The Civil Network OPORA began to receive mass appeals from university applicants and their parents with suspicions that the top rankings of the most prestigious higher education institutions were occupied by fake winners of prestigious competitions. In connection with this, OPORA checked the lists of applicants at leading universities. Thus, the largest number of "fake" winners is at Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv. For example, out of 11 positions in the top ranking for the Institute of Journalism, 10 applicants have a "+" mark in the column "winner of olympiads/competitions." However, the surnames of these 10 applicants do not appear either in Order of the Ministry of Education and Science No. 504 "On the Results of the All-Ukrainian Student Olympiads and Tournaments of the 2009/2010 Academic Year," or in Order No. 536 "On the Results of the III Stage of the All-Ukrainian Competition-Defense of Research Works of Students-Members of the Minor Academy of Sciences of Ukraine in 2010." The absence of the applicants in the lists of the Orders indicates falsification of data and abuse by individuals of the right to priority admission. The same situation was found at Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv in the following specialties: accounting and audit (4 of the first 5 places were occupied by "fake" competition winners), international business (Institute of International Relations - 1 of the first 5 applicants), international economic relations (Institute of International Relations – 2 of 10), international relations (Institute of International Relations – 6 of 21). At the same time, at Vadym Hetman Kyiv National Economic University, the right to priority admission was granted not only to winners of all-Ukrainian competitions, but also to their participants. Although the latter should not have any advantages compared to applicants admitted through the general competition. These individuals were identified in the top list in the specialties of enterprise economics (one applicant), finance and credit (2 applicants out of the first 20, and 1 female applicant did not participate in such competitions at all). On the other hand, at Lesya Ukrainka Volyn National University the situation is much better. During the verification of applicant lists, no person was found who had been groundlessly placed in first place in the ranking. Thus, in the lists recommended for admission to state-funded places at Lesya Ukrainka VNU, 15 persons have a "+" mark in the column "winner of olympiads/competitions." Among them, 3 persons are prize-winners of the IV stage of the All-Ukrainian Student Olympiads, and 12 are prize-winners of the III stage of the competition of works of the Minor Academy of Sciences of Ukraine. No violations or abuses on the part of the university were found. OPORA appeals to the Admissions Committees of Ukrainian higher education institutions with a request to verify the availability of documents in applicants' personal files confirming their victories, and to compare surnames with the relevant Orders of the Ministry of Education and Science. For reference: We remind you that according to the Conditions of Admission to Higher Education Institutions in 2010, participants of international olympiads, prize-winners (persons awarded diplomas of I-III degrees) of the IV stage of All-Ukrainian Student Olympiads in basic subjects, and prize-winners (persons awarded diplomas of I-III degrees) of the III stage of All-Ukrainian competitions-defenses of research works of students-members of the Minor Academy of Sciences of Ukraine are entered into the ranking list of applicants immediately after persons admitted outside the competition and recommended based on interview results (According to clause 15.2 of the Conditions of Admission). That is, the above-mentioned applicants, having lower total scores based on testing results, to which the average grade of the certificate is added, may end up in the ranking higher than applicants admitted through the general competition.
Contact persons: Head of the Board of the Civil Network OPORA: Olha Aivazovska, 063 617 97 50Regional Coordinator in Volyn Oblast: Mykhailo Shelep, 067 416 50 86