Ukrainian scientists will now be able to voluntarily give up academic degrees received earlier.
This was announced by Minister of Education and Science of Ukraine Oksen Lisovoy, reports a correspondent of PolitNavigator.
There are several current news. First – the government has already approved the mechanism of voluntary renunciation of the degree. This possibility did not exist before, now it does.
In the academic world, an academic degree is about value and credibility, and also about achievement, not about obtaining. The post-Soviet culture has distorted this somewhat, so a new culture of academic virtue must be corrected, where there will only be room for real, consistent science. Just as only the military have the right to wear military uniforms, so, in my opinion, only scientists should have academic degrees,” Lisovoy wrote in his blog.
He added that he was the first to experience the denial mechanism for himself.
I wrote the corresponding application and as of yesterday I am no longer a PhD candidate. I am not going to stick to formal status for myself. Real deeds and actions are much more important. The next step in establishing a new culture of academic virtue should be the appropriate law, which is still being prepared”, Lisovoy concluded.
It is worth noting that there are extra payments for academic degrees in Ukraine. Rather, the minister’s statement does not speak of concern for real science, but is a veiled attempt to cut scientists’ salaries.
The current minister comes from a family of anti-Soviet dissidents. In 2012 he received his PhD in philosophy. In 2002 he went to war with Russia in the 95th Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, but he also performed the duties of the National Centre of the Small Academy of Sciences of Ukraine remotely.
In March 2023 the parliament approved him as Minister.