UNIVERSITY AUTONOMY AS THE CONDITION FOR HIGH EDUCATION INTERNATIONALIZATION : UKRAINIAN HISTORICAL PRACTICES AND CURRENT CHALLENGES

Abstract

Autonomy as a principle of organizing activities and ensuring the management of the university remains the subject of heated debate. Approaches to its implementation in the system of national education, coordination from the standpoint of internationalization of educational processes, determining the place of the higher education system of Ukraine in the European and world educational space differ. Identifying the general and special in the development of Ukrainian university education and the University of Western Europe will help to outline prospects and identify real ways to address this issue. Problems of democratization and humanization of higher education became relevant in the late 20-th century. The transition to the market economy of competition and freedom of choice also affected higher education. In modern conditions, the development of its new model is economically determined and socially demanded. However, history and the present prove that a a high role of university in the education system, in the social and political life depends primarily on the level of its autonomy and academic climate. Autonomy is necessary for university to realize the interests of its social environment and its own internal goals. Since the 13-th century European University that arose in Italy and southern France began its expansion as the way of providing higher education. By the middle of the 15-th century «university development» covered the whole Central Europe. Problems of democratization and humanization of higher education became relevant in the late 20-th century. The transition to the market economy of competition and freedom of choice also affected higher education. In modern conditions, the development of its new model is economically determined and socially demanded. However, history and the present prove that a a high role of university in the education system, in the social and political life depends primarily on the level of its autonomy and academic climate. Autonomy is necessary for university to realize the interests of its social environment and its own internal goals. Ukraine faces a situation of overcoming the consequences of centralized management in higher education and developing of those features in academic life that are able to ensure the liberalization of higher education. The Law of Ukraine «On Higher Education» (2014) enshrines academic, organizational, financial autonomy of university and includes decentralization (a number of powers goes to the departments and faculties). University has to improve its status to provide services to many social institutions. Accordingly, it is necessary to coordinate priorities of the state policy in education, society interests, goals and objectives of university. Only then university can become an equal partner in relations with the state, civil society, labor market and individual. In this regard, it is important to determine the paradigmatic areas that set the differentiation and generate a variety in modeling of university: 1) education - research; 2) training - education; 3) patronage (public administration) - autonomy (self-government). The principle of autonomy is carefully protected by modern university, as it has been protected throughout the period of its development. This is required by the need to maintain academic status which allows to cultivate science, to educate intellectual elite, to develop spiritual potential of society. Autonomy remains the basis of university life, but today it should be redefined with a view to the internationalization of educational processes, the integration of university into economy, labor market and program of national development in the globalized world.