A remarkable event for educators took place – a panel discussion “Master’s Degree vs. Micro-Credentials in Ukraine”

A remarkable event for educators took place – a panel discussion “Master’s Degree vs. Micro-Credentials in Ukraine”

The issue of introducing and recognizing Micro-Credentials is increasingly becoming a concern for the Ukrainian educational space. This new format of educational services is considered promising by all participants in the educational process: firstly, education providers, secondly, education receivers, and thirdly, employers. The national education regulators, the National Qualifications Agency and the National Agency for Higher Education Quality Assurance, are also involved in the process.

To discuss the current state of affairs and prospects for the introduction of Micro-Credentials, a panel discussion “Master’s Degree vs. Micro-Credentials in Ukraine” was held on March 6 at the EPAM office in Lviv and broadcasted to all interested parties.

Well-known experts on short-term educational programs were invited as panelists:

• Serhiy Kvit, President of the Kyiv-Mohyla Academy, former Minister of Education.
• Taras Finikov, President of the International Foundation for Educational Policy Research.
• Olena Yeremenko, Deputy Head of the NAQA.
• Yaroslav Prytula – First Vice-Rector of the Ukrainian Catholic University.
• Yuriy Rashkevych – Doctor of Technical Sciences, Professor of Lviv Polytechnic, member of the National Qualifications Agency.
• Denys Hrynev, Vice President for Education at the IT Association of Ukraine, Head of EPAM Campus.

The event was moderated by Olha Oseredchuk, Professor at Ivan Franko National University of Lviv.

The following topical issues of Micro-Credentials implementation in Ukraine were highlighted:

• how traditional master’s programs and Micro-Credentials interact in modern universities;
• speed, convenience, accessibility and advantages of the new learning format;
• how universities can combine Micro-Credentials with master’s programs;
• how employers evaluate graduates of both systems.

The audience was from all over Ukraine. Educators who were hearing about Micro-Credentials for the first time were happy to gain an understanding of the new format of education. Experienced professionals were able to get detailed information about the intricacies of implementing and recognizing Micro-Credentials. We all thank the experts for a great opportunity to improve our educational level and think about the possibility of its application!