History of Our University
Our university is one of the youngest in Ukraine. It occupies the geographic location where Mykolaiv port craft school was formed by the Decree of the Emperor in 1862. Since those times there have been educational institutions of various types.
Renaissance of Petro Mohyla University is the Renaissance of Ukrainian culture. On October 15, 1615, Kyiv noble, Halshka Hulevychivna, presented her mansion in Podil, Kyiv to the Ukrainian brotherhood in order to found a monastery, a hospital, and a school. Since then, this date has been celebrated as the day when Kyiv-Mohyla Academy was established.
Kyiv-Mohyla Academy, the first university in Eastern Europe, was founded by St. Peter Mohyla, a prominent figure of the Orthodox Church and reformer of education. Petro Mohyla (1596-1647), one of the founders of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy, was a prominent religious, cultural, and educational activist. During Renaissance times he formed the citizenship status of national languages and strived for Ukrainian education to become equal with the European level. Above all else, Petro Mohyla’s educational activity was aimed at raising national consciousness. The educational institution received the status of Academy in 1658. Since then, this institution has educated many prominent figures of Ukrainian science, culture, and religion.
Subsequently, Kyiv-Mohyla Academy was closed in 1817 because of a decision made by the Holy Synod of the Russian Empire. In 1819 Kyiv Theological Academy was opened and functioned until 1918. It was not until September 19, 1991, that the Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine signed instruction “On the revival of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy on its historical territory as the University of “Kyiv-Mohyla Academy (UKMA).”
The official re-opening of the University of “Kyiv-Mohyla Academy” took place on August 24, 1992. The academy was restored as a secular educational institution and became a symbol of rebirth for Ukraine’s independence.
In 1994, the university acquired the national status. Patron of the National University “Kyiv-Mohyla Academy” is the President of Ukraine. In the early years, the main University in Kiev exemplified the possibility of creating a Ukrainian university open to the achievements of Western education. To this day, we continue to follow this tradition.
Revival of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy, in 1992, allowed hope to disseminate among patriotic citizens of Ukraine because it displayed the establishment of progressive higher educational institutions. The first years of the university demonstrated convincingly that Ukraine can rapidly create a school that combines the best features of higher education from the Soviet times along with the achievements of leading Western countries. The model of “Kyiv-Mohyla Academy” has become a reference point for the creation of new schools in various regions of Ukraine.
On October 23, 1995, the representatives of local authorities, institutions, media, and other organizers had a meeting in the building of Mykolaiv current branch. All the participants supported the idea of establishing a new higher education institution in Mykolaiv. Its concept was prepared by Professor S.M. Solovyov.
The work started with the development of the normative base. The business-plan was accomplished by O.P. Meshchaninov, marketing strategies by G.L. Nord, and technological and financial calculations by M.M. Chorniy. All the work was done on a volunteer base. V.V. Dragomirov, V.M. Bandura, Y.A. Batrack, Y.Y. Verlanov and O.M. Trunov also joined the team in January-March.
On January 17, 1996, the Academic Council of NaUKMA considered the question of a new university branch in Mykolayiv. L.P. Klimenko, O.P. Meshchaninov and V.V. Dragomirov presented the project. The Academic Council unanimously approved the business-plan for the creation of the new branch and its statutes. In accordance with the resolution of the Academic Council, the president of NaUKMA issued the order dated from January 17, 1996 concerning the foundation of the branch and appointed L.P. Klimenko to the position of Rector. On March 31, the executive committee officially registered the new university.
The licensing process was launched and all the necessary documentation was prepared in order to create the new branch which was approved by the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine. The Deans of faculties Y.A. Batrack, Y.Y. Verlanov and V.V. Dobrowolskiy also did a lot of work. V.M. Emelyanov provided the great assistance in licensing and the adoption of resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine. On June 13, 1996, the State Attestation Committee made a decision to issue licenses for Economics, Computer Sciences, and Environmental Science to Mykolaiv branch of NaUKMA for 175 students.
On July 3, 1996, the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine enacted order № 712 concerning the foundation of Mykolaiv branch of NaUKMA, Mykolayiv Collegiumn NaUKMA, and the development of the regional program “Mykolaiv Educational National and Cultural Complex”. The process of organizational establishment of the branch was finally finished. Entry testing began on July 14.
Inauguration of Mykolaiv branch took place on August 30. Mykolaiv Ukrainian Drama and Musical Comedy Theatre developed a special program for the student initiation and the director of the theatre M. Berson as well as the main producer O. Ignatiev personally took part in the play.
From 1996-1998 the university succeeded in creating adequate learning conditions for the educational process to take place. The rooms were renovated, heating systems began to function, furniture for the offices and lecture-rooms was purchased, as well as textbooks and study guides for future students. The physics, chemistry, ecology, and electrical technology laboratories were also installed.
Renovations continued as the gym was repaired and three computer classes were provided with state-of-the-art equipment. All the computers were then networked and connected to the Internet. Printing equipment was also purchased, and the editorial and publishing department was created.
In 2000 the first bachelors of the following specialties graduated:
* Intellectual Systems of Decision-Making
* Finance
* Environmental Science
* Political Sciences
This made it possible to obtain accreditation in these specialties at the bachelor level. Thus, in 2001 the first specialists graduated and the branch received accreditation of these specialties at the specialist level.
On March 13, 2002 the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine issued order 112-р 13.03.02—“About creation of State Petro Mohyla Humanities University” as an extension of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy. That was followed by the creation of educational and scientific complex “Kyiv-Mohyla Academy” with the contract between the president of NaUKMA, S. Brukhovetskii, and the rector of State Petro Mohyla Humanities University, L. Klymenko, and the statute “Terms and Conditions of Educational and Scientific Complex Kyiv-Mohyla Academy”.
As more teachers and students arrived to the University, there were not only representatives of the Black Sea region, but almost all regions of Ukraine and Kyiv. Foreign students began to study here and departments were headed by professors and doctors of science. The University proceeded to open its own institutes, scientific schools, and centers, and specialized academic councils for the defense of dissertations. However, the University quickly began to outgrow itself in the pace and scale of development. In fact, the University became multidisciplinary. Every year the Humanities University Doctors of Technical Sciences began to receive patents. Besides particular humanitarian specialties MSHU expanded to incorporate bachelor and master programs in Law, Finance, Environmental Protection and Sustainability, Computer Science, Computer Engineering, and Instrument Engineering. Thus, quite logically, the proposal of the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine, in agreement with the Regional State Administration, to change the status of Petro Mohyla State Humanities University in Mykolaiv was considered.
On December 10, 2008, Petro Mohyla State Humanities University in Mykolaiv was reorganized into Petro Mohyla Black Sea State University by the order № 1521-р of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine.
In 2009, the University joined the Great Charter of Universities and the European University Association. It is the only institution of higher education, which, in 2011, represented Ukraine and its system of teaching at the Talloires Network Leaders Conference (TNLC) comprised of over 250 universities around the world. The BSSU was the initiator of the Ukrainian public organization – “Ukrainian Association of Universities” – creation. In 2013, the university took 44th place, and, in 2014, – 43th place among the best universities of Ukraine. The mentioned and many other achievements facilitated the BSSU, on 14 June 2016, to achieve the status of the national university by the Decree of the President Petro Poroshenko.
To provide education that meets international standards the University maintains regular and strong contacts with various international organizations and foreign universities. Petro Mohyla Black Sea National University invites leading foreign scholars to give lectures, hold seminars and various workshops, and encourages expansion in practices of our students and teachers by embracing opportunities to study abroad.
The Students’ Board aims to organize the daily life of the students, offers productive spare-time activities, and also helps solve conflicts.
The research work at the University is based on our national experience, including Petro Mohyla’s philosophical concept, which is expressed in the natural combination of scientific and educational activities. Scientific research is carried out according to the program approved by the Academic Council and Rector.
Despite the young age of our University, it has become one of the most influential institutions in the southern region. It is the only University of classical type in the South of Ukraine, which combines western educational technologies with national traditions (Liberal Arts Education). We strive to involve new educational technologies and principles of university education.
