Mykola Tomenko: Humanitarian Strategy of the Country Should Ensure the Quality-of-Life Index

     The Adviser to the President of Ukraine, Mykola Tomenko, visited the National University of Life and Environmental Sciences on November 17 — the International Students’ Day. He was introduced to the audience by the Head of the University, Stanislav Nikolayenko.
     Mykola Volodymyrovych outlined the basic clauses of the draft coalition agreement. He highlighted that for the first time such document is considered by the experts and is available for public discussion. The major idea of the agreement is setting objectives for the entire term of the newly elected Parliament. Therefore, he presented its main provisions.

     The document pays great attention to law enforcement and overcoming corruption. Mykola Tomenko mentioned that lustration process should be based not only on the formal, but also on substantive features. Special attention is given to lustration of courts and judges. There is no chance to build a new state without this process. Draft agreement also provides that the following elections will be held on open party lists, although it is still necessary to clarify the mechanism of their formation.

     Another controversial issues are parliamentary immunity, distribution of the parliamentary committees of Ukraine, reforms and powers of local government.
     Humanitarian policy also belongs to burning issues. Particular stress is laid on school as a centre of social and humanitarian education in rural areas, functional aspect of libraries. Humanitarian strategy of the country should ensure the quality-of-life index, i.e. the quality of education, health and so on. The funds should be invested in mass sport and not in the professional one. In such a way we will invest in public health, rather than in the number of medals. Mykola Tomenko noted, “Another topical point is to build a single church. I would prefer if we had a clearly documented humanitarian policy, which we would systematically implement and would not have to resort to extremes.”

     Adviser to the President dwelled on the differences between theory and practice and raised the issue of the functionality of the Academy of Sciences of Ukraine. He emphasized the need for cooperation of the Academy with the universities. According to Mykola Tomenko, there are about 40 research institutes in Ukraine. The question is: what did the scientific community do in order to predict and prevent Russian aggression?

     Participants of the meeting were interested in the question of the turnout to the recent parliamentary elections, the stability of the national currency and GDP growth, interaction between volunteer movement and the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine, etc. Giving the answers, the Adviser to the President raised the issue of monopolized television and noted that business and politics should be separate. In his opinion, the army should be professional and everyone should do what he or she is good at.

     The Head of the University, Stanislav Nikolayenko, expressed concern about restrictions of scholarships and payments for scientific degrees and academic titles that are defined by the Law of Ukraine “On Higher Education”. Mykola Tomenko promised that the raised questions would be examined and completed the presentation of the draft agreement with the belief that everything will improve soon.

Olga Nakonechna