Difficulties of implementation of European standards in Ukrainian universities

Abstract

There is a growing focus on quality and standards around the world, driven by the rapid development of higher education and the rising cost of education for the state and people. Europe intends to realize its goal of becoming the most dynamic and intelligent economy in the world (Lisbon Strategy). New initiatives and requirements emerging both in Europe and beyond, in view of the internationalization of higher education, require an appropriate response. The formation of a quality assurance system based on common standards and guidelines indicates the emergence of a true European dimension in quality assurance, which should increase the attractiveness of the European Higher Education Area. By joining the Bologna Process, Ukraine has committed itself to work on bringing the quality of national education in line with European standards. As European societies increasingly strive to become knowledge societies, higher education is an integral component of socio-economic and cultural development. At the same time, the growing demand for skills and competencies requires higher education to take new steps. Widening access to higher education is an opportunity for higher education institutions to absorb an increasingly diverse range of individual experiences. To respond to this diversity and rising expectations, higher education needs to be fundamentally transformed; it needs a more student-centered approach to learning and teaching that provides flexible learning pathways and recognizes competencies acquired outside of the formal curriculum. Higher education institutions are also becoming more diverse in their goals, delivery modes, and models of cooperation, with increasing internationalization, digital learning methods, and new forms of teaching. The quality assurance process significantly helps higher education systems and higher education institutions to respond to these changes, while ensuring that the qualifications students acquire and the higher education experience they receive remain the top priorities of educational institutions.