Donetsk National University
Encyclopedia
Donetsk National University (DonNU) ( , Donets’kyi Natsional’nyi Universytet) is the leading higher educational institution in Donetsk Oblast
, Ukraine
. The University's history starts in 1937 from the moment of creation of a pedagogical institute in Donetsk
(then Stalino). In 1965, the Institute was transformed into Donetsk State University. It was accorded the National status in 2000.
. Its first director was Olekasandr Yevdokymenko, who was arrested in 1938 and sentenced to 10 years imprisonment during the Joseph Stalin
's Great Purge
. Originally the institute consisted of two departments, of History and of Philology, and five chairs.
From 1940 to 1961 the Institute was led by Serhiy Ksenofotnov and from 1961 by Mykola Khoroshailov. In 1964 Institute was subordinated to Kharkiv State University
and became a Donetsk branch of Kharkiv State University named after Maksim Gorky.
On May 28, 1965 the Soviet of Ministers of the USSR enacted a Decree on organising Donetsk State University (DonSU) based on Donetsk branch of Kharkiv State University. Professor Leonid Lytvynenko became the first rector
of the University (1965–1968).
In 1965 post-graduate studies were launched at the University with only 16 students at first. This was the year when faculties of biology and physics as well as students' campus were built.
Professor Yuriy Shevlyakov was appointed the second rector of the University, who managed the institution from 1968 to 1970. In this period the main 12-storey building was constructed. Professor Hryhoriy Tymoshenko was the third University rector (1970–1975). In 1972 a Museum of University's history was opened in the main building.
Professor Hryhoriy Ponomarenko was the rector from 1975 till 1986. Since 1986 the University has been managed by the Professor Volodymyr Shevchenko. On September 11, 2000 by the Decree of the President of Ukraine
the University was accorded the national status.
On the December 22, 2003, an unusual from the point of view of law and moral event took place. It was called "The New Year exam auction" by organizers, who were the heads of DonNU and of the faculty of the accountancy and finance of the same university.
In addition to high-profile corruption scandals, DonNU is also known for cases of plagiarism of foreign scientific publications. Thus, in 2010, the case of plagiarism by Inessa Artamonova (former head of the Journalism Department at Donetsk National University) became known, as she was caught red-handed by Russian colleagues, namely for theft of texts of Russian scientists while writing her doctoral thesis. Until now, official bodies of Ukraine did not respond to the complaint of Russian scientists, who gave all the evidence of plagiarism.
. The letter to the Minister of Education was signed by more than 500 people, including the poet’s son Dmytro Stus. The Minister supported the initiative and approached the Rector of the university with a request to discuss the issue among staff and at the academic council. On 5 February 2009 National Deputy Olena Bondarenko presented a new initiative: to name the university after Volodomyr Degtyaryov, the First Secretary of the Donetsk Regional Party Committee from 1963 to 1976. The initiative was endorsed by some other National Deputies, including the leader of the Party of the Regions Viktor Yanukovych
, Mykola Azarov
and others. On February 17, 2009 62 out of 63 members of the university's "Scientific counsil" voted against renaming the university to Vasyl Stus or Volodomyr Degtyaryov (61 voted against this), 63 voted for not changing the name of the institute. Earlier (February 13, 2009) representatives of the university's students voted in exact the same fashion.
Donetsk Oblast
Donetsk Oblast is an oblast of eastern Ukraine. Its administrative center is Donetsk. Historically, the province is an important part of the Donbas region...
, Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
. The University's history starts in 1937 from the moment of creation of a pedagogical institute in Donetsk
Donetsk
Donetsk , is a large city in eastern Ukraine on the Kalmius river. Administratively, it is a center of Donetsk Oblast, while historically, it is the unofficial capital and largest city of the economic and cultural Donets Basin region...
(then Stalino). In 1965, the Institute was transformed into Donetsk State University. It was accorded the National status in 2000.
History
On July 15, 1937, a State Pedagogical Institute was established in the city of Stalino (Donetsk) by decree from Ukrainian SSRUkrainian SSR
The Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic or in short, the Ukrainian SSR was a sovereign Soviet Socialist state and one of the fifteen constituent republics of the Soviet Union lasting from its inception in 1922 to the breakup in 1991...
. Its first director was Olekasandr Yevdokymenko, who was arrested in 1938 and sentenced to 10 years imprisonment during the Joseph Stalin
Joseph Stalin
Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin was the Premier of the Soviet Union from 6 May 1941 to 5 March 1953. He was among the Bolshevik revolutionaries who brought about the October Revolution and had held the position of first General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union's Central Committee...
's Great Purge
Great Purge
The Great Purge was a series of campaigns of political repression and persecution in the Soviet Union orchestrated by Joseph Stalin from 1936 to 1938...
. Originally the institute consisted of two departments, of History and of Philology, and five chairs.
From 1940 to 1961 the Institute was led by Serhiy Ksenofotnov and from 1961 by Mykola Khoroshailov. In 1964 Institute was subordinated to Kharkiv State University
Kharkiv University
The University of Kharkiv or officially the Vasyl Karazin Kharkiv National University is one of the major universities in Ukraine, and earlier in the Russian Empire and Soviet Union...
and became a Donetsk branch of Kharkiv State University named after Maksim Gorky.
On May 28, 1965 the Soviet of Ministers of the USSR enacted a Decree on organising Donetsk State University (DonSU) based on Donetsk branch of Kharkiv State University. Professor Leonid Lytvynenko became the first rector
Rector
The word rector has a number of different meanings; it is widely used to refer to an academic, religious or political administrator...
of the University (1965–1968).
In 1965 post-graduate studies were launched at the University with only 16 students at first. This was the year when faculties of biology and physics as well as students' campus were built.
Professor Yuriy Shevlyakov was appointed the second rector of the University, who managed the institution from 1968 to 1970. In this period the main 12-storey building was constructed. Professor Hryhoriy Tymoshenko was the third University rector (1970–1975). In 1972 a Museum of University's history was opened in the main building.
Professor Hryhoriy Ponomarenko was the rector from 1975 till 1986. Since 1986 the University has been managed by the Professor Volodymyr Shevchenko. On September 11, 2000 by the Decree of the President of Ukraine
President of Ukraine
Prior to the formation of the modern Ukrainian presidency, the previous Ukrainian head of state office was officially established in exile by Andriy Livytskyi. At first the de facto leader of nation was the president of the Central Rada at early years of the Ukrainian People's Republic, while the...
the University was accorded the national status.
On the December 22, 2003, an unusual from the point of view of law and moral event took place. It was called "The New Year exam auction" by organizers, who were the heads of DonNU and of the faculty of the accountancy and finance of the same university.
In addition to high-profile corruption scandals, DonNU is also known for cases of plagiarism of foreign scientific publications. Thus, in 2010, the case of plagiarism by Inessa Artamonova (former head of the Journalism Department at Donetsk National University) became known, as she was caught red-handed by Russian colleagues, namely for theft of texts of Russian scientists while writing her doctoral thesis. Until now, official bodies of Ukraine did not respond to the complaint of Russian scientists, who gave all the evidence of plagiarism.
Infrastructure
Donetsk National University unites training, research and industrial centers forming a complex that includes: 12 Departments; 33 Specialties; Mariupol Humanitarian Institute; Donetsk Interior Institute; Donetsk Humanitarian Institute; 3 Technical Colleges; first in Ukraine Lyceum with Ukrainian as a training language; 6 regional Training and Retraining Centers; 3 Educational-Research-Industrial Complexes; 8 Training Complexes; 5 Departments and Advanced Training Centers; the UNESCO Department for Ecology in the Technogenous Region; Business Centre; Centre for Political Studies; Youth Centre for Legal Studies; the Laboratory for International Scientific and Technical Cooperation; Consulting Centres of the British, German and French Councils; Postgraduate Courses and Doctoral Studies.Renaming the university disputes
In December 2008 a group of current and former students of the university published an appeal asking that the university be named after one of its graduates, Vasyl StusVasyl Stus
Vasyl Semenovych Stus was a Ukrainian poet and publicist, one of the most active members of Ukrainian dissident movement. For his political convictions, his works were banned by the Soviet regime and he spent 23 years in detention...
. The letter to the Minister of Education was signed by more than 500 people, including the poet’s son Dmytro Stus. The Minister supported the initiative and approached the Rector of the university with a request to discuss the issue among staff and at the academic council. On 5 February 2009 National Deputy Olena Bondarenko presented a new initiative: to name the university after Volodomyr Degtyaryov, the First Secretary of the Donetsk Regional Party Committee from 1963 to 1976. The initiative was endorsed by some other National Deputies, including the leader of the Party of the Regions Viktor Yanukovych
Viktor Yanukovych
Viktor Fedorovych Yanukovych is a Ukrainian politician who has been the President of Ukraine since February 2010.Yanukovych served as the Governor of Donetsk Oblast from 1997 to 2002...
, Mykola Azarov
Mykola Azarov
Mykola Yanovych Azarov ; born Nikolai Yanovich Pakhlo on 17 December 1947, is a Ukrainian politician who has been the Prime Minister of Ukraine since 11 March 2010. He was the First Vice Prime Minister and Finance Minister from 2002 to 2005 and again from 2006 to 2007, and he also served as acting...
and others. On February 17, 2009 62 out of 63 members of the university's "Scientific counsil" voted against renaming the university to Vasyl Stus or Volodomyr Degtyaryov (61 voted against this), 63 voted for not changing the name of the institute. Earlier (February 13, 2009) representatives of the university's students voted in exact the same fashion.