The general economic conditions in Ukraine are expected to improve in the near future so that the country will be able to properly manage its transition to a market-driven economy.
The forestry sector - including the woodworking industry - is in dire need of reform and requires that properly trained forestry professionals address the commercial and environmental demands of the country. The woodworking industry is also suffering from being steeped, even more so than other industries, in the traditional models of the socialist regime, and it would benefit immensely from the introduction of institutional and technological innovations.
As a crucial part of this process, university and research institutions should revise their teaching methods and programs and move away from the existing centralized system. New innovations introduced by the most recent higher education reform represent a first step toward changing the former structure.
It is essential to continue in this direction by introducing further changes. Such improvements could include, for example, redesigning elements at the institutional level to ensure a less bureaucratic decision-making process and involving key representatives from private institutions and industry in the process of curricula revision and implementation. A stronger link with the labour force could also provide educational institutions with further stimulus to adapt to the constantly changing needs of the labour market.
Students may also play a part in the reform by becoming actively involved in the decision-making process at the academic level and by giving them opportunities to officially express their evaluation of the teaching standards and course contents. There are still far more students graduating than the national forestry sector requires, and such a large student body causes problems within the institutions due to insufficient educational resources and facilities. By reducing the number of technical schools and limiting the study of forestry to two main higher education institutions, better services would be offered and a sufficient number of well trained graduates would be available to meet the needs of the country's forestry sector.
International scientific and technical cooperation is a key element for better management of Ukrainian natural resources. Limited and focused partnerships rather than unwieldy, general programs would ensure more successful academic partnerships. Any project or intervention that is designed to improve academic exchange and cooperation can only be successful once institutional building and infrastructure is improved. This is the only way to ensure a sustained external investment.
Within a world that is rapidly changing and so dependent upon globalization, both in the social and economic context, education will increasingly represent the key to a country's development. It is necessary for countries, such as Ukraine, to rapidly adopt important innovative features and to be flexible and creative when revising curricula. This also requires involving different stakeholders in the process and ensuring an effective multilevel educational system. All of these steps are crucial for a successful transition to a sustainable market-led economy.
