ِAbout KNU

Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv is today a classic university with a distinct research profile, and the leading contemporary academic and educational hub of Ukraine. With the independent Ukrainian nation arising, the University is facing new challenges and responsibilities. The academic experts of the future can be identified by a thorough professional knowledge and the ability to think creatively, with an understanding of the massive responsibility to be taken when working at the leading-edge of academic thought. Only a university with a long tradition of achievement and success both in teaching and in research could cope with such a mission. On 21 April 1994, Kyiv University was granted the status of "National" by Leonid Kravchuk, the President of Ukraine by Decree № 176/94, and on 25 November 1999 a further Decree, № 1496/99, of Leonid Kuchma, President of Ukraine at that time, significantly expanded the autonomous status of the university. Decree № 412/2008, of Viktor Yushchenko, then President of Ukraine, on 5 May 2008, further stipulated the conversion of the University to becoming the main principal educational and scientific centre of Ukraine for the education of academic and teaching staff with higher qualifications. Then on 29 July 2009 the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine with Regulation № 795 granted the University the status of being a self-governing and autonomous national research university, while providing increased funding for the future development of the university.

The high status of a classical research University is underpinned by the numerous academic achievements of its staff. The staff at the University have a broad range of formal achievements recognised, in particular with the State Prize of Ukraine in Science and Technology, Awards from the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine and branches of the national academies of sciences, Orders of Merit, Orders of Saints Cyril and Methodius, awards of the honorary title of Honoured Educationalist of Ukraine and Honoured Lawyer of Ukraine, also Awards by the President of Ukraine for young academics and Awards by the Ukrainian Parliament to the most talented young scientists in basic and applied research, and scientific and technological development.

The University awards Junior Specialist’s, Bachelor’s, Specialist’s and Master’s degrees, Higher Qualification Post-graduate degrees and Doctoral degrees. Training and retraining programs are provided in 14 specialties of Junior Specialist qualification, 55 fields of Bachelor training programs, 49 areas of Specialist training programs and 98 fields of Master training programs. More than 26 thousand students study at the University. Approximately 1,645 postgraduate students and 125 PhD students are working for higher qualifications at the University.

Over 350 doctoral and higher postgraduate theses are submitted annually at the university. Courses are provided by 198 Departments. The academic potential of Kyiv University is today demonstrated by more than 60 full members and corresponding members of the National Academy of Science of Ukraine, 626 members of staff with Doctor's degrees and 1,645 staff with higher postgraduate degrees.

There are 13 Faculties within the University: Geography, Economics, History, Cybernetics, Mathematics and Mechanics, Sociology, Information Technology, Radio Physics, Electronics and Computer Systems, Psychology, Physics, Philosophy, Chemistry, Law. There are 8 Institutes (the Military Academy, the High Technology Centre, the Institute of Journalism, the Institute of Geology, the Institute of International Relations, the Postgraduate Education Centre, the Institute of Linguistics, and the State Security Department) and 1 Training and Research Center (the Institute of Biology), 2 Colleges (Optical and Mechanical College, Geological Exploring College), Ukrainian Physical and Mathematical Lyceum. Kyiv University has a number of other facilities, including: a Ukrainian Studies Centre, a Geological and Zoological Museum, a Museum of the University History, an Interfaculty Museum of Linguistics, an Informatics Centre, an Astronomical Observatory, a publishing and reprographics unit called "Kyiv University", and the Maksymovych Academic Library. At the time of writing, 3,362,359 specimens of documents were held in inventory.

Student accommodation is provided by a campus with comfortable halls of residence, computer clubs, sports facilities, cafeterias and dance halls. To promote a healthy lifestyle, the University has both health spa and sports facilities on the banks of the river Dnipro.

Today the University has bilateral partnership agreements with 227 foreign educational and scientific institutions from 57 countries. 180 foreign academics and lecturers from 32 countries visit the University annually to collaborate in research, attending conferences, and giving lectures. Each year more than 1500 lecturers, researchers and students travel abroad to 59 countries. Two-thirds of those take overseas trips in 2013 travelled abroad for academic purposes (conferences, training, and research).

The University of Kyiv has become more proactive in the foreign citizens recruitment process. At present, the number of foreign students enrolled at the University is 935. The Russian and English training programs set up to enable the number of international students increase.

Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv ranked in the top 421-430 brackets in QS World University Rankings (Great Britain) in 2014-2015.