Ukrainian Academy of Banking of the National Bank of Ukraine is a leader in economic education
Olha Tkachenko
The Ukrainian Academy of Banking of the NBU is a specialized educational institution, as student training is carried out in only two fields: economics and law. Moreover, even law students receive in-depth economic training. “We train specialists for Ukraine’s financial sector, for work at enterprises, in financial and budgetary institutions, insurance companies, credit unions, and pension funds,” explains Vice-Rector for Academic Affairs, Doctor of Economics, Professor of the Ukrainian Academy of Banking of the National Bank of Ukraine, Inna Shkolnyk. “The range of activities of our graduates is very broad.”
Speaking about the advantages of the UABS, first of all these are excellent conditions for study: thanks to funding from the NBU, the academy has a powerful material and technical base. The UABS has created all the necessary conditions for training future specialists: equipped specialized classrooms, training banks, training enterprises, financial and analytical centers, a dealing room; the CISCO Academy operates here — all this allows students to acquire practical work skills already during their studies.
In addition, the pride of the academy is its scientific library, which has repeatedly won various national competitions and is now known not only in Sumy but far beyond the city. Every student of the academy has absolutely free access to any information of interest. This concerns not only textbooks, manuals, and guidelines, but also free access to the Internet and global scientometric databases.
International Cooperation
“The academy has a very strong academic and teaching staff,” says Inna Shkolnyk. “We have 180 lecturers, 80% of whom are candidates and doctors of sciences. The academy employs 20 doctors of sciences and professors of economics and law. Those who do not yet have an academic degree are actively working on writing their PhD dissertations.”
Perhaps the best proof of this is the recognition of the academy’s lecturers abroad. For several years in a row, UABS lecturers have been invited to give lectures at leading Austrian, Italian, and Polish universities. Likewise, professors from European universities come to the UABS with lectures at least once a month, and students have the opportunity to communicate with them and attend their lectures (usually in English).
Similarly, academy students participate in various international exchange programs, travel abroad for studies and practical seminars, have the opportunity to visit banking and financial institutions, see how they operate abroad, attend lectures by leading foreign specialists, communicate with employees of foreign banking and financial institutions, and receive internationally recognized certificates. “Thanks to close ties with foreign partners, the academy has the opportunity to send its students for internships abroad. At the academy’s expense,” clarifies Inna Shkolnyk. “Right now, a group of ten academy students is going to a seminar in Germany, to the University of the Deutsche Bundesbank. Based on the results of the seminar, they take tests and receive a certificate.” The same system has been established with the Czech Banking Institute in Prague and the Polish Higher Banking School in Chorzów. Every year, academy students study the Polish language and have the opportunity to go to Poland for 2–3 weeks of practical training. Today, the UABS continues work on establishing ties with Italian universities.
Tuition Fees
“Due to the fact that the NBU provides us with significant financial support, there are advantages for students who are not focused on state-funded places. First of all, the cost of tuition on a commercial basis at the academy is one of the lowest not only in Sumy, but also among the lowest in Ukraine,” says Inna Shkolnyk. Moreover, tuition fees do not change throughout the entire period of higher education. “We do not increase tuition fees every year or per semester,” explains Inna Shkolnyk. “The contract clearly specifies the cost, and it remains the same for all four years.”
For each specialty, the academy has a completed cycle of education. In fact, in all specialties the UABS trains master’s degree holders, and for those who plan to link their future with scientific activity, the academy has created all the necessary conditions — it trains its own candidates and doctors of sciences. That is, everything that a higher education institution can offer is available at the Ukrainian Academy of Banking.
Employment
Moreover, the UABS takes care of the employment of its graduates. Of course, in the first year this is not so interesting for them, but the further and older the student becomes, the more they are concerned about future employment. “We guarantee employment for our graduates,” assures Inna Shkolnyk. “We have a regional center for advanced training and practical preparation that deals with this directly.” The center’s staff organize internships for academy students and are also responsible for employment. This issue is under special control of the UABS administration, since the academy reports on each student to the National Bank of Ukraine, regardless of whether the student studies at the expense of the NBU or on a commercial basis.
Leisure and Sports
As for leisure, physical education, and sports, the academy is also among the best. Physical education classes for students take place at the UABS indoor athletics arena. In addition, there are many various additional halls for aerobics and shaping for girls, as well as gyms and wrestling halls for boys. UABS students also have access to a swimming pool. Again, all this is absolutely free for UABS NBU students.
Students inclined toward artistic creativity and various forms of amateur performance have the opportunity to participate in numerous events organized by the academic gallery and to attend clubs.
And, of course, what is now widely discussed in the city is the creation of a Palace of Creativity and Leisure for Students with the support and, in fact, at the initiative of the Honorary Citizen of Sumy, Rector of the UABS NBU, Professor Anatolii Yepifanov. Moreover, this will be a place where students not only of the UABS but also of other higher education institutions of the city will be able to spend their time.
Courses
For all those wishing to enroll in the UABS NBU, preparatory courses are available. At the academy, they operate according to two schemes. First, these are short-term preparatory courses. They are designed for seven months and are intended for school students who have already decided on admission and are confident in their choice, that is, students of grades 10–11. The courses are conducted in профиль subjects necessary for admission to economic or legal specialties.
A special feature of the preparatory courses at the UABS is that they are conducted separately for residents of Sumy and for non-resident applicants. For the former, studies take place during the academic year after school classes: on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 16:00 to 19:00 for those wishing to enter economic specialties, and on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays from 16:00 to 19:00 for future lawyers.
As for non-resident applicants, as a rule, classes in preparatory courses are adjusted to school holidays. Applicants study full-time from 8:00 to 16:00, including weekends.
All participants of the preparatory courses receive reader’s cards for the UABS library, which they can use to the full extent. “Many of our applicants prepare for olympiads in the library, write essays and research papers,” says Inna Shkolnyk. Residents of the city and all interested persons can also visit the UABS Scientific Library.
In addition, the UABS offers long-term preparatory courses based on ninth grades. The program of such courses is designed for two years of study. “We prepare school students according to the following scheme: they choose several disciplines they are interested in and can improve these subjects for themselves and for school, as well as, albeit over a longer period, prepare for external independent testing,” says Inna Shkolnyk. “In principle, it is also possible to choose the entire package of subjects; the cost of training will depend on this.”
“A significant part of the graduates of the preparatory courses remain to study at our academy,” says Inna Shkolnyk. “Just like our graduates, we track their further paths. A certain part enters leading Kyiv educational institutions and educational institutions of Kharkiv.”
UABS NBU Website: www.uabs.edu.ua