On February 17, the rector of Uzhhorod University, Volodymyr Smolanka, 
together with the vice-rector for scientific and pedagogical work, Oleksandr Rogach, met with the staff of the Faculty of Economics. The meeting was another in a series of communications between the university management and the teaching staff regarding the possible reorganization of the university.
The rector once again emphasized that rumors about the liquidation of UzhNU are manipulations. “We will not have a liquidation, but a reorganization through unification. The key point in this is the legal succession. Nothing changes for teachers and students. Only the organizational system of the university will change. It will become larger,” emphasized Volodymyr Smolanka. According to him, Uzhhorod University will remain a basic university, and Moscow State University will join on an equal footing, creating a more powerful structure.
The consolidation of universities is a global trend. For example, in France, for a population of 66 million, only 70 universities operate.
In Ukraine, the process of reorganization of higher education institutions began in 2021. The result of the reform should be a reduction in the number of HEIs to 100. The main advantage of large universities, according to the rector, is their competitiveness: when serious infrastructure projects appear, medium-sized and small universities are not even considered as potential participants.
Answering the question about the chosen format
of reorganization, Volodymyr Smolanka noted that the final decision remains with the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine. At the same time, the experience of previous mergers has shown that the merger format has proven to be more effective than accession.
“Mukachevo University is self-sufficient. We are merging with a good higher education institution, which is simply smaller in size, but will be able to strengthen us. We will only benefit from this merger,” the rector emphasized.
Vice-rector Oleksandr Rogach separately emphasized legal guarantees for all participants in the educational process. “The Law of Ukraine on Higher Education guarantees students their rights in any form of reorganization. The rights and obligations of employees are also guaranteed,” he noted.
The leadership of UzhNU continues to communicate with the academic community. Meetings with teams from various faculties are aimed at ensuring maximum transparency of the process and giving teachers and staff the opportunity to get answers to all questions regarding the future of the university.