INNOVATIONS IN THE MODERN UKRAINIAN UNIVERSITY IN THE CONDITIONS OF REFORM OF HIGHER EDUCATION IN UKRAINE

The article explores the concept of innovation in modern education of Ukraine, which is going through reforms and is referred to by the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine as one of the key characteristics of the country’s educational process in terms of integration into academic and educational framework of the European Union. Educational innovation is seen by the author as an upgrade of the entire system, which was made possible with the introduction of an appropriate action plan (new approaches, teaching methods), which improved the system’s performance. The dichotomous nature of innovation is studied as a combination of its static (the statement of the changes that have occurred) and dynamic (the upgrading process as such) aspects. Educational innovations in Ukraine were enabled by the democratization of society and the creation of an overall innovative environment, which laid the intellectual foundation for implementing innovations in national higher education institutions. Based on the analysis of fundamental changes suggested by the Ministry (eliminating education monopoly) and the use of innovative technologies intrinsic to the European education system (credit-module system, interactive learning, project-based learning, person-oriented approach to professional training, distance and blended learning), the author has testified to a more flexible operation system for Oles Honchar Dnipro National University and its subdivisions (the possibility of subdivision-bound management and independence in content development, choice of learning aims and methods, planning research work) as well as to a more student-centered and student-motivating approach (the possibility of choosing activities and tasks, types of educational information leaning on the lesson stages and student’s cognitive profiles). Therefore, educational innovations are forward-looking, yet they require financial support and in-depth understanding.