also applies to the regulations of the Competition Commission. The relevant international agreements set the requirements for the participation of Ukrainian citizens in academic mobility programmes.
The objectives of academic mobility are the following:
- Ukraine’s integration into the European Higher Education Area (EHEA) and the European Research Area (ERA);
- exchange of best practices and experience in the fields of education and science;
- modernisation of the education system;
- digitalisation of learning and governance;
- improving the quality of education and the results of scientific research;
- increasing the competitiveness of the educational and scientific community of Ukraine;
- development of professional skills and personal qualities of the academic mobility participants;
- deepening cooperation with international partners in the fields of education and science;
- supporting social, economic and cultural relations with other countries.
The tasks of the academic mobility participants are the following:
- increasing the levels of theoretical and practical training and professional skills of academic mobility participants;
- gaining international experience in teaching, scientific, and technical activities;
- getting access to European and global research infrastructure;
- implementation of joint scientific, scientific-technical and/or educational projects;
- improving foreign language skills;
- promotion of the Ukrainian language and culture, deepening knowledge about the culture of other countries.
The main legal basis for the exercise of the right to academic mobility consists of international agreements on cooperation in the field of education and science, as well as international programmes and projects. Agreements between Ukrainian higher education institutions or scientific institutions and foreign educational or scientific institutions also facilitate learning mobility. Ukrainian participants may also undertake their own initiative, with the support of their place of study or work, through individual invitations.
The internationalisation of education relates to academic mobility. Internationalisation of education is the process of integrating international, intercultural, and global aspects into the activities of educational institutions. It includes attracting foreign students, promoting mobility, developing international cooperation, and implementing academic standards. This is a key process for reforming and ensuring the sustainable development of higher education.
Key aspects of the internationalisation of education in Ukraine are the following:
- attracting foreign students: attracting foreign citizens to study at Ukrainian universities;
- development of Ukrainian studies abroad: promoting Ukrainian educational programmes at foreign universities;
- promoting mobility: encouraging the mobility of learners and teachers between different countries;
- international cooperation: developing partnerships with foreign educational institutions and organisations;
- high academic standards: maintaining high academic standards in compliance with international requirements;
- international agreements: the conclusion of bilateral and multilateral agreements with other countries and exchange programmes;
- programme activities: the creation of various state and regional programmes to support international cooperation.