Due to the low qualification level of graduates from Ukraine's medical higher education establishments, including the prestigious Bohomolets National Medical University, as well as high level of corruption there, Iran has refused to recognize diplomas issued by Ukrainian medical universities and does not give the right for medical practice to those of its citizens that studied in Ukraine, Leader of the Civil Position Party Anatoliy Hrytsenko told reporters in Lviv.
The MP discovered this during an international conference in Tehran on June 26. According to him, diplomas are being "simply purchased" in Ukraine today.
"[Ukrainian Education Minister Dmytro] Tabachnyk just has to talk to university students to learn that a credit costs from $300 to $500, an exam costs about $1,000-1,500, and so on. I mean the universities are completely soaked in corruption," the politician said.
According to Hrytsenko, such a decision by Iran is "a very alarming signal."
"We know that the European countries, and the United States and Canada came to this conclusion much earlier. Ukrainian doctors that want to get a job in these countries have to pass a humiliating procedure of re-attestation and additional training. Only a few of them receive the right to practice medicine at once, while the others start their career as a nurse or working at laboratories, and only after some time they can hope to receive the right to treat people," the deputy said.
According to him, corruption at universities damages Ukraine’s image and is forcing the country out of the international education market.
"Iran recognizes the diplomas of technical universities of Ukraine. But if they don’t radically change the training system and the system of combating corruption at universities, technical universities will face the same fate," Hrytsenko said.
The leader of the Civil Position Party stressed that the key task of the Education and Science Ministry is to ensure there is a significant increase in education levels, the introduction of the latest methodology, state support for scientific schools and higher education establishments and a tough fight against corruption at universities.
"These should be the main directions of activity of [Education Minister] Dmytro Tabachnyk and his ministry," Hrytsenko said.
