Roman Gladyshevsky: “Don’t look for easy paths, look for your own paths of development”
Summer is in full swing, and with it the hot season of the admissions campaign. Thousands of applicants who aspire to join the student community are choosing an institution of higher education for themselves – a center of growth, deep thinking and valuable communication. This year, Lviv University is one of the leaders in the ranking of the most popular higher education institutions by the number of applications submitted by applicants. This indicates the successful and fruitful work of the University team. In an exclusive interview for the MediaKIT website, the Rector of the Ivan Franko National University of Lviv, Academician of the NAS of Ukraine, Professor Roman Gladyshevsky told what the success of the admissions campaign consists of and summarized the first results of his work in the position. During a sincere conversation, our team learned that Roman Yevgenyevich reads a lot, even in the morning, in particular, he always waits for positive news that sets him up for a productive day. However, his students motivate him the most. They, according to Roman Gladyshevsky, are not just talented and inquisitive – they are the best. We talk about the quality of education and science at Lviv University, about the first results and future plans with the Rector, for whom the University is not just a job, but a lifestyle.
Very little time has passed since your appointment as the rector of the University. What are the first results of your work that you can highlight?
As you said, very little time has passed since my appointment, so it is too early to talk about completed processes. At the same time, we have already managed to lay the foundations for important transformations. The redistribution of management functions at the University has begun. The composition of the vice-rectors has changed, and we are working to make management processes more efficient, and communication between departments more open and structured. In parallel, work is underway on a number of new projects. Some of them are still at the development stage, so they are not yet ready for public announcement, but all of them are aimed at intensifying the development of Ukrainian science, modernizing the University’s infrastructure and including it in the context of state initiatives. We are also negotiating with Ukrainian and foreign partners on the creation of a new material and technical base for a high-quality educational and scientific process. The first results of this work are already available. In particular, the 3D Technology Center has been opened on the basis of the Faculty of Electronics and Computer Technologies, which includes equipment for 3D printing, scanning, vacuum forming, modeling, and engraving. This is just the beginning: other laboratories and interdisciplinary centers will be launched in the near future, which will become platforms for scientific research, engineering education, and student startups. I would like my gadget to have an information system related to the University. So that we have an application with which a student could find out in which auditorium he has a pair, what is the name of the teacher, what is the topic of the lecture, and what literature is needed for this. Now the opening of Ukrainian Studies Centers is also an urgent priority, since it is very important to spread Ukrainian culture and tell the truth about our history and present. Many of our citizens also live abroad. And our task is to make them feel like Ukrainians. But, perhaps, the main thing is the atmosphere. Today, the university community demonstrates understanding and support for positive changes. And this is the most valuable resource, because without trust and an internal awareness of the need for transformation, no strategy will be successful. And we have both the understanding and the strength to move forward.
Lviv University is currently one of the leaders in the ranking of the most popular higher education institutions in terms of the number of applications submitted by applicants. Why, in your opinion, is our University so popular among young people who want to study? What were your first instructions, as the head of the Admissions Committee, to achieve such a result?
The popularity of Lviv University is not formed by orders. It is the result of the trust of applicants, their parents, graduates who have already successfully implemented themselves, as well as those who study and work within the University every day. This result is, first of all, evidence of the effective work of our faculties, teachers, administrators, student government, and employees of the Admissions Committee. This is an indicator that the University has a high authority in society, and our students have a reputation as an active, educated, and responsible part of Ukrainian society. As the head of the Admissions Committee, I did not set myself the goal of interfering in the daily work of a qualified team. My first decisions were more organizational than directive. We ensured coordinated work, an appropriate level of communication, and responsiveness to applicants’ requests. But the most important thing is to create an atmosphere of responsibility without excessive administration. I am convinced that where people feel trust, freedom of action, and a deep understanding of a common goal, they work effectively. This is what gives the result. A university should not rely on orders. It relies on people who believe in their work and do it well. I am glad that the Admissions Committee this year is once again demonstrating such coordinated and worthy work.
The higher education system has introduced the practice of ministerial recommendations for admission to higher education institutions in Ukraine. It is obvious that some HEIs are not satisfied with the “instructions” of the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine, but are forced to listen to top management. What are the challenges and benefits of this practice?
It is not necessary to consider ministerial recommendations in a problematic plane, because they are mechanisms designed to ensure unity and predictability of the admission campaign on a state scale. It is obvious that each university has its own specifics and its own strategy for attracting applicants, and in this sense, unified approaches can sometimes look like restrictions. At the same time, in conditions of martial law, crises and high mobility of applicants, a single framework of rules makes it possible to ensure fairness, transparency and manageability of the admission process. For Lviv University, these guidelines are not an obstacle, because we have a high level of trust, high-quality educational programs and a reputation that works for us. But at the same time, as a university community, we are interested in ensuring that the future regulation of admission takes into account both state priorities and the autonomy of higher education institutions. This is a question of balance and we are ready to conduct a professional dialogue in this direction.
Mr. Rector, we know that as a scientist you have worked extensively in international higher education institutions. What innovative approaches to the admissions campaign do leading international HEIs use that could be implemented at our University?
Indeed, I had the opportunity to work at universities that belong to different educational traditions, in particular in Switzerland and France. In international practice, the admission campaign usually lasts much longer and is often individualized, that is, it includes motivation letters, interviews, portfolios. Often, universities work with potential students long before they submit documents. At the same time, I am convinced that the Ukrainian system, in particular the approaches that we practice at Lviv University, are strong and effective. They are based on openness to the applicant, honesty of procedures and active communication with young people. We do not just accept documents, we conduct a dialogue: we tell, explain, encourage critical thinking and choose consciously. If we talk about what can be adapted from international experience, then this is the expansion of the tools of individual interaction with applicants, in particular at the program level: more information “from the inside”, more direct contacts with teachers and students, perhaps – mentoring models of getting to know the University even before admission. It is also worth working on creating digital environments where a future student can feel like a part of the University even before enrolling. The University already has such practices in part, they just need to be scaled up. Overall, working abroad is a very good experience for me. However, after 10 years of working outside of Ukraine, I decided to return to Lviv. Our students and foreign students are wonderful young and motivated people. I believe that teaching students in Ukraine is even more prestigious, because our education is at a very high level today. I would even say that our students are ahead, because they clearly know what to strive for.
We are currently going through a difficult and anxious period. Please tell us what your working day looks like? How do you restore your strength after intensive work?
Times are never easy, but everything seems less daunting if you work honestly, responsibly, and with a clear vision of your goal. I have a morning habit of doing gymnastics. It takes a little time, so sometimes I have to wake up at five in the morning to get everything done. I also like to receive positive news in the morning to recharge for the whole day. I use both electronic and printed media. I have a subscription to the newspapers “Vysoky Zamok” and “Sportyvka”; the magazines “Kraina”, “Dzvin” and “Vsesvit”. My working day often begins with morning meetings, discussions, and planning and lasts until late in the evening. Most of my time these days is spent in constant dialogue – with colleagues, students, and representatives of state and international institutions. We are learning to make decisions quickly, and what is important is not to lose the human dimension in each of them. Recently, I had to sign 4,433 bachelor’s diplomas. And this is only part of the signatures that have to be left on various documents. Therefore, the rector’s daily work is often work with documents. And there are days that are spent entirely “in the fields”: trips to dormitories, academic buildings. Recently, my colleagues and I visited most of the dormitories and even held a working meeting on the roof of the highest of them. Because if you don’t see everything with your own eyes, you won’t feel what the university community really lives for. We need to understand the needs of our students and employees not on paper, but in person. Rest? To be honest, now is not the time to rest. But sometimes you need to reboot, at least for a minute. For me, this means reading a few pages of good fiction. And, four-legged friends. I don’t have any pets at home, but every evening a whole feline community meets me at the entrance: always serious, with a look as if they are checking whether I managed to do everything today and whether I bought them any goodies on the way.
Mr. Rector, you mentioned that rebooting for you means reading fiction. Name a few of your favorite authors.
The literary space of my interests is very diverse – from biographical prose to deep fiction. I love books that reveal the inner world and life path of outstanding scientists. For example, I enjoy reading everything I can find about Marie Skłodowska-Curie. For me, her figure is the embodiment of strength of spirit, sacrifice and genius. A completely different range of emotions was recently evoked by the book “Cold Sky of the North” by Yevhen Ivanychuk, brother of Roman Ivanychuk. The work, dedicated to the topic of the Gulag, struck me with the depth of pain and resilience in the face of inhuman trials. I also really like detective stories, especially about Lviv. Yes, I read the entire cycle of novels about our city by Andriy Kokotyukha. From foreign ones, I single out the works of the Polish writer Janusz Wyszniewski and the Swiss writer Joel Dicker. And there are reasons for this – Vishnevsky is a chemist by education, and Dicker and I crossed paths during my work in Switzerland.
How important is it to analyze the work of the Admissions Committee after the admissions campaign is complete to improve admissions rules and express gratitude to the team?
Any work should be analyzed, even when it seems to have gone perfectly. Because only reflection provides grounds for growth and improvement. The admission campaign is a complex multifactorial process, and analyzing its progress is important both for clarifying organizational aspects and for forming even more effective approaches in the future. And, of course, we should always thank those who invest their time, energy and heart in the work of the Admissions Committee.
What advice would you give to applicants and students that could really change their lives?
Advice is often a thankless job, so I would rather wish young people: be bold in your goals and responsible in achieving them. The university provides tools – knowledge, experience, environment. But only the inner determination of a young person, the ability to think critically, not be afraid of difficult questions and be persistent in searching for answers forms a personality capable of changing the world. Well, here comes a short piece of advice – don’t look for easy paths, look for your own paths of development. And be brave enough to follow them!
Prepared by Angelina HARYACHA, Tetyana KIYKO
Photo: Maryan PAVLYK