Ukraine and South Africa to develop a roadmap for cooperation in education and science

On September 29, 2020, a meeting of the acting Minister of Education and Science of Ukraine Serhiy Shkarlet with Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of South Africa to Ukraine Andre Johannes Groenewald to establish bilateral cooperation in the field of education between Ukraine and the Republic of South Africa.

Serhiy Shkarlet stressed that the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy prioritizes the development of education and science in Ukraine.

“Now the Ministry of Education and Science is developing an Action Plan to promote opportunities for higher education in Ukraine for foreign students. The main goal is to increase the attractiveness of national education, introduce a transparent mechanism for recruiting foreign students for higher education, and ensure the quality of educational services provided by universities”, – he stressed.

Also, Serhiy Shkarlet said that as of early 2020, more than 80 thousand foreign students from 158 countries of the world are studying in Ukraine, of which 44 are from the Republic of South Africa. The overwhelming majority of them study medical specialties in Kharkiv, Vinnytsia, Dnipro, Kyiv and Sumy.

“In my opinion, the conclusion of a bilateral agreement will open up new opportunities for enhancing educational exchanges of students and teachers within the framework of the mutual provision of state scholarships”, – Serhiy Shkarlet said.

The parties discussed the development of a roadmap for further cooperation in the field of education and science and the conclusion of a cooperation agreement.

The Minister thanked the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary for the meeting and expressed confidence in the continuation of an effective dialogue to enhance cooperation between Ukraine and South Africa in the educational sphere.

Source: МESU