Poplavskyi left the position of rector of KNUKiM after 30 years of work
The other day, the rector of the Kyiv University of Culture and Arts, Mykhailo Poplavsky, left the position he had held for more than 30 years.
This was announced by the Minister of Education, Oksen Lisovyi.
“When one person heads a university for more than three decades, this goes beyond healthy managerial turnover. The position of rector is a fixed-term and elective responsibility to the academic community. And even when the legal possibility of managing the institution is preserved, questions arise about ethics, as well as the management culture and interests of the institution itself. Unfortunately, we had a practice that allowed, as a result of various legal maneuvers, to retain the position of rector or significant influence on the university despite legislative restrictions,” he emphasized.
The head of the Ministry of Education recalled that back in 2023, Poplavsky stated the importance of appointing a new head of the institution.
In addition, Lisovyi noted that the name of the former rector has repeatedly appeared in public materials regarding allegations of harassment.
“Separately, it raises questions about a possible conflict of interest — the combination of the leadership of a state university and the activities of a related private educational institution,” he added.
According to him, KNUKiM should form “a comprehensive understanding of the phenomenon of culture, especially Ukrainian culture, in all its manifestations, and instill high moral and ethical standards in people who will work with such topics as values, meanings, and identity.” Instead, he believes, Poplavsky’s tone and style “formed a distorted idea of what a cultural institution and Ukrainian culture in general should be.”
“The University of Culture should be an example of ethical standards, not a constant source of discussions about them. The Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine has appointed an acting head of the institution, who must organize open and competitive elections – real, objective and devoid of influence,” the minister concluded.
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