During different periods of its development, Lviv Polytechnic National University has always had a lot of foreign students. In general, over 9,000 foreigners from the four continents of the world graduated from it.
Previously foreigners studied only according to the Ukrainian-language program, but recently we have implemented the English-language program as well. Today about 250 foreign citizens study in Lviv Polytechnic on a contract basis and on international agreements.
Oleh Matviikiv, Vice-Rector for Education and International Relations of Lviv Polytechnic, gives an interview.
– Under what conditions can a foreign entrant enter Lviv Polytechnic?
– We require a scanned copy of passport and educational documents to know what the student had studied. Then he/she got invited by the Center for International Education at the Ministry of Education and Science. Further procedures are already held in Polytechnic ... The entrants pass exams in physics, mathematics, language and have an interview. Before studying according to the Ukrainian-language program, you have to go through preparatory courses in the Ukrainian language that last from six months to a year.
– How many people want to join the English language program? Are there the appropriate conditions?
– Of course, there are. The English-language program is our salvation. Interest in it is growing. There are even entrants who, after the preparatory department, decide to study not in Ukrainian, but in English. A little less than a half of foreign students study according to the English language program. This year for the first time such bachelors will graduate from our University, and for the first time we will enroll the entrants to master’s degree in the English language (until now we only had it in the Ukrainian language). Also we are thinking to create the English-language program for Computer Science, as this summer there were many requests from foreigners for this speciality.
– Do students on the English language program study the Ukrainian language?
– Yes, they do. However each speciality provides a different number of hours: mechanics – more, builders – less ... We believe that everyone must know the language of the country in which they study. Therefore, we want to standardize the Ukrainian language course for English-speaking bachelor students.