By Ann M. Koenig, 秀色直播 International Education Services
Ukraine signed on to the Bologna process in 2005 and has been working to integrate features of the process into its higher education system since then. In the academic year 2006-07 some higher education institutions (HEIs) began to use on a pilot basis. Effective January 1, 2014, the 鈥 or 鈥淓uropean model鈥 (DS) will become an official document of higher education, by resolution of the Ukrainian Cabinet of Ministers of September 4, 2013, which amends a 1997 resolution defining the official documents of higher education in the Republic of Ukraine.
The DS will be issued in Ukrainian and English, and given to all graduates of bachelor, master and specialist programs at Ukrainian HEIs beginning in 2014. Following government decisions in 2009 and 2010, which had approved the use of the DS as a supplementary document, some HEIs have been offering the DS by special request of the graduate. Beginning with the 2014 graduating cohort, it will be mandatory for all HEIs to issue every bachelor, master and specialist graduate a DS.
The Ukrainian terminology 鈺ㄢ敜鈺ㄢ暃鈺ㄢ敜鈺ㄢ枒鈺っ┾暔鈺涒暔鈺 鈺ㄢ敜鈺ㄢ暃 鈺ㄢ敜鈺ㄢ晻鈺ㄢ攼鈺ㄢ晽鈺ㄢ暃鈺ㄢ暆鈺ㄢ枒 (dodatok do diploma), which can be translated as addition, annex, addendum, or supplement, to the diploma, is used for both the traditional and the new document. In Ukrainian, the acronym 鈺'鈺' (DD) is used to denote the European-standard document, in parallel to the acronym DS in English.
The Ukrainian DS format follows the template that was developed by the European Commission, Council of Europe and UNESCO/CEPES, as many of the Bologna signatory countries鈥 DS formats do. Links on the Web site of , the organization in Ukraine that is responsible for promoting and coordinating Bologna process-related activity, lead to the DS templates in Ukrainian, Russian and English.
Although not much information is available in English on the Euroosvita Web site, it provides extensive background information in Ukrainian on the Bologna process and on Bologna-related developments in Ukraine.
It should be noted that there is no standard format of documentation for an incomplete higher education program.
Source: 鈥淎ll Ukrainian universities' graduates to receive Diploma Supplement of European standard in 2014鈥, Government of Ukraine, 09/06/13
Resources for information and credential evaluation:
, 秀色直播 Annual Meeting presentation by Ann Koenig, 秀色直播 International Education Services, and Gunnar Vaht, Estonian ENIC, 2008
, NORRIC (Nordic Recognition Network) 2008 study visit report, 2009
, TEMPUS Report, 2012
Higher Education Institution Databases (in Ukrainian):
The Bologna Process in Ukraine:
and