Dear friends,

Today I want to come back to the issue of higher education. Activities of the Honorary Consul are aimed at the development relations between Ukraine and Israel in the education field as well.

I have always said that people are the main source of any nation prosperity. Economic and social well-being of the whole society depends directly on the state support of education. Today higher and professional education has become increasingly important. For successful development, professionals must have not only general knowledge but also highly specialized one. Cybernetics, bionics and genetics cannot be self-studied.

Today Israel allocates huge funds for education that is a little less than 10% of GDP, at the same time it is not characteristic/common for/in other states. According to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), Israel takes one of the top places in the world in the number of citizens with higher education. 57% of Israelis obtained the academic degree in 2014. Despite the global economic crisis the Israeli government is increasing its funding for universities.

According to the UN research, Israel has the highest literacy rate in the region and Israeli universities are considered to be one of the leaders in the field of information technology teaching. Besides, the country ranks first in the world in the number of scientific publications per capita.

What can Ukraine boast of? It is rather possible to make an anti-rating. Not so long ago our country has joined the Bologna education system. But has something changed in deed and not in name?

Ukraine is very proud of the fact that a large number of high school graduates have higher education. But at the same time higher education diploma often becomes something like a certificate of secondary school graduation: the actual level of graduate’s knowledge does not depend on either a university or estimates which are in the certificate. Recently one of the Ukrainian high-ranking officials during the interview, on a journalist's question why does Ukraine have so many engineering specialists while there is no work for them, answered that the state is not obliged to deal with their employment. Now according to the new rules a university at which a student studies, is responsible for it.

Let me also remind you that recently the Cabinet of Ministers offered the Parliament to reduce education expenses, explaining it by difficult economic situation in the country. What are the prospects of Ukraine with such an approach to education? I’d rather not be a pessimist but facts are stubborn things.

However, today Ukrainian young people have an opportunity to receive education in Israel. Special workshops are held regularly by Cultural Center under the patronage of the Honorary Consulate within which young people can learn about the features of higher education in Israel, about the possibilities of obtaining a grant for studying, as well as about subsidized programs and projects of leading Israeli universities.

Being the Honorary Consul of Israel I’ll strain after consolidation of cultural and educational ties between the two countries. The future of our children depends on our present choices.