Stanislav Nikolaenko: a year and a half in Rector’s position

December 2, 2015

– December 2 marks a year and a half since you have come to our University. How have you spent this time? How fast and what results of your own activities do see?

– Time has passed very quickly. I regret only one thing – that at the beginning I spent more than a month clarifying various factors: was a candidate correctly appointed or was it worth firing him, etc... Somewhere about six weeks there was no constructive work.

Elapsed time was dedicated to restoring order, restoration of University’s manageability. Out of 42 institutions, departments and other units, through reduction and optimization only 20 have been left. So, we have saved about 5 million UAH – by cost reduction on additional administration staff. This money was spent on salaries, support for the poorest categories of workers, strengthening the material–technical base. Actually, the government seriously underfinances us today, so there are many places to spend this money. In the beginning of this year we have launched the next stage dedicated to improving the quality of knowledge. The main thing – I see a lot of scientists, instructors, with whom one can bring down the mountains.
The University has made significant progress in improving its rating. And by all indices, including the TOP–200 rating, we have moved from the 12th place to 9th. If we talk about how we were rated by the applicants, in 2014 we had 36th place in Ukraine by the number of applications, and in 2015 – 9th! University entered top three universities in the capital. NULES is perhaps the only university that has completely fulfilled state order for this year. We could have surpassed it, but there were some problems at the faculty of veterinary medicine, particularly at master’s course.


By the results of 2014/2015 academic year we did not dismiss any instructor! On the contrary, we slightly increased the number of teaching staff! For example: this year, KPI failed to enroll 450 people only for state order. Thus, 50 rates of instructors’ wages are coming under cut in NTUU “KPI”. We, on the contrary, by the results of the last year, added a few scientific–pedagogical positions. That is, at this difficult time, we did not make people unemployed...



Much has been done to improve the quality of knowledge; innovative spiral – education, science and industry – has been combined. Students, instructors and employers immediately felt the latter personally. And the fact that more than two dozens of leading companies and firms took part in a recent “Job Fair” and 1,200 graduate students have passed the first interview for a job, shows that ranking of the University and its perception by agricultural business is growing.

At most departments we are developing the practice of teaching in foreign languages. Starting from next year, 4 areas (economy, business, product quality, and ecology) will include English–language master’s programs. Take a look – over 300 instructors participated at the international conferences.

I think that launching the University program “Holosiivska initiative – 2020” has been a timely step. And the fact that we regularly keep its implementation under control also yields positive results.

Again, at the University, probably the only one in our country, powerful profound work with engineering and technical staff – heads of the laboratories (we have totally 340 units of this kind) and laboratory assistants has been done. It will also allow improving the quality of knowledge.
Particular attention is drawn to science. Scientific–research work has been carried out for aAlmost 20 million UAH. Our instructors – Valeriy Kashparov, Mykola Starodub (who along with his team performs orders for NATO on his theme worth 300 thousand euros), Serhiy Zibtsev, Petro Lakyda, Voladymyr Boiko, Semen Tanchyk, Yuriy Posudin, Mykola Kyryk, Viktor Tereshchenko, Petro Sherenhovyi, Dmytro Voitiuk, Volodymyr Busol, Andriy Martyn and others – show how this work should be treated.

Here is one example of specific solutions. To improve the quality of knowledge we set the goal: all 49 classrooms where lectures are delivered should be equipped with multimedia. Someone did not believe that it is possible, but it was done! We began converting all academic subjects into electronic form, and you can imagine that we deliver over a thousand of them here. This will significantly improve students’ work, especially that of part-time students. Because modern student wants to work in the virtual world, to have books in electronic form. Let’s take a look at the poll: 25% of students do not go to the library. So we could not leave this case without attention.

We have made steps towards democratization of the educational process. All Deans of the Departments and Directors of Research Institutes were selected actually on a competitive basis, with the opinion of scientific and educational groups being taken into account. By the way, so was the rector. Often in such a manner heads of the chairs and professors are elected. And our scientific board, to their credit, usually supports the candidates who are proposed by staff members. This kind of procedure will continue.

Regular polls have become another innovation. As a result, we know pretty well what kind of reputation this or that Dean, Vice-Dean, instructor, Vice-Rector, or Rector has, and we adequately react to it.

Consistent work has been done in order to eliminate non-statutory relations. We primarily work with student self-government, students-activists and the instructors themselves. Unfortunately, we could not avoid shameful situations, when we had to fire some instructors, heads of the chairs who (let us be honest!) were bribing. During this period there about a dozen of such cases. According to recent sociological research the level of corruption in the university has dropped by three times. But it is still quite high, and it bothers me deeply. If we do not get rid of these black spots we will lose the applicants. If we had not made those tough steps, we wouldn’t have attracted a sufficient number of students for admission, and, accordingly, we’d have to throw into the street a large number of teaching staff. This should not be allowed. After all, unique people are employed here – unique scientists, unique instructors, and through some of our shortcomings, to leave them outside the university – is just a crime against the state.

NULES takes prominent place in conducting a kind of national debate on protecting higher education, science, instructors, lecturers, students. Rector was elected a Chairman of the Association of higher agricultural educational institutions, which includes up to four hundred different types of institutions. We have initiated solution of a number of issues: abolition of discriminatory restrictions on wages by parliament, abolition of cancelling scientific pensions, abolishing a ban of simultaneous work and receiving scientific pension for instructors (now only 15% of pension is withheld from instructor’s pensions, but we are working on cancellation of this discriminatory rule). We have achieved the abolition of land tax for educational institutions. For our university, in particular, it would have amounted to more than 5 million UAH that we would have to take away from salaries, bonuses, money for strengthening our material base, etc. We are actively working on protecting our students, instructors, engineers and technical engineers.

Very much has been done to strengthen our material and technical base. This year we have input more than 22 million UAH in it. These are repair of hostels № 5, 6, 7, 8, recovering a roof on dormitory №4, installing washing machines, repairing shower rooms, etc. The same work starts in dormitory №11. Only in educational building №12 roof area was recovered on over 6,000 square meters. We have received very serious support from the Council of Employers headed by academician Valeriy Adamchuk. Councils of Employers at many departments really work very well.

But we haven’t made the main thing – sense of responsibility has not been awakened yet, the initiative is still asleep with many deans, directors and heads of the chairs. Some got used to serve, but do something independently – they cannot! One should serve the team, not the boss!

Despite everything, the general spirit of the University has slightly improved, stagnation is being overcome; the team has strengthened and is being renewed. In my opinion, University will confidently fulfill the tasks that we set in the “Holosiivska Initiative – 2020” – to join the top five universities. With this aim, today we relentlessly reform and strengthen the international activity, we have a hundred and a half cooperation agreements, though it is difficult to work in a state of war in the east of our country: the visits of foreign scientists are constrained, as well as exchange of students, etc. But the fact that every year 600 of our students go on production practices overseas, and about 200 students and 100 instructors go abroad for training is also the result of our work.

– Is it true that they want to take you from the university and appoint a Minister of Education and Science of Ukraine?

– As they say, the land is rife with rumors. Indeed, this question emerges once in a while. Both in the press, and among the deputies, and public. But when I came to the University, I made a conscious choice, and therefore I think all this is groundless. Besides, each vegetable has its time. I'll work as much as I can where 30,000 people of our university entrusted me to. It is my honor and duty.

– Many employees and instructors say that if not for Nikolaenko, the 3rd academic building would still have been without roof...

– I think it is not so. A holy place is never empty. But the fact that we literally are on veins, on nerves – at the expense of our sponsors, our activists – deans, directors, heads of the chairs, and instructors – covered the roof and changed more than 130 windows by ourselves without waiting for government support, gathered about 5 million UAH, – this is the fact! It was welcomed in the government, Administration of President, Parliament, and the wishes of the University have been met. This year, Ministry of Education has received 15 million of capital investments, and it almost 100% has been used for reconstructing this building! Was it easy? Very difficult. This summer I had times when it seemed that I have done everything I could: dozens of times I visited Ministry of Finance, government, Administration of President, met with dozens of deputies – and the issue remained unsolved. Only the last moment, in August, I succeeded in breaking that wall of misunderstanding. And the fact that today we can make repair for 15 million UAH more is a great success of our team! But the question is really difficult. In December we want to complete the dismantling and install new heating, start the heating of the building because it is still wet and damp. We should completely replace all electric appliances, telecommunications, replace all floors, insulate the roof, equip the rostrum with metal parts, by means of completing balcony addition we will increase hall space (total up to 600 people). Let's face it: if they “hadn’t pull the rubber”, had thought less about America, and fixed the roof in 2013, at least for a temporary period, losses would have been much less. Now for reconstruction, apart from 15 million that we expect to draw by the New Year, with God’s willing, we need another 24 million UAH! We will also need to purchase furniture, equipment, computers, etc., that makes another 10 million. If we had put cover immediately, we wouldn’t have changed all the woodwork, floors, and broken off plaster from the walls. To destroy fungi and make the premises safe, fumigation had to be done thrice!

I have not got rid of deep anxiety for the destiny of the 3rd academic building. Why am I struggling for it? Because we will move there a number of chairs, classrooms, all administrative staff, student organization and in such a way we would relieve the learning process. To avoid seven classes, and strive for four! That is, again, for the sake of improving the quality of the educational process. Besides, it is the 3rd academic building where the rehearsals of university amateur performances took place before, the chair of cultural studies used to be very active there. There is nowhere for young people to get gather, hold concerts, arrange “the club of funny and witty”, etc.

But there is also some anxiety because the escalation of the conflict in the east is going on (God forbid, for I, as like everyone else, really want peace and hope it will come soon), and it will be very much uneasy to complete the construction next year. We will do everything we can. I would like to note that the role of deputies Yuriy Lutsenko, Mykola Tomenko, who heads the supervisory board of the University, Leonid Kozachenko in reconstruction works is big.

– What about social issues – housing, dormitories, quality of public catering?

– This is the most painful question. More than 300 of our university instructors and other employees require housing, other 720 live in dormitories. It is a huge problem, and without government assistance we won’t be able to do it. The creation of good conditions in the dormitories, and meals – all of them remain in sight. Some dormitories have not been repaired since their opening in the 60’s of the last century. Therefore we should work.

As for housing. There are several projects in which the land is ours, and the funds are given by investors. Unfortunately, some of these projects have not been implemented: something stood in our way the very last moment. Instability, inflation, war, etc. In general, business, is treating the investments with great caution: fear of the revolution, exchange rate jumps, etc. But we’re still planning to build an apartment house near the 12th academic building, where our instructors and employees would get their apartments. Thus, we will relieve dormitory 12 and others. The question remains in sight. Vice–Rector Vadym Tkachuk takes care of this matter with my support as a rector.

As for food, we reanimated a range of canteens; we will also increase itinerant trade in the lobbies of academic buildings. A new canteen in the 4th building has been opened, the increase of areas of buffets in 12th and 1st buildings is also planned. The opening of the 3rd building will also add areas. We have arranged the work of buffet in the 6th building as well. Trade union headed by Rostyslav Tarasenko together with students’ self-government and its head Daria Kendus actively monitor the quality of food. We have already set up for the next year what kind of products, including vegetable group should be produced by our scientific and research farms in order to improve the quality and reduce production cost. Purchasing the new equipment for baking and confectionery is on the agenda. So, we have a plan approved by the rector’s office: we’re at work.

– Students complain about the terrible condition of furniture in the dormitories. What does the rector think about it?

– I did not say about it yet. But it’s not because it is not important. Now we are developing a program and have already found the funds in Boyarka Forest-Research Station to organize a workshop for producing furniture. This initiative was backed up by the chair of woodworking headed by Olena Pinchevska and her Master-student Ivan Sikorskyi, who developed the projects, by which the furniture would be mounted into existing types of rooms. This will increase the useful area. Again, if there had been no war, within three years we would have completely renewed our furniture in our dormitories and started to deal with buildings. We will start this year with a pilot project in two dormitories – 8th and 11th.

– Acute question that is being actively discussed on the sidelines, and there were some publications: ratings of instructors and salaries.

– The debate on this issue continues. And there is nothing wrong with that. The main thing is that we need to hear and understand each other. And now let’s get to the point. The situation is not that simple. Wages in Ukraine are very low. This is, unfortunately, a national policy. And I repeatedly told our respected President that this was wrong. Because decent wages are, first of all, mean sponsoring our own production. Citizen will pay on time, without subsidies, with real money for electricity, food, medicine, etc., and thus will sponsor national economy. Today, unfortunately, the liberal model is dominant and money is saved through low salaries and the outcome is stagnation of economy. But this is a theory.

In practice, we have retained the level of salaries in the university. The wage bill is around 139,5 million UAH. This is a big reserve. Out of these funds the salary of the teaching staff is about 101 million UAH. All administrative and management staff, including Rector, Vice–Rectors, Deans, have a payroll of up to 3 million UAH. Pedagogical workers – 4,5 million UAH, specialists – about 18 million. This year we have made indexation by 5,3 million UAH! Financial assistance (and every instructor gets it) was paid in amount of 5,7 million!

Average rating in the University today is around 1,7. Please understand: if we were getting more funding from the government, we would have paid more! But we have a tiny payroll – 1,67 out of needs. By the way, we also somewhat slightly increased payments for ratings. The average salary in the University is about 5 thousand UAH, among the scientific-pedagogical staff – 8,3 thousand UAH, engineering and technical – 2,8 thousand. But if to take into account the internal secondary employment in science, salary in postgraduate Institute, the wage will reach up to 10,2 thousand!

Let’s not forget about our laboratory assistants, cleaners, technicians and workers. They are now below the poverty line. Why not support them?
For reference: the average wage in the most prosperous in financial terms, Kyiv National University of Trade and Economics makes 7,2 thousand UAH, and, instructor in the Drahomanov National Pedagogical Institute is less than 5 thousand UAH. In Bila Tserkva it is even less. By the way, the salary of a Minister or deputy of Ukraine is about 5,7 thousand UAH per month. Therefore, we must look at everything realistically. I think on December 2, at the Academic Council we will resolve this completely. There are proposals to raise the base wage from 1,2 (every lecturer at our university has an increment of 20%) to 1,3. And then we will have more substantial allowance – up to 30%. And a rating part will be somewhat decreased. For example, those who made electronic complex on one discipline will have a count of 175 hours. In practice it is 0,2-0,3 plus to rating. And if an instructor has conducted some additional work – educational, international activities, his rating will increase even more.

Some people want to destabilize the situation and infuriate people. So that the government would get to know – and immediately this rating increase would be taken from us! Not once they wanted to cancel it, but we did not let them. Now there is reason to do so. Without rating we will lose the title of national and research University, we will have meager salaries.

In general, we will be improving the system. Public opinion polls in the team have shown that there are about one third of the rating opponents, about 60% are supporters, the rest – undecided. Rating Committee headed by academician Ihor Ibatullin is ready for dialogue. Therefore, I encourage everyone to make suggestions. Do it publicly. And we’ll listen. I think that we will be able to raise the minimum wages to 1,3. But our final decision will follow after receiving the budget for 2016. And the forecast is negative for now. Reduction in education spending by 10 billion UAH is anticipated. We all should not go to extremes. We should be tolerant and balanced.

– Stanislav Mykolaiovych, some of the “well–wishers” say that the Rector’s office is lowering the rating on purpose to be able to collect premiums for themselves?

– You know, the shadow is not a stone, but it still hurts. This assertion is simply absurd. Why? Over the year and a half none of the Pro-Rector or Rector himself received any premiums! This is the first point. Secondly, resolution № 65 of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine imposes restrictions on public sector wages – not more than 15 minimum wages (18 thousand UAH). One can charge higher wage, but the excess will be allocated into the budget! Thirdly, such premiums should be coordinated with the Ministry. We did not do it and we won’t. By the way, most often we give out premiums to those whose relatives died or those who fell ill, who have jubilee birthday, etc. Anyway, the bonus fund is limited.

Finally. I could have received a specific permission of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine for premiums for our university heads, but I won’t do it consciously. Our times are not for this thing. Once, perhaps, it may be so, but today – no!

Dear friends, if we had not left the Cabinet of Ministers on time, this year would have been without wages, or increased coefficient of 1,67, etc. We managed to increase wage bill several times within a year.

– Some people accuse you for stepping in for the student in fight against corruption, non–statutory relations and so on. How do you motivate such choice?

– Non-statutory relations were not invented by me. They have been made up by mean people. Yes, there are objective circumstances – poverty, lack of funds for treatment and recovery, pushing some instructors towards such relations. We will raise wages, social welfare, but cannot accept bribery even in times of poverty. Just the other day I was walking along the Alley of Glory and noticed a young man sitting on a bench, eating buckwheat from a liter can and a pickle. I asked him, “What are you doing and are you are our student?” It turned out, he’s sophomore, lives nearby in the private sector, he has a mother, gets scholarship and said that every day he is cooking this porridge and it is enough for him. So here is the case, my dear opponents, let’s also take away the porridge from this child! We, as citizens, parents, educators, instructors, cannot let this happen! Therefore, we cannot pull the funds from the student – it is immoral, it is not Christian, and it is a sin! I tell the instructors: Earn money in any possible way you can. Give consultations, carry out research topics, organize various businesses, make it transparent – and we are willing to pay for it! Let’s recall that this year we have indexed wages by about 5,3 million UAH. Some universities have never done indexation, because they could not do it having nothing. Students were provided with assistance to nearly 2 million UAH. So let this matter be gone once and for all. In the tradition of Ukrainian pedagogics, Higher School, bribery issue has never been a characteristic feature. If you do not overcome this disease, than we will lose everything – the University status, honor, and our students. We should be demanding and approach the youth profoundly. But we must always remember why they are here in the first place.

And the fact that I stepped up for the student, then show me an instructor who wouldn’t. Especially in the matter of education quality, social security, etc. Please understand: if there is no student – there won’t be us either! Therefore we should support instructors, work with them, but remember that our employer is a student. And to humiliate him and live at his expense, in a primitive sense, we simply don’t have this right.

– Stanislav Mykolaiovych, some people do not like so many repairs. And the Walk of Fame, which has appeared, also raised some aggression. How do you feel about this?

– I am pleased that on the initiative of Petro Lakyda and Valeriy Ishchenko we brought the 1st building into operation. On the initiative of our colleague Hryhoriy Demydas’ a repair of the 4th building has started and his successors Mykola Dolya and Victor Zabaluev together with the activists continue the work. It’s nice that now the exterior casing is getting a new quality. Many students helped us – they put the tiles and flooring, painted and made the doors. And we will not stop – we will continue this work in classrooms. Similar serious work has also been done in the departments of engineering. As I said, the 1st building has received the convention hall of the Academic Council. This is a show of respect to the highest body of university self–government. Now we receive people there from all over the world. 60% of the funds for its repair is due to sponsors – Anatoliy Bondar, Evhen Tomin, and Vasyl Pavlivskyi, and Anatoliy Karpuk... Materials for the second floor of the 1st building were provided by our graduate Victor Chyhrynets. Now Aleks Lissitsa will help with repairing the room 228 in the 10th building, etc.

As for the Walk of Fame, you should know, communicating with students and instructors showed: many of them do not know the history of their own university! Do not know the founders, our forerunners. And he who has no memory, whose historical memory has not been formed – the person is inferior and such a society has no future. That is why we have published a small book which, by the way, we have issued at the expense of the Public Council of Scientists and Educators of Ukraine – “History and Modernity”. It shows our history and development; the best scientists, professors, artists, athletes, and philanthropists are mentioned in it. Arrangement of the whole alley took about 300 thousand UAH. By the way, we didn’t spend a kopeck from the budget: 75% has come from a charitable foundation and the rest are self-supporting funds.

And who doesn’t like it? There are people who perceive everything new as a trouble, the ones that got used to live in lie, dirt, sloppiness, stagnation, and they do not like everything that is being done. But we should do our own business, as one classic poet wrote.

– And what is the destiny of eco-town, which was planned to be built on one of the lakes close to Kyiv?

– The question is painful. Because of the absence of adequate funding, we have not implemented it yet. But we do not stop designing. Through the department of land management we have done design work. Unfortunately, there are no funds for the project today. So it is postponed till better times. And the project itself is very topical: all the houses will run on energy-recovering sources, building materials are completely natural. Eventually we’ll get back to it, so that instructors and students could rest decently.

– What are the main tasks you foresee for 2016?

– The main tasks for 2016 we will present at the final meeting of the Scientific Council. I think they will be clarified at the Collective Labor Council in February. Among them are the intensification of research-and-development work, support of young scholars, strengthening the material-technical base (we plan to create a joint center for using scientific equipment), increasing the share of research–and–development work related to the introduction of new technologies, cooperation with Employers’ Councils, business consulting. For 1 budget UAH we are planning a task to earn at least 50 kopecks of applied research. In the academic work, it is first of all the increase of the quality of educational process, improving teaching methods; information technologies are advantageous, departure from traditional methods in training extra–mural students, transition to distance learning, the use of international experience, etc. In international work – attracting foreign students to improve material base of the University, promoting our University on the world markets (we plan to teach students from Turkmenistan, Vietnam, Nigeria, India, China). Of course, we should attract the students from Europe. For this purpose we should intensify efforts within the European program “Horizon 2020”, to participate more in public research programs.

Of course, great attention should be paid to educational work – establishing the qualities of citizen with a student, improvement of sports and physical training. We should complete the formation of five-year program, where each course will be given the programs by age groups.
We should continue to work on social issues – which include housing, dormitories, and nutrition quality.

Activity of research-and-development economies should also be improved. There has been a substantial increase in yield and other indicators, but economic efficiency leaves much to be desired. At the expense of research-and-development economies, the University should have annually 5-7 million UAH that we could use for purchasing equipment necessary for our laboratories.

And, of course, staff – we’ll be training young postgraduates, postdoctoral students, and gradually incorporate young people into the departments’ management, units’ management, including the highest level management.

That is we have a lot of work ahead. To cope with it, high moral and ethical spirit and team actions should dominate among employees. I think we have all this – and success and achievements are waiting for us. We need only one thing – peace and stability in the country. The rest we will achieve by our intelligence and mind. Because there’s no university with such people like ours. This I know for sure!

Valentyn Obrambalskyi took interview
 


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