Oleg Vyshniakov - Ukraine and Israel. Israeli Universities are comparable to Oxford and Cambridge.

 Center for World University Rankings published new top list for 2015. Each year this Center ranks Universities all over the world and presents independent evaluation of their level of high education. As a rule a top list consists of 1000 Universities.

With great honor I would like to notice that this year Hebrew University of Jerusalem occupies the 23 ^th place in this list. Except for Jerusalem one, there are also three Israeli Universities in the list: the 39 ^th place is occupied by Weizmann Institute (in Rehovot), the 87 ^th place by Tel Aviv University and the 136 ^th place by Technion, Israel Institute of Technology. Cambrige and Oxford take 4^th and 5^th place, respectively.

There is no Ukrainian University in this list.

Nevertheless according to the rating of QS World University Rankings Taras Shevchenko National University occupies the 421 ^th place.

Being the Honorary Consul of the State of Israel, I’m very proud of Israel: the State was built from a scratch in a desert 67 years ago and for this period the country developed its education up to the level of the most prestigious and the oldest Universities of the world. What is higher education? It is the level of future specialists that will further develop the country. It is intelligence level of the nation, future prospects and possibilities as well.

Being the person who was born and lives in Ukraine for many years and having two kids, studying in Ukrainian Universities, I’m very upset and disappointed. Ukraine had perfect academic basis and Soviet education considered to be one of the best in the world. Everything that was created for many years was destroyed in few years. How does National Academy of Science of Ukraine look like today? How do young specialists can work abroad with diplomas that are not relevant abroad? However the fee for education in Ukrainian universities is quite high comparing to European and Israeli ones. I’m not taking into account the sum that is necessary for entering the university, because fair exams may be conducted in unpopular faculties only.

The country that doesn’t think about its future generations has no future at all. Economy and policy are no doubt important but only professionals should deal with it. Ukraine faced the situation when it is needed to invite foreign specialists to take the Mayor’s office. Maybe it is time to think over the issue of preparing our own specialists, isn’t it? Moreover Israel is ready to cooperate as to the student and lecturers exchange programs.